Flan
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Flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It looks fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make.
One of the most popular Latin desserts, flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It’s made with a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and other flavorings, and then baked gently in a water bath until it is set but still creamy. The custard is then inverted onto a plate, revealing a layer of saucy caramel on top. Flan is almost identical to the French custard dessert crème caramel; it’s also similar to crème brûlée, only it’s a bit denser and, instead of the brittle caramel top, the caramel is liquid.
Though it looks impressive, flan is actually quite simple to make. This classic version adapted from Cook’s Illustrated is my go-to recipe. 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 a wonderful dessert for company.
“Restaurant quality flan without the fuss (and fear)…A definite keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Flan
- Sugar: Forms the caramel sauce that coats the flan, adding a rich sweetness and glossy finish.
- Eggs and Egg Yolks: Provide structure and richness to the custard, giving the flan its creamy texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk: Add creaminess and sweetness to the custard base, ensuring a decadent flavor.
- Whole Milk: Contributes to the velvety texture of the flan, enhancing its richness without overwhelming the other flavors.
- Vanilla Extract: Infuses the flan with a warm, aromatic flavor, complementing the richness of the custard.
- Bourbon: Adds depth, complexity, and a subtle hint of warmth to the flan’s flavor profile.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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. Cover the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil.
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 for 75 to 90 minutes. Very carefully pull back the foil (there will be steam that has accumulated under it) to ensure 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. Remove the foil 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good question! Some options are my macarons, chocolate chip meringue cookies, and coconut macaroons.
Sure, it will last nicely in the fridge, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 4 days.
If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 2% milk or half-and-half, but I don’t recommend skim milk.
Yep, the bourbon can be substituted based on preference. You can use another type of liquor like rum or brandy to add a different flavor profile. If you prefer not to use any alcohol, just increase the vanilla by 2 teaspoons.
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Video Tutorial
Flan
Flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It looks fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make.
Ingredients
- ⅔ 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 ¼ 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 8½ x 4½-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. Very carefully pull back the foil (there will be steam that has accumulated under it) to ensure 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.)
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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I made this recipe and it turned out absolutely perfect and delicious. I followed the recipe to a T. It was So beautiful I almost didn’t want to cut it. Everything about it was spot on. I am now wanting to make a chocolate flan. How would I go about doing this using this recipe? Is that possible? Do you have a recipe for a chocolate flan? Thanks so much for sharing this.
So glad you enjoyed this, Beth! Instead of tweaking this recipe to make a chocolate version, I’d just look for one that’s designed to be chocolate. I think you’ll have the most success if you go that route. 🙂
I totally understand. We enjoyed this one down to the last drop of caramel sauce lol. Thank you so much for this recipe and your advice on making a chocolate flan as well.
For the first time in my life….. my caramel sauce came out perfectly! I have tried so many times and failed. Must have been the water in the recipe! Your recipe is easy! Thank you!! Also, straining the liquid was brilliant. Egg particles are caught! My flan is baking…. to be continued!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for this recipe. It was my first time making flan and it turned out exactly as seen on your photos, the texture is silky, smooth and jiggly, and tastes just like I imagined it would.
After reading Heather S. comment here about a traditional version from New Mexico, I decided to use a bit of bitter almond flavoring (which I happened to have at hand) instead of Bourbon (which I didn’t). It added quite a strong amaretto-like flavor that balanced the sweetness of the caramel sauce just perfectly for me. I also used real vanilla seeds instead of an extract, and brown cane sugar for making the caramel, so the color turned out really rich, deep brown.
Thanks again for your hands-on instructions!
Greetings from Hungary!
Hi Jenn, I have a question about a Crème Brule I made on the weekend. I have made it before and it turned out perfect but at the time, I didn’t have a convection oven. When I made it on Sunday, the top of the custard browned a little and I don’t know why. I turned the temperature down from 350 to 325 and covered them. What would you have done differently? I like the convection for some things but baking is always tricky. I had the proper amount of water for the bath but it’s like the oven was cooking the top instead of steaming it like a custard. Thanks Jenn. I guess this question would apply to this recipe too.
