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Caramel Flan
Flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It looks fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make.
Michael and I had dinner recently at a traditional Brazilian steakhouse or churrascaria. While the open fire-roasted meat was delicious, the flan we shared for dessert was our favorite part of the meal. Flan, also known as crème caramel, is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It’s similar to the French custard dessert, crème brûlée, only it is a bit denser and, instead of the brittle caramel top, the caramel is liquid.
Flan is one of those desserts that looks intimidating to make, but it’s actually quite simple. The key is to bake the flan in a water bath, which regulates the temperature and evenly distributes gentle heat around the flan, ensuring that the eggs don’t curdle.
To recreate a Brazilian flan at home, I tried at least a half-dozen recipes. This classic Latin flan adapted from Cook’s Illustrated was my favorite. It’s prepared in a loaf pan rather than a wide cake pan, so it’s easy to unmold without breaking. And since it’s made up to four days ahead of time, it’s the perfect dessert for company.
What You’ll Need to Make Caramel Flan
To make this Latin-style flan, you’ll need three different types of milk: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 2% or half-and-half, but skim is not recommended. The splash of bourbon is my addition to the recipe — it adds nice depth of flavor — but if you’d like to omit it, simply increase the vanilla by two teaspoons.
Since the recipe calls for 2 whole eggs and 5 egg yolks, you’ll have lots of leftover egg whites. If you’re looking for easy and delicious ways to use them up, check out my forgotten kisses (chocolate chip meringue cookies) and coconut macaroons.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the caramel
Stir the sugar and 1/4 cup water together in a medium saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, without stirring. Continue cooking until the mixture begins to turn golden.
Gently swirling the pan, continue to cook until sugar is a pale honey color.
Remove from the heat and swirl the pan until the sugar is a reddish-amber color and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds.
Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons of warm tap water until incorporated – be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam. The water helps thin the caramel, so it doesn’t all stick to the pan after the flan bakes in the oven.
Pour the caramel into 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan and set aside. The caramel will harden in the pan.
Step 2: Make the custard
Whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in large bowl.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, Bourbon, and salt and whisk until incorporated.
Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a larger bowl. The strainer will catch little bits of egg that you don’t want in your flan.
Pour the strained custard into the loaf pan over the caramel.
Step 3: Bake
Place the loaf pan in the center of a 9×13-inch baking or roasting pan (preferably with high sides) to make a water bath. Place the nested pans in the oven; using a tea kettle or pitcher, pour hot water around the loaf pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. The purpose of the water bath is to moderate the heat and ensure that the mixture cooks evenly into a smooth and creamy custard. (Cheesecake uses the same technique.)
Bake the flan for 75 to 90 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center. The custard should not be completely set when it is removed from the oven; it will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the pans from the oven and leave the flan in the water bath for about one hour to cool.
Step 4: Chill and Unmold the Flan
Remove the loaf pan from water bath, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight or up to 4 days. To unmold the flan, carefully slide a knife around the edges of the pan.
Invert a platter with a raised rim on top of the flan and turn the pan and platter over. If it doesn’t release immediately, let it sit inverted for a minute and it should eventually slide out. Remove the loaf pan and, using a rubber spatula, scrape the residual caramel over the flan. You won’t be able to release all of it – that’s okay. Slice the flan and spoon the sauce over the individual servings. Serve with berries, if you like.
Caramel Flan
Flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It looks fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 5 yolks
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup whole milk (half-and-half or 2% milk may be substituted but do not use skim milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- (This recipe should be made at least one day before serving.) Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Stir together the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture begins to turn golden. Gently swirling the pan, continue to cook until sugar is a honey color. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan until the sugar is reddish-amber and fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons of warm tap water until incorporated – be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam. This whole process should take less than 10 minutes.
- Pour the caramel into an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan; do not scrape out the saucepan. (Note: The caramel will solidify when you pour it into the loaf pan. That's ok -- it will soften up again as it bakes.) Set the loaf pan aside. (To clean the hardened caramel from the saucepan, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil.)
