An easy yet impressive low-calorie dessert!
On the first day of my frappuccino phase last month, I walked to Starbucks in Safeway down the street from my house. As the barista took my afternoon order, she asked if I was studying for midterms. I laughed a little on the inside—when you live in a college town and look on the younger side, everyone assumes you’re a student!
When I explained that I needed the caffeine boost from staying up late to work the previous night, she politely inquired about what I did. When I revealed that I baked and blogged as a living, her eyes lit up brighter than the sun as she set down the milk to stare at me.
“Really?? That’s so cool! You can make money from that? I’d love to do that but with make-up.” She paused, then shyly asked, “Can you make crème brûlée? I’ve always wanted to try. I bought a mix where you just add milk—which is kind of cheating—but I don’t have a torch.”
I smiled and responded that I developed a banana brûlée recipe for my cookbook, and suggested she stopped by the hardware store to check out welding torches. (They’re almost the same thing for a fraction of the cost of a culinary one!)
As I walked back home, the wheels started turning in my brain. What if I developed a new recipe… With pumpkin… For Thanksgiving?
A month later, I finally perfected these Pumpkin Brûlées—just in time for the upcoming feast!
To lighten up the custard base, I opted for skim milk. You could easily swap it out for 1%, 2%, whole, or non-dairy milk to fit your tastes (and use whatever’s already in your fridge!). There are no eggs in this recipe for two reasons: (a) to make the brûlées “skinny” by lowering the fat and cholesterol, and (b) so they could be adaptable to a vegan diet. Instead, the base is thickened with cornstarch. You’ll want to measure it like flour, with the spoon-and-level method, to avoid an excess, which would turn the desserts gummy.
After a few trials of mixing spices into the base, I decided to omit them. They refused to stay incorporated and floated to the surface in the oven. Instead, I sprinkled the brûlées with cinnamon sugar before heating with the culinary torch. Each bite still contains a hit of spice without the baking frustration!
During a phone call with my dad last week, he pointed out that despite my cute pumpkin cupcakes and tempting butterscotch tartlets, Mom would be pretty disappointed on Thanksgiving if we skipped the pumpkin and pecan pies. I agreed, realizing just how perfect these Pumpkin Brûlées would be… They’re sweet, creamy, and fit her gluten-free diet too!
Now all I need to do is walk back to Starbucks to give the friendly barista a recipe!
These creamy desserts are a classy alternative to pumpkin pie! Serve with a little whipped cream for an extra special touch.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat 4 (1-cup) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray, and place in a 9” square or 9x13” cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of sugar until frothy. Whisk in the oil, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth. Divide between the prepared ramekins.
- Pour the boiling water into the cake pan around the ramekins, being sure not to spill any inside the ramekins. Bake at 325°F for 28-31 minutes, or until the brûlées just barely jiggle when shaken. Cool to room temperature before chilling for at least 1 hour.
- Just before serving, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle each brûlée with 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon sugar. Using a torch, melt the sugar until light brown and crisp. Serve immediately.
Very new to me.. sounds interesting.. thanks for sharing 🙂
My pleasure Hari! The texture is similar to a pumpkin pie, our favorite Thanksgiving tradition, but without the crust and with hard sugar on top!
Amy these sound amazing!! I LOVE creme brûlées – and you’re right! These are PERFECT for Thanksgiving!! I love how light they are – so you we can all still fill ourselves up on the Thanksgiving feast, and still have a treat after dinner – without the guilt!! 🙂
You’re so sweet; thank you Gretchen! That was my exact thought — while dessert will always be my favorite meal of the day, I still look forward to the savory Thanksgiving dishes and don’t want to miss out on anything. Or go into a food coma! 😉
I admire you sososo much. Your ability to whip up recipes like this are amazing. I am also still so proud and in awe of you quitting your last job and pursuing your passion like this!! SO inspiring Amy! Oh, and I’ve never had any kind of brulee like this!
Aww Brittany, thank you so much. I’m glowing right now after reading your comment; you are a wonderfully sweet friend. 🙂 I’d totally make you a brûlée whenever we see each other! (Oh man, our list of things to do is growing so long…)
YUM!! I’m salivating over here thinking about the wonderful contrast of the crispy, sugary top and the soft, custardy pumpkin bottom…
Thanks Andrea! I must admit, it was kind of addictive… Especially with extra whipped cream on top!
I love when I talk to someone who actually knows what a blog is! 🙂
These are awesome, love the pumpkin!
Thank you Dorothy! 🙂 I definitely agree; it’s refreshing to know that someone already understands what we do!
Amy…I have been salivating and plotting all of these delicious desserts I will try for the holidays!
Can you provide some tips and tricks/ guidance for an acceptable substitutes/ modifications for the lactose intolerant?
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Oh my goodness — I’m truly honored that you’d consider making any of my recipes for the holidays, Lori! That’s such a huge compliment, especially coming from you! ♡ I haven’t gotten a chance to try making these pumpkin brûlées with dairy-free milk, but I have a feeling it could work. A great option for this specific recipe would be lactose-free milk, like Lactaid’s fat-free milk!
As for any other treats, the best lactose-free alternatives may depend on the exact recipe. If you have any other specific recipes in mind, I’m happy to provide advice for those as well! We have quite a few lactose intolerant people in our family, so I’m all too familiar with trying to modify holiday recipes to suit everyone’s dietary needs. 😉
I hope you and your family are all doing well and having a lovely holiday season!