Thanks, Cathy
Hi Cathy, You did the right thing in reducing the oven temp by 25° while using the convection setting. Does your oven still have the traditional/non-fan option? If so, I’d go that route as you know that you will get a predictable result. (I develop and publish all my recipes using the traditional/non-fan option.)
Your caramel doesn’t work, it never came brown, and I tried 2 times.
Hi Miley, Sorry you had a problem with the caramel! It sounds like maybe you didn’t cook the sauce long enough to get caramel-colored. Is it possible you took the sauce off the heat too soon?
I’ve been making this flan for a few years now and it is spot on every time (minus the aluminum foil step). Add the sugar to a 1qt stainless steel pot with the water. Mix it until it’s sludgy. Then cook it on med/high without touching it until it turns golden. Then slowly swirl the pot and it will darken a bit. Once it begins to darken, remove it from the heat but keep swirling. It will turn reddish. Add the two tablespoons of cold water to it and keep swirling for about 15 more seconds. Pour into your loaf pan right away. Don’t start preparing the rest of the ingredients until you’ve done this, as it needs time to set before pouring the egg mixture on top of it. Good luck! 🙂
Jenn
Recently made this for the first time.
Video was great, very helpful and so on minute to minute explaining when caramelizing the sugar.
Folks were amazed presentation,
and how amazingly good it was.
made it last night. AMAZING!
This is going in my top 10 saved receipts😊
Hi Jenn,
So I’m making this recipe for the hundredth time seems like and I got to thinking about autumn. Too early? I’m in Texas and as we slowly roast with no rain in sight, I’m trying to stay sane by thinking about cooler weather. Is there any chance that you might consider giving your flan fans a pumpkin pie version of this? I’d love to try it! This is my most requested dessert and I’d like to mix it up a little 🙂 Also, instead of using Bourbon, I’ve been using Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract and it’s wonderful!
So glad you enjoy the flan enough to make it in August in Texas! I will add a pumpkin version to my list of recipes to potentially develop–thanks for the suggestion!
Hello Jen,
I want to make this recipe in small 2.5-Inch ramekins. Do I need to adjust the baking time at all?
HI Suparna, I’m not 100 percent sure how long they’ll take but I’d start checking at about 25 minutes give or take. Just keep a close eye on them!
Hello Jenn. Strangely enough I was craving this dessert a week ago and came across your article the day after making it using a simpler recipe. I do look forward to uping my game with that shot bourbon, sounds delicious. Pudim or Pudim de leite condensado (Flan/creme caramel) is one of my top food memories of Brazil 💕 Thank you for sharing!
Hope you enjoy if you make it! 🙂
I’m here *in* Brazil/ São p There is no regular evaporated milk (non sweetened) in Brazil (or at least not in any regular or upscale grocery). Is there a way to adjust that you’d suggest? (Brazilian-based recipes I’m still not used to, esp that they are the vaguest, nonspecific ever-like, a cup means a measured cup for us, but a cup in Brazil means find something that you can find in the cupboard that resembles a cup that you had coffee in this morning….etc etc etc).
Hi Greg, If you can’t find evaporated milk, you can substitute it with half and half. Another option is to make your own evaporated milk. You can read how here. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
perfect recipe! easy to print and switch between metric and cups.
This is an amazing flan. I did not do the caramelizing that she suggested. I wasn’t successful with adding the water. I used Cooks Illustrated. Calls for 1/4 cup of water to 1/2 cup of sugar. Put the water in pan 1st. Add sugar,but don’t let it touch the sides. Moisten sugar with spatula. Cook on med. high heat without stirring until a very pale golden hue. Cut down to medium low. Cook til a rich amber color,stirring occasionally. Worked perfectly. This flan wins accolades every time.
Hi Jenn!
Your recipe is really awesome! And the instructions are fantastic. I made this flan for Mother’s Day and while the caramel turned out to be on the blonde side(my first time making caramel), the flan was still sooo delicious- creamy and rich. I am currently trying my hand at it again without the bourbon. Sadly I burned my first batch of caramel- took it too far and my second one is a little too light. Oh well- hopefully I’ll get the caramel just right soon!
Thank you!!
Wow. WOW. This was my first flan and I thought it was superb! I used the bourbon and worried it would be too sweet per the reviews, but it wasn’t! The only issue I had was the carmelized sugar. For whatever reason, it took about 20 minutes to come up to color. I am making this for Mother’s Day!