- Whisk the eggs and yolks in large bowl until combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla, Bourbon, and salt and whisk until incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove any bits of egg; then pour the strained custard into the loaf pan over the caramel. Cover the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of a 9x13-inch baking or roasting pan (preferably with high sides) to make a water bath. Place the nested pans in the oven; then, using a tea kettle or pitcher, pour hot water around the loaf pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center. (Don’t worry that it seems undercooked. The custard will continue to cook as it cools, and the center will set completely -- I promise!) Carefully remove the pans from the oven. Remove the foil and leave the flan in the water bath for 1 hour to cool.
- Remove the loaf pan from the water bath and wipe the pan dry. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or up to 4 days.
- To unmold the flan, carefully slide a sharp knife around the edges of the pan. Invert a platter with a raised rim (to contain the liquid caramel) on top of the flan and turn the pan and platter over. If the flan doesn’t release immediately, let it sit inverted for a minute and it should slide out. If it still doesn't come out, try running the knife around the edges again. When the flan is released, remove the loaf pan. Using rubber spatula, scrape the residual caramel onto the platter. You won’t be able to release all of the caramel – that’s okay. Slice the flan and spoon the sauce over individual portions. (Leftover flan may be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- Note: If you would like to omit the Bourbon, replace with an additional 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 249
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Sugar: 39 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 224 mg
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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So. I made it for the first time last night. Was nervous about the carmelized sugar but the video was terrific. My dilemma was that my loaf pan matching the size requirement is glass. I started out at the right temp but then thought I should lower the temp by 25 degrees because of the glass. I baked for 100 minutes. I had about 1/2” on the sides that firmed up. I took it out, cooled, and refrigerated overnight. This morning I have a very jiggly flan. I’m afraid it will just collapse if I try to remove it. This was a practice run so I’m going to bring it to room temp and put it back in the oven. Figure I have nothing to lose at this point. So. Should I have lowered the oven temp or should I have left it in longer? Thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Arlene, I’m glad you did a trial run! When you make this again, I’d recommend keeping the oven temp the same and keeping the flan in the oven until it is more done in the middle than you experienced your first time around. You may end up exceeding the baking time in the recipe as you did this past time. While it’s not mandatory for this recipe, if you continue to struggle with it, you may want to invest in a metal loaf pan. Good luck!!
Great recipe. Beautiful, delicate flavor and not too sweet.
Hi there,
I made this recipe, and it is currently in the oven. I’ve had it in there for around 75 minutes at 150 degrees celsius, however it is still very liquidy. I doubled the recipe, and as a result used a much larger and flatter pan for it, and also used only 5 whole eggs as that was all I had. Will all the changes I made affect it too greatly? I put it in for around 20 more minutes, but upped the temperature to 200 degrees celsius. If it doesn’t set at all, is there anyway to fix it, or is it going to be completely done for?
Thanks
Hi Aliza, unfortunately, it may be difficult to salvage. Because baking is such an exact science, I think the number of eggs you used definitely contributed to the problem. Sorry!
Hi there – my flan is not set perfectly. Can I still salvage it by cooking more in a water bath? If yes, how do you advise I do this?
Hi Melissa, Did you already unmold the flan?
Hi there,
I thought I responded earlier, but am re-posting in case it wasn’t successful.
No, I haven’t unmolded the flan. I am hoping to serve this on friday. What do you think? Do you think it might be worth a try to try another water bath ??
Thanks so much!
Melissa
Yes it’s fine to put it back in the oven in a water bath.
Hi Jenn, just a quick note to say that re-cooking in the water bath worked like a charm. It was delish, and I served with a raspberry puree. Thanks for your advice, and happy new year! Melissa
I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and it’s delicious. I double the amount of vanilla and bourbon, just love the extra flavor.
The flan comes out without any holes (pet peeve of mine), just perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe! It’s absolutely delicious. Can I make mini flans out of this instead of 1 flan in a loaf pan? I’m wondering if I can use 8 oz ramekins, and how many I should use. Thanks for the recipe!
