Flan Recipe

Flan is one of the easiest and most delicious Spanish desserts. Homemade flan is well worth making, I hope you’ll try it!

What was all the hype about? From what I could see, it was just a mushy goo. The line between flan and baby food seemed pretty thin.

But then I realized. I just hadn’t been eating the right flan. I was sitting at a restaurant in Madrid, happily chowing down on roast pork, when the waiter handed me the dessert menu. Maybe it was the wine, or just a desire to try one last time, but I chose the flan. It came out wobbly and jiggly on the plate, like some sort of beautiful custardy dream.

To this day it was the best flan I’ve ever tried! The flavor of vanilla and caramel was delicious, and the texture was so silky smooth I thought it would melt on my tongue. Ever since that flan, I’ve been trying to recreate it at home.

This recipe is as close to the real thing as I’ve ever got! It’s super simple (just four ingredients), and effortlessly delicious. The technique isn’t too hard, but it does take concentration and good timing to work with the sugar syrup before it hardens too much.

A good flan has the texture of a just-firm-enough custard. It should wiggle and jiggle on the spoon, and still be silky smooth when you bite into it. The sticky sauce on top is a simple caramel; just melted sugar that goes into the ramekin before the custard mixture.

So how do you make this Spanish flan recipe? You can see all of the ingredients and steps below. For an extra hit of acidity and sweetness, serve with fresh, tart berries. Raspberries are perfect, so use a heavy hand!

Authentic Spanish Flan Recipe

This classic Spanish flan recipe is so simple it’s almost criminal. Just 4 ingredients and a handful of steps will get you a silky smooth flan with a devilishly gooey caramel.

Prep: 25min

Total: 85min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 288.9 kcal, Carbohydrate 54.27 g, Protein 6.25 g, Fat 5.43 g, Saturated Fat 2.43 g, Cholesterol 117.25 mg, Sodium 77.25 mg, Sugar 54.28 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups 300g of sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups 480ml milk (full fat)
• 2 teaspoons 10ml vanilla extract

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Start by preparing the ramekins (you could also use one larger mold if you prefer): put six of them (3/4 cup volume) on a 13-inch baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water (use a kettle or the hottest water from the tap). The warmth is important here, since it will keep the ramekin warm when the sugar syrup goes in and stop it from hardening.
3. Cook 1 cup of the sugar over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until it liquefies and turns a light golden brown color. You’ll need to keep a watchful eye on the sugar here, to stop it from burning.
4. Take it off the heat and quickly pour it into the ramekins. If it starts to harden midway through, put it back on the heat and stir until it’s smooth again. Set aside while you make the rest of the flan.
5. In a large mixing bowl, gently mix together the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until creamy.
6. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until well-combined.
7. Divide the flan mixture evenly among the six ramekins, pouring right on top of the caramel. Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and tightly seal. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes to one hour, or until it wobbles and jiggles when you lightly shake the ramekin. If making small ramekins you will likely only need 40 minutes. If making a large mold you may need the full hour. Quickly check and jiggle when unsure.
8. Take the ramekins out of the water-filled baking dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Then place in the fridge covered with foil and chill for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
9. To serve, take a butter knife and run it around the inside of the ramekin. Quickly (and gently!) flip the ramekin over the plate. The caramel should run out to coat it as a sauce. If any of the caramel has hardened and stuck to the ramekin, just leave it!

Flan

My favorite Flan recipe! You get a rich and creamy custard style dessert covered with a deeply flavorful caramel sauce. And this version also includes luscious cream cheese to really take it over the top!

Prep: 20min

Total: 80min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 437 kcal, Carbohydrate 54 g, Protein 12 g, Fat 20 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 153 mg, Sodium 235 mg, Sugar 54 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, (well softened (see notes))
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instruction:

1. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a pot or kettle to use as a water bath (the flan will be baked in a dish set in a roasting pan surrounded by the boiling water). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For the caramel topping: have an ungreased 9-inch by 2-inch cake pan ready or a 2-quart round baking dish or souffle pan.
3. In a medium saucepan whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water. Set over medium heat, cook stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved and mixture begins to boil.
4. Once boiling stop stirring and let cook until it’s nearing just an amber color. Remove from heat, let rest 5 seconds then add remaining 1 Tbsp warm water (it will steam and sputter slightly so stand back!), whisk to blend.
5. Immediately pour caramelized sugar into cake pan or 2-quart baking dish and carefully tilt in a circular motion to coat the entire surface of bottom of the pan (careful pan will be hot!). Set aside.
6. For the flan custard mixture: in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer blend together cream cheese and 2 Tbsp sugar just until smooth.
7. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition. Then mix in sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract.
8. Pour milk mixture over caramel layer in cake pan. Set pan in a roasting pan large enough to fit with extra space surrounding. Pour in enough boiling water around cake pan to reach about halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
9. Bake until nearly set (it should still wiggle just slightly when jiggled), about 50 – 60 minutes.**
10. Carefully remove from water bath (roasting pan with water) and set on wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Transfer to fridge and let chill 4 hours.
11. Run a sharp knife around the flan right up next to the pan, then place a large rimmed serving plate over the pan. While holding the plate in place, flip the flan to the opposite side and let it fall onto the plate.
12. Slice and serve. Store in refrigerator.

Flan

FAQ

What is traditional flan made of?

What is the difference between Spanish flan and Mexican flan?

Is flan Puerto Rican or Mexican?

Is Mexican flan the same as creme caramel?