Question…I made this recipe once before but tripled the ingredients and still baked it for the same amount of time. It came out perfect. I want to make it again for a pot luck at work but instead, I want to make it small, 4 oz foil cups. Do you think I would need to adjust the baking time at all? Thank you in advance
Hi Angelica, I do think you’d definitely need to reduce the baking time. I’ve never done it so I can’t say for sure how long they will take to cook; just keep an eye on them. I’d love to know how they turn out!
This recipe wasn’t successful for me. First, I probably didn’t cook the caramel long enough so it didn’t have the luscious golden color, instead mine was loose and blond. Not sure what else I did wrong, but my flan turned out too dense and the sweetness level was a lot sweeter than I thought it would be. Perhaps I need to look for a lighter creme brulee recipe.
So sorry this didn’t turn out well for you, Sue. Latin American-style flans are definitely dense and sweet.
The flan is in the oven and I just started reading the reviews. In your instructions it says to cover tightly with foil before putting in the oven, but in the reviews you say NOT to use foil. Should I take the foil off?
Sorry for the confusion Tina – keep the foil (although the recipe will work fine either way).
O…..M…..G…..! My wife said this is the best flan she’s ever had and this is coming from someone who’s favorite dessert is flan, so she’s tried quite a few. I followed the recipe except for the bourbon. I didn’t have any so I just added the extra vanilla. I cooked it for 75 minutes, checked it and then added an additional 7. You have to keep checking it to make sure it doesn’t over cook. Let’s just say that it didn’t make it overnight….my wife wanted to try it. But no problems at all with getting it to slide out of the pan, it was beautiful! It was perfectly creamy and I served it with fresh strawberries from our garden. My wife said she’s going to request this every day 🙂 Thanks Jenn! You are my chef hero; I’ve literally taught myself to cook by following your blog. I also bought the cookbook and it’s wonderful!
❤️
I would like to make this flan in small ramekin (individual serves) like creme caramels- how long to cook them?
It really depends on the size of the ramekins but I’d start checking around 25 to 30 minutes.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. We followed the instructions as stated, only substituting extra vanilla for liquor, and the result was a creamy flawless flan. We used raw turbinado cane sugar for the caramel and had no issues with hardening or achieving the suggested amber color. We did bake for the full 90 mins and switched off the oven leaving flan with water bath inside for another 30 minutes or so as oven temp came down. As a part Cuban family we felt the recipe was authentic and if for someone reason it cannot be considered authentic then so be it…it can at least be considered delicious.
Thank you again!
I make my flan in a cazuela. When I invert the flan and end up with some hardened caramel in the bottom of the cazuela, I just add a little water, and heat in the microwave for a minute or two. It releases the remaining caramel sauce! And I love me some extra caramel goodness. Mmm hmm. Unfortunately, you can’t do that with a metal loaf pan. Maybe you can add water and heat over the stovetop? I don’t know.
I can’t rate this recipe, as the one I have is from a New Mexico cookbook from home. It doesn’t call for any evaporated milk, just the sweetened condensed milk, and 1 cup of whole milk along with 3 eggs, 3 yolks, and almond and vanilla extracts. The almond is traditional. No salt in our recipe. But anyway, thanks for this – looks as if it’s very similar in consistency. The reason most flan are rubbery is because of the egg whites, not the canned milks so much. The omission of half the egg whites reduces the protein and keeps the flan silky and less eggy tasting.
I cooked this recipe thinking it was the same recipe I had used several times before ( busy oven recipe). I thought it cane out too overcooked, especially around the edges. The busy oven recipe is cooked at 300 degrees for the same amount of time and you cover the flan in the oven, which makes for a more evenly cooked custard. More creamy and less rubbery, like the America’s Test Kitchen recipe.
Aweful recipe – condensed and evaporated milk from cans? It has poor taste and poor texture.
To “disappointed”
You must not have ever had flan from a latin American source. Or friends for that matter? Don’t knock down evaporated and condensed milk convention because it’s not a part of YOUR cooking. Move on to someone else’s recipe.
I only made the caramel in this recipe. To it, I added 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 cups walnuts for a candied salted caramel walnut mix. It was so crunchy salty sweet. Another keeper Jenn. Thanks!
As a lover of Cuban cuisine, I’ve had the pleasure to visit some of the most authentic Cuban restaurants in and around Miami since I lived in South Florida. I’ve always loved flan and the best flan ever–before I made this recipe–was the flan I got at a small restaurant on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. I tried for years to find another restaurant whose flan lived up to that standard, but never could. This recipe is the real deal. It is, hands down, the best flan I’ve ever had.
I saw this recipe and I really wanted to try it. I’ve never made flan before and it turned out very nicely and it tasted delicious. I had a little difficulty with the carmel. I tried it twice following the directions. The first time, the carmel seized when I added the warm water. It was the right color, but turned hard as soon as I added the warm water. The second time I tried adding the warm water into the carmel earlier, which gave me the right consistency but was not the rich amber color. I didn’t give up. I tried it a third time, but I didn’t add the warm water into the carmel (even though I really wanted it to work using the water!!). I skipped that step and poured the syrup into my baking dish and continued the recipe as directed. I didn’t have an 8×4 loaf pan (my loaf pan was too big… 9×5) so I used my 6”x6” dish. It turned out great!
I love this flan!! I’ve made it many times and is now my go-the recipe. The only issue is that every time I get little air bubbles or holes on the outer sides of the flan. Do you have a trick to avoid this and get a flan as pictured with the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Lesa- Some air bubbles are completely normal so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. That said, do you strain the mixture before pouring it into the loaf pan? If for some reason you skip that step, that can help. Also, it helps to pour the flan mixture very slowly into the loaf pan so as to not create any additional air bubbles. Last, air bubbles can form on the sides if the flan is slightly overdone, so you may want to try reducing the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. Hope that helps!
Can you replace either evaporated or condensed milk?
Hi Heather, you really need to use sweetened condensed milk here. If you can’t find evaporated milk, you could substitute with half and half. Another option is to make your own evaporated milk; you can read how here. Hope that helps!
This is the best and only flan recipe I make for the holidays. My Latin mother in law finally gave up her annual Christmas flan which we all suffered through until 2 years ago when I offered to make it with this recipe. She admitted defeat after trying this and looks forward to it every Christmas when we host. Thank you for an amazing recipe!!
Relatively easy to make. I was a bit challenged in make the Carmel base. The sugar kept clumping amid crystallizing before turning into a golden syrup ad then cooled in pan/dish before I could distribute evenly. I may try warming the pan before pouring Carmel syrup to allow time to distribute evenly. The custard was easy and to make and finished desert was both beautiful, rich with a velvety texture. I did not add bourbon nor did I add additional vanilla as some receipies left vanilla as an option being condensed milk sweetness and adds flavor to the custard. I will definitely make this again.
I made this flan this morning 12-25. It came out wonderful. I haven’t made flan in years and found this fantastic recipe online. A lot of other recipes called for cream cheese which is not a traditional ingredient in a true flan. My only flaw was when I inverted the pan over the plate to disperse, there was a little bit of the candied sugar in bottom of pan that didn’t come out. It was delicious and great texture! Thank you!
I can’t find a loaf pan the correct size. Only 9.25 x 5.25. Can this be made in this or in a round pan?
Hi Jennifer, I think a 9×5-in pan will work but it will be very short. For best results, I’d get an 8×4-in pan.
First – Jenn…… I love all your recipes, you are my go to chef for a few years. Second – I keep laughing at myself because this is my first flan – Amazed at how easy the recipe is and how easily I can mess up an easy recipe. I just made it earlier today – and my caramel was rock hard after hitting my pan, and that just didn’t sit so well with me. I start reading all the comments….I am not alone and I am guessing when I turn it over tomorrow night it won’t look like the picture above :-). ALL OK though – hubby running back to store to get me more ingredients. Otherwise it looks stunning so far! I will have 2 or more tomorrow night lol! Will let you know how it (they all) come out.
Good luck, Laura – I think it’ll be fine. Please LMK how they turn out!
I did this recipe three times and every time, it comes out great, everyone loves it.
Just waiting on my flan to get ready, although I’m sure it will be great!
