Move over pumpkin pie! There’s a new fall dessert in town, and we won’t lie – it might just put pumpkin pie to shame. This crème brûlée tastes similar, but with the crunchy brûléed maple sugar topping, it is just that much more delicious. 

This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving, or any fall gathering because the crème brûlées can be made the night before and kept in the fridge. Just wait to add the brûlée topping until right before serving. There is no better way to impress your guests than busting out a blow-torch to top off these tasty desserts.

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Maple Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Makes 6-8

Ingredients 

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée  
• 8 egg yolks
• ½ cup maple syrup

Topping

• ¾ cups maple sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Place the cream and pumpkin purée together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, stirring occasionally, but do not let the mixture boil. 
3. While the cream and pumpkin purée mixture is heating, separate the egg yolks and whisk them together with the maple sugar for about 2 minutes until thickened. 
4. Once the cream mixture is steaming, remove from heat.
5. Pour about ¼ of the cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk until combined. 
6. Slowly pour the remaining cream mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine. 
7. Pour the mixture into 6-8 ramekins, or pumpkin shells (see notes below). 
8. Place the ramekins in a baking dish, and pour boiling water into the dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. 
9. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 – 50 minutes (the timing varies based on how deep the ramekins you are using are. The crème brûlées are done when they firm up with only a slight wobble in the middle. 
10. Once baked, allow to cool before adding the topping. 
11. To make the topping, mix together the maple sugar and maple syrup.
12. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of each crème brûlée. 
13. Holding a blowtorch about three inches above the crème brûlée, and moving constantly, heat the surface of each crème brûlée until the topping bubbles and browns, or even blackens slightly.

Note: 

If baking in the hollowed out pumpkin shells, before making the crème brûlée prepare the pumpkins. Cut the pumpkins in half, and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on the baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 35-45 minutes. The tops might take longer than the bottoms to cook though because the pumpkins are thicker on top.  Once baked, scoop out the insides, this can be used in the recipe as the pumpkin puree.

Once the mixture has been prepared and poured into the pumpkin shells, bake according to the instructions above, but do not fill the tray with hot water as you would with the raminkins.