Pumpkin Flan - Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert

If you’re planning smart use of your carbs for the Thanksgiving meal, add this silky sweet Pumpkin Flan to your menu. From my book, 1,000 Diabetes Recipes (Wiley, 2011), It’s like the smoothest pumpkin pie filling you’ve ever had—without the crust. Whether you’re avoiding crust because of the carbs or because you want to take some shortcuts with a laborious holiday menu, you’ll love this dessert.

Another great selling point for this flan is that you HAVE to make it a day ahead so that it forms the addictive caramel syrup in the refrigerator overnight. When dessert is already baked, it frees up the oven for more important things—like the turkey. All you have to do to serve it is to invert it onto a plate—a rimmed plate—you don’t want any of that yummy syrup to go to waste. Happy Thanksgiving.  

Pumpkin Flan

Makes 12 servings

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the inside rim of a 9-inch metal round cake pan with the oil, leaving the bottom of the pan uncoated.

2. Stir together the granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden, about 6 minutes longer. Carefully pour the sugar mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom (the pan will be hot after pouring in the caramel).

3. Whisk together the evaporated milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour into the cake pan. Place the cake pan inside a large baking roasting pan and add hot water to the baking pan to a level half way up the sides  of the cake pan.

4. Bake until a knife inserted in the edge of the flan comes out clean and flan is still soft in the center, 1 hour and 20 minutes. Carefully remove the flan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate the flan, covered, overnight.

5. To serve, run a small spatula around the edge of the flan and invert onto a rimmed serving plate to avoid spilling the syrup.

Each serving: 24 g carbohydrate, 126 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 68 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate