Flan Recipe – fancy yet simple to make dessert with a dense yet sturdy creamy sweet custard topped with a made from scratch caramel sauce. Caramelly, sweet, custardy indulgence that melts in your mouth. An incredible make-ahead dessert for all occasions!
You’d all probably know by now how much I loooove sweets! I just couldn’t resist them – be it baked goodies, refrigerated treats or a warm Molten Lava Cake. Heck, I could eat my dessert for breakfast! Talk about starting the day right, eh?
But this flan dessert here is something extra special!
I had my first slice of flan when I went to a party at one of my Filipino friend’s houses. And Leche Flan, as they all call it, is sort of their most priced special dessert. With just one slice of this piece of heaven, your girl was temporarily transported to another space. It is sweet, but not overly sweet, and it literally melts in your mouth!
Crazy hypnotic delicious!
What is Flan?
Flan is a custard dessert smothered in melted caramel sauce. It comes from the Old French word flaon which means “flat cake” (because of its shape). Spaniards brought this sweet dessert to Mexico and other Spanish colonies (like the Philippines) during the Spanish conquest. And now it became a popular treat in North and Latin America and across the world. You’ll see why it always gets raved reviews. Read along…
Creme Caramel vs Flan vs Creme Brulee
Don’t let this confusion interfere with your appetite. Creme caramel is basically a type of caramel-coated flan that is baked in a water bath. On the other hand, flan (the custard itself) can be flavored into numerous variations and can either be sweet or savory.
As for Creme Brulee, which I also happen to LOVE, it is also a custard dessert, but it primarily differs from the topping and how it’s served. Creme Brulee has a signature crackly sugar topping while a flan has a silky soft gooey-like caramel sauce. Another thing, too, is that the former is served in individual ramekins or mini souffle dishes while the latter is served out of the dish as it sits on top of its caramel sauce.
Flan Ingredients
This flan recipe is one of the simplest custard-based desserts that you will ever make in your whole life. Although it may look fancy and intimidating at first, you’d be surprised how easy it is to make using pantry staple ingredients. Baking the custard in a water bath allows it to be cooked through while staying moist and creamy without getting eggy.
Don’t worry if your homemade caramel flan is jiggly when removing from the oven, it will continue to cook with the residual heat and it will firm up after it gets refrigerated. To make this easy flan recipe here’s what you’ll be needing:
- Water and Sugar – for the caramel sauce
- Eggs – the core ingredient that’s used in many different cuisines. It binds the ingredients together and is pivotal to the food’s form.
- Egg Yolks – the extra egg yolks really gives that creaminess to this dish
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – my very favorite thick, creamy, and sweetener
- Evaporated Milk – I really love to make my own at home, which you can find here.
- Whole Milk – (half-and-half or 2% milk may be substituted but do not use skim milk)
- Bourbon (optional) – but at my house, standard! It adds a nice kick of flavor to this dessert.
- Vanilla Extract – gives a flavor or boost to any dessert
- Salt – brings out a bit of contrast to the sweetness of this dish.
How Long Does Flan Last?
Honestly, it won’t last that long here in our house. I just have to chill it for a few hours and then it’s all gone. Yep! That’s how we love flan. But for those who are gifted enough to somehow resist their urge, this easy and decadent dessert will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Simply cover it tightly with a cling wrap and it’ll keep fresh while in the fridge.
Other Flan Variations
You can do so much with this classic Latin flan recipe which I adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. Below are just some of its popular variations.
- Flan Cake – a combination of sponge cake and flan on top
- Chocolate Flan – one part chocolate and one part flan so you won’t have to choose 😉
- Cream Cheese Flan – add a pop of tanginess in this sweet dessert by adding cream cheese
- Strawberry Flan – a strawberry-studded flan that barely needs any added sugar
- Eggnog Flan – use up your leftover holiday Eggnog by making this variety
For other mouth-watering flan dessert recipes, check out Brit.Co’s complete list HERE.
More Easy Fancy Desserts To Enjoy
How To Make Flan
Preparation
- Preheat the rack: Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C).
Making the caramel base
- Make the mixture: Mix together sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan.
- Caramelize the sugar: Stir sugar continuously until sugar is completely dissolved, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat and cook without stirring until the mixture starts to brown up. About 8-10 minutes. Swirl the pan without stirring and continue cooking on low heat until it turns golden brown – it should look like honey. (Before and after in photos above)
- Coat the container: Remove from the heat and swirl again about 15 to 20 seconds, it will continue to brown. Quickly pour into an ungreased loaf pan tilting to evenly coat the bottom; let it stand for about 10 minutes (If caramel firms up, no worries. It will loosen up as it bakes.). Set the loaf pan aside.
Making the flan
- Whisk – Whisk eggs and yolks in a large bowl until combined. (Photo 1)
- Add remaining ingredients – Followed by condensed, evaporated, and whole milk, rum, vanilla extract, and salt. (Photo 2)
- Strain the mixture: Continue whisking until well incorporated. (Photo 3)
- Pour – mixture through a sieve into a large bowl to remove any bits of egg. Next, pour the sieved egg mixture into the loaf pan over the caramel.
- Cover – the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil. (Photo 4 before covered with aluminum foil)
Baking the Flan
- Placement: Place the loaf pan in the center of a larger dish – 9×13-inch baking or roasting pan. Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of about 1 inch.
- Bake the flan: Bake at 350°F for about 60-70 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will still jiggle, but not much, it will continue cooking. Let it sit in a water bath for about an hour, cool enough to handle.
- Let it cool down: Remove and let it cool at room temperature. Once flan has cooled down, wrap in saran or plastic wrap (this prevents the flan from absorbing any flavors from the fridge). Place in the refrigerator until flan firms up – about 2 hours or up to 4 days.
Tip: An easy way to unmold flan is to carefully slide a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen up the sides of the pan. Then invert the flan onto a rimmed platter, let it sit for about a minute or two if the flan doesn’t come off easily. There might be some remainder of sauce stock to the bottom of the pan. Scrape with a spatula and cut flan into slices. Serve with sauce.
Watch How To Make It
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Flan Recipe
Ingredients
Caramel
- ¼ cup or 2 fl oz water
- ¾ cup or 150 g sugar
Flan Custard
- 3 large eggs, plus 4 egg yolks
- 1 can or 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can or 12 oz evaporated milk
- ½ cup or 4 fl oz whole milk , (half-and-half or 2% milk may be substituted but do not use skim milk)
- 1 tbsp bourbon (see note)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp or 3 g salt
Instructions
- Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C).
Caramel
- Mix together sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Stir sugar continuously until sugar is completely dissolved, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat and cook without stirring until the mixture starts to brown up.
- Swirl the pan without stirring and continue cooking on low heat until it turns golden brown - it should look like honey.
- Remove from the heat and swirl again about 15 to 20 seconds, it will continue to brown.
- Quickly pour into an ungreased loaf pan tilting to evenly coat the bottom; let it stand for about 10 minutes (If caramel firms up, no worries. It will loosen up as it bakes.)
- Set the loaf pan aside.
Flan Custard
- Whisk eggs and yolks in a large bowl until combined. Followed by condensed, evaporated and whole milk, rum, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Continue whisking until well incorporated. Pour mixture through a sieve into a large bowl to remove any bits of egg.
- Next, pour the sieved egg mixture into the loaf pan over the caramel. Cover the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Baking the Flan
- Place the loaf pan in the center of a larger dish - 9x13-inch baking or roasting pan.
- Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake at 350°F for about 60-70 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will still jiggle, but not much, it will continue cooking. Let it sit in a water bath for about an hour, cool enough to handle.
- Remove and let it cool at room temperature. Once flan has cooled down, wrap in saran or plastic wrap (this prevents the flan from absorbing any flavors from the fridge).
- Place in the refrigerator until flan firms up - about 2 hours or up to 4 days.
- Tip: An easy way to unmold flan is to carefully slide a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen up the sides of the pan. Then invert the flan onto a rimmed platter, let it sit for about a minute or two if flan doesn’t come off easily. There might be some remainder of sauce stock to the bottom of the pan. Scrape with a spatula and cut flan into slices. Serve with sauce.
Tips & Notes:
- Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
- Eggs should be at room temperature.
- If you would like to omit the Bourbon, replace with an additional 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- This recipe should be made at least one day before serving.
- To clean the hardened caramel from the saucepan, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil.)
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Ada says
Can I use cream cheese in the flan and how much please let me know thank you
Ada says
Can I use cream cheese in it please let me know thank you
Imma says
Hi Ada. You can swap out the milk for cream cheese. Happy Baking :)!
Beth Cowfer says
After it has cooled in the water bath, can I leave it in the baking dish to cool in the refrigerator until serving? Or do I have to invert onto a platter before refrigerating. I’d like to make it 2 days in advance.
Imma says
Yes,, I’ve made it the day before and left it in the baking dish. I inverted it on a platter when serving, was it fine.
Kaya says
Delicious! Being from south FL I grew up on flan, and this did not disappoint. The bourbon gave it a nice taste as well. Will be my go to flan recipe.
Imma says
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
HM says
I really needed more details with the caramel and water bath steps.
We failed twice making caramel according to the directions-it crystallized. I gave up and tried a way I had learned to make a different caramel thing. Just put the sugar in the pan, pour water along the edges of the pan (don’t worry if there are dry sugar spots) and don’t touch until it starts to brown. Then swirl only if some parts are turning more brown than others. Only swirl enough to even the browning.
I still don’t know if cool in a water bath is the same water as was in the oven or if it’s a cool water bath to slow the cooking process.
Immaculate Bites says
Hello HM! Carefully incorporate the sugar and water (try not to splash around the pan), then set the pan on low-medium heat.
Keep looking at the mixture to see when it starts to caramelize.
When you start to see that it’s changing to a light amber color, start slowly swirling the pan to evenly caramelize the sugar.
Once it turns like honey in color you can already turn off the heat, while continuously swirling the pan.
Watch how the sugar caramelizes to a brown color as the residual heat will continue to cook it.
Then transfer it to the loaf pan and proceed with the rest of the recipe instructions.
Roseann says
Was baking flan for about 10 mins then saw that i had to cover with foil. Hoping it still comes out ok. All your recipes usually do.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Roseann! How did it go? 🙂
Kiki says
Thank you ..willing to try for Eid. Would the baking pan be put in cool water when brought out of oven or it’s still made to sit in same water bath from the oven ? Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
I take it out of the oven and let it sit in the water bath for about an hour . Then remove and let it finish cooling in the fridge .
Lallie says
Dearest Imma
Thank you for sharing these lovely recipes n good ideas
All your recipes are so delicious
Love the photography n display of food