Pumpkin Custard Profiteroles with Maple Caramel

Elegant French pastries filled with spiced pumpkin custard and topped with bourbon-maple caramel sauce. These profiteroles combine classic choux pastry with fall flavors of pumpkin, warming spices, and maple, finished with pecans and whipped cream.

8 servings

3 hr 10 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 cup maple sugar
•½ cup unsalted butter
•¾ cup heavy whipping cream
•¼ cup bourbon
•¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
•3 cups whipping cream
•2¼ cups canned pure pumpkin
•1 teaspoon ground allspice
•1 teaspoon ground ginger
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•½ teaspoon ground cloves
•½ teaspoon salt
•¾ cup sugar
•9 large egg yolks
•½ cup water
•½ cup whole milk
•½ cup unsalted butter
•1½ teaspoons sugar
•¼ teaspoon salt
•1 cup all purpose flour
•4 large eggs
•1 large egg yolk
•1 cup whipped cream
•1 cup pecans
•toasted
•chopped

Cooking Instructions

1.
Stir sugar and butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until blended and smooth. Whisk in cream. Bring to boil, stirring until caramel bits dissolve. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon and vanilla; simmer 1 minute. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
15 min
2.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk cream and next 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl. Gradually stir hot pumpkin mixture into egg yolk mixture.
15 min
3.
Pour pumpkin custard into 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil. Place dish in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Fill baking pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake until custard is set in center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
75 min
4.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1/2 cup water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in flour; cook over medium-high heat, stirring vigorously, until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of pan, about 1 minute. Transfer hot mixture to standing mixer. Beat dough with paddle attachment at medium speed until slightly cool, about 3 minutes. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in egg yolk until blended.
20 min
5.
Spoon 16 mounds of batter about the size of large eggs onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Beat remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Brush tops of profiteroles lightly with beaten egg. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F. Continue baking until puffed and dark golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer to rack to cool completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container in freezer. Remove from freezer a few hours before continuing.)
45 min
6.
Rewarm caramel sauce. Using serrated knife, slice profiteroles horizontally in half. Spoon rounded 1/3 cup filling into bottom half of each profiterole. Cover with top halves. Drizzle with sauce. Spoon dollop of whipped cream atop profiteroles. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve.
20 min

Ingredients

•1 cup maple sugar

•½ cup unsalted butter

•¾ cup heavy whipping cream

•¼ cup bourbon

•¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

•3 cups whipping cream

•2¼ cups canned pure pumpkin

•1 teaspoon ground allspice

•1 teaspoon ground ginger

•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•½ teaspoon ground cloves

•½ teaspoon salt

•¾ cup sugar

•9 large egg yolks

•½ cup water

•½ cup whole milk

•½ cup unsalted butter

•1½ teaspoons sugar

•¼ teaspoon salt

•1 cup all purpose flour

•4 large eggs

•1 large egg yolk

•1 cup whipped cream

•1 cup pecans

•toasted

•chopped

Cooking Instructions

Stir sugar and butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until blended and smooth. Whisk in cream. Bring to boil, stirring until caramel bits dissolve. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon and vanilla; simmer 1 minute. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

15 min

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk cream and next 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl. Gradually stir hot pumpkin mixture into egg yolk mixture.

15 min

Pour pumpkin custard into 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil. Place dish in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Fill baking pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake until custard is set in center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

75 min

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1/2 cup water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in flour; cook over medium-high heat, stirring vigorously, until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of pan, about 1 minute. Transfer hot mixture to standing mixer. Beat dough with paddle attachment at medium speed until slightly cool, about 3 minutes. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in egg yolk until blended.

20 min

Spoon 16 mounds of batter about the size of large eggs onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Beat remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Brush tops of profiteroles lightly with beaten egg. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F. Continue baking until puffed and dark golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer to rack to cool completely. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container in freezer. Remove from freezer a few hours before continuing.)

45 min

Rewarm caramel sauce. Using serrated knife, slice profiteroles horizontally in half. Spoon rounded 1/3 cup filling into bottom half of each profiterole. Cover with top halves. Drizzle with sauce. Spoon dollop of whipped cream atop profiteroles. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve.

20 min