Question: I love the loaf pan but what if I want to make more, for a party of 20. I could double the recipe and cook it in a square pan that’s almost as deep right? Would I have to double the cooking time as well?
Hi Rosh, To be honest, I’m not sure how well that would work without testing it first. I’d use two loaf pans to be safe. Either way, you’d need to increase the cooking time a bit.
I made this recipe last weekend and the kids loved it. I thought the flan had a great taste, but came out quite evenly dense. Cooking time was 75 mins and I didn’t think of checking since that was on the lower end. Doh! If I cooked for a shorter time, will be be softer? Should I substitute any ingredients?
Hi Lee, Yes, if you remove it just a few minutes earlier, it should be a bit softer (and not substitutions would be necessary).
just getting used to my new convection oven, which considerably shortens baking times. thoughts about the temperature setting and baking time? thanks!
Hi Deb, When using the convection setting, the rule of thumb is to reduce temp by 25°F. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen, I am planning to make the Latin flan for a party on Saturday evening. You mentioned the flan can be made ahead of time. Do you think making it Thursday night and keeping it in the refrigerator is too early? Thanks!
Should be perfectly fine for Saturday, Marianne. Enjoy!
Do the eggs need to be room temperature or can they be right out of the fridge or does it matter?
They can be right out of the fridge. Enjoy!
Just two whole eggs needed besides the yolks?
Yes that’s correct, Maria. 🙂
This flan is excellent!!!
I was looking for a real traditional flan recipe because it was my first time making Flan. Using this recipe, I can say that my boyfriend and I absolutely loved it!!! I mixed in a tablespoon extra of vanilla and bourbon, for a stronger taste. I also put it in the oven at 325 degrees.
I’m going to make more for Thanksgiving!
Thank you
Scrumptious flan!
As a Spanish woman, I grew up seeing my mom make flan all the time. Unfortunately I never had an interest in the kitchen and never stopped to ask how she was making it. I also never liked flan, so I suppose that would make me doubly uninterested.
Anyhow, as a “grown-up” I’ve learned to appreciate the kitchen seeing as I’m in it everyday, most of the day.
A friend asked me if I could bring a flan to a dinner party and I immediately said “uhhh… I’ve never made one, but I’m sure I can come up with something” – as soon as I said that, I came to where I always go first, Once upon a Chef and looked up “flan” in the search. I’ve always viewed flan as a very difficult latin dessert to tackle. Boy was I relieved to find that you had a flan recipe Jenn!
So my first flan (yes, I made a “tester” flan) came out delicious… except… I made the mistake of not adding the 2 tablespoons of water to the caramelized sugar and although the whole flan came out beautiful there was no delicious caramel top. All the sugar hardened on the bottom as soon as I poured it in. When I initially poured the sugar in my pan I realized what was going to happen so I made a little more of the caramelized sugar and dumped it on top of the hardened one (half hoping it would melt it a bit and maybe mix in) and at least that created a little bit of the “sauce” for the flan. But it was obviously a big boo boo.
My second flan is in the fridge waiting for our dinner party tomorrow and I am just hoping that once I invert it it will have that caramel top.
Regardless, I already know it will taste delicious, which is what matters in the end.
I did share a piece of my “tester” flan with my very much Puerto Rican mom in law (who happens to be one of the best cooks I know) and she liked it! So it’s a winner!
Thanks Jenn for another winner!
————————————
Some subs or differences in my process of making the flan were these:
-I used an 8×8 glass pan (it’s what I had)
-I baked in the water bath at 300 for 45 minutes and then I raised the temp to 350 for another 35-40 minutes. I felt like this created a bit more of the yellow color flans are known for instead of just light cream color, which was how my first one came out. My oven is a convection oven.
-I tried using organic cane sugar to make the caramel the first time around, it did not work for me. Stick to white sugar if you’re wondering.
-DO NOT MISS THE 2 TBSP of water for the caramel! Can’t stress it enough.
-I strained my mixture twice, never realized how much “chunky” stuff eggs have until making a flan 😯.
-I used rum instead of Bourbon.
-I used all natural vanilla extract by Spice Island which is pricey (for me anyways) but worth it. It gives a very natural vanilla flavor to everything.
Hope those points can help someone! Don’t be scared of making this flan, it’s super easy and delicious!
