Turn classic creme brulee into a fall-tastic treat! Creamy, restaurant-quality pumpkin creme brulee is infused with just the right amount of pumpkin & has the perfect caramelized sugar topping. Yum!
In a small saucepan, add the cream and vanilla bean paste, stir to mix and set the pan over medium-low heat.
Warm the cream until bubbles form around the edges and steam begins to rise to the surface.
Remove from heat and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
While the cream mixture is steeping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and sugar until the mixture is light orange. This will take about 5 minutes of heavy whisking.
Once the mixture is light orange, gradually pour the cream into the egg mixture, whisking until blended. At this point, you will see a lot of white foam form at the top. Take a spoon and skim off the foam.
Divide the custard among the 4 ounce ramekins and place the ramekins on a baking pan.
Pull out the middle rack of the oven and place your baking pan on top. Then very carefully, pour boiling water to fill the pan almost halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Cover the pan loosely with foil and slowly push the rack back into the oven.
Bake until the custards are just set around the edges, about 30-35 minutes, but could be longer depending on how many ounces your ramekins are. Mine were a little deeper so it took about 50 minutes to bake.
Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. They will keep up to 3 days.
Before serving, sprinkle a heavy layer of granulated sugar on top of the custard. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar. Move the flame gradually in small circles over the surface of the custard, heating the sugar until it is evenly melted and golden. The sugar will harden in a few seconds and your pumpkin crème brûlée is ready to eat!