Sure that will work but can’t say for sure how many – it depends on how high you fill them. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
New experience for me. I was a bit unsure of just how the caramel topping should look and act and threw the first attempt out – but no big loss. The second one seemed right. BUT one never knows until the final ‘unveiling’ of the dessert with the wide-eyed guests watching. At first I thought it was stuck, so just left it for a few moments and when I removed the pan it was PERFECT!!! A fabulous ending and everyone loved it. This was a perfect dinner with Jen’s beef enchiladas and the Mexican Rice. Rave reviews all around and all of it was made ahead of time and transported to my daughters to be re-heated and served. I love everything I make of Jen’s. And that is nearly all of my meals these days. From every day to special. THANKS!
If I want to make mine less sweet, do I simply put in less sweetened condensed milk? Like half or 3/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk? Thank you.
Hi Jane, I’d stick with the amount of sweetened condensed milk but you could put less of the caramel mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan. Hope you enjoy!
I made this last night and will be having it for supper tonight for our family’s Thanksgiving get together. I just couldn’t get the caramel to change color. I started from stratch, but after 20 minutes had crystals. Found a youtube that demonstrated how to do it in the microwave and I had more luck with this. The rest went well, crossing fingers it inverts easy!
Hi Jen,
There was a comment from someone about lifting the foil to check for doneness. However, your recipe does not say to cover with foil before putting in the oven.
Thanks,
From another Jen
Hi Jen, You must’ve overlooked it, but it’s mentioned in the last sentence of the 4th paragraph. Hope that clarifies!
This was my first time making flan, and your recipe was perfect 👌
So smooth, and better than so many flans I have eaten.
I just didn’t put in rum
Thanks for this recipe!
So silly question….I have mine in the oven as we speak….it says to take it out when edges are set and middle is still jiggly. However, you cannot do this unless you remove the foil that is tightly on. Is this okay to do?? I did take it off to check and it was not ready yet. I hope I didnt ruin it! So excited to try this out!! My first time making flan.
Hi Michelle, not a silly question at all! Yes, to check the flan, you need to peel back the foil. How did it come out?
Made this for Sunday afternoon tea. Followed recipe exactly but subbed out Grand Marnier for the bourbon and baked in 6 ramekins. Served it with some orange sections (supremes) on the side. Heaven on a plate. Rich, creamy and looks beautiful. Better yet – a great make ahead dessert.
I plan to bring this to a dinner party. Can I unmold it at home before I go even though it won’t be served for 3-4 hours? Or should I wait an unmold it just nefore serving?
Sure, Anne, that’s fine. Hope everyone enjoys!
Not A Fan of the Flan.
Cloyingly sweet and it completely collapsed even though I baked it for the maximum time and refrigerated overnight.
Amazing, I did something wrong tho. The flan was perfect and the caramel mostly delicious, but there was a sheet of caramelized sugar on top. I pulled it off and it was a rectangle sugar sheet. What did I do? Still rave about it but I don’t want to mess it up again. Served with Bourbon soaked mango slices.
Hi MaryAnn, that is a head-scratcher — I’ve never heard of that happening! Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
No. Im confused. I wonder if I cooked the sugar too long. Trying again tomorrow.
The flan was the star ⭐️ of my Argentinian dinner party! Perfection.
If I made this recipe in an 8 in. springform pan, should I double or triple the recipe? What about baking time?
Hi Lexie, I actually wouldn’t change the quantities; you will just have a shorter flan in a round pan. The cook time may be a bit less; I would just keep an eye on it.
Hi Jenn. My mom would love a warm flan for her birthday. Can this flan be served warm after baking, or is it imperative to refrigerate overnight? Thanks so much.
Hi KG, I’ve never eaten flan without refrigerating it, but I think it can be done. If you’d like to try it, I’d let it sit and cool for a few minutes after removing it from the oven so it can continue to firm up (it still cooks for a few minutes after coming out of the oven).
Do I grease my loaf pan
No, it’s not necessary here. Hope you enjoy!