Thank you so much! This turned out creamy and dreamy! I used half and half instead of evaborated milk as I didn’t have any.
What final temperature should the be when it is done?
Hi Lanny, I’ve never used a thermometer to test this for doneness, but I read a recipe online that indicates it should come in at about 180 degrees. Hope that helps!
I made this last night. It was in the oven from 9:00 to 10:30 pm and then I took it out to cool until 11:30 pm. Finally I placed it in the fridge overnight. I took it out this morning and carefully inverted it onto a dish. It was not fully set; i tried to slam back the pan over it but I couldn’t contain the liquid on the sides. Edges were nice and flan like but middle was more like pudding. After 10 minutes I had a tray with some solid pieces and even more pudding and syrup floating about. As an emergency measure we stuck it in the freezer hoping it would solidify more. Instead the pudding sections just got colder and spread out even more. My husband just laughed and said he won’t eat it. My nephew (age 20) picked out some solid chunks and said “dont worry it’s ugly but the taste is good”. As for me I was hoping to get a nice presentable dish. I am not sure what went wrong. I did not change any aspect of the recipe other than using vanilla liqueur instead of bourbon.
Hi Sidra, I’m so sorry you had trouble with the flan. I’ve never had a problem with this recipe setting. I don’t think the vanilla liqueur would have an impact – is it possible your oven temperature is off?
Hi, I think I realize the source of my error now. I used small eggs, not large, so probably there was not enough egg in the flan to help it set. Thank you for keeping my comment up though. I go to many blogs and sometimes the blogger deletes my comment when I don’t rate the recipe 5 stars. . I like that you keep all the comments; it actually makes me trust your site more. 🙂
Ahh, the small eggs make sense. Glad you got to the bottom of it!
Hello Sidra, I have made many flans in the past and never came out good until I tried this recipe. I cooked this for thanksgiving and everyone wanted more. I think the secret is to never give up. 😉
Sidra, I live in Texas (originally from NM), and I have to cook my flan longer. I cook at 325 for 1 hour, but usually have to cook longer than that to get the flan to set. When you’re time is up, don’t pull the flan out! Pull the rack out a bit and wiggle the pan with the flan. If the flan is still jiggly, just give it more time. Another 10 minutes or so. Test again. Continue until your flan is not jiggly, and then do the toothpick test – insert a toothpick in the center of the flan, and if it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, give it another 5 to 10 minutes. Once it’s set, and only once it’s set, you take it out of the oven. Every oven cooks differently! I’m surprised Jenn didn’t note this.
Great advice, thanks for sharing!
Hello! I’m planning on trying this recipe out myself (even though I’m a fairly new baker). I wanted to make the flan for a party in the evening and was planning to make the flan earlier in the day to bring later. I’ve read a few other recipes and many don’t even mention letting the flan refrigerate overnight. Is this necessary? Or will a few hours (most likely around 4-5) be enough to serve?
Hi Isabel, I’d give it at least 6 hours in the fridge to set up. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, I made this flan yesterday. I don’t why took more than 2 hours to cook- maybe because my oven is convection.
Hi Fanny, It shouldn’t take over 2 hours to bake, particularly if you are using the convection setting on your oven. How did it turn out?
I just made 2 of these to bring to a Spanish dinner and everyone said it was the best flan they have ever had. I used half/half instead of the milk, delicious. Thank you for this recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟🌟
This recipe (as are ALL your recipes) is awesome! With your help I’m more than just a cute apron in the kitchen.😁Thank you and rest assured I always give credit where credit is due. Question: Could you use a fruity or citrus liqueur such as Cointreau instead of the bourbon?
Hi Laurie, so glad you enjoyed this (and like the others you’ve tried too)! Yes, it would be fine to swap the bourbon with another liqueur.
Thanks so much for your recipes, Jen! I’ve made several from your site, and they always turn out beautifully. I just pulled my flan out of the oven and suspect it will be wonderful, but I really struggled to make the caramel. I tried three times only to have it seize up when I added the water at the end. I wound up using another method. Any idea what I was doing wrong?
Hi Jaclyn, Are you by chance adding cold water? If not, it sounds like you might be taking the caramel too far before adding the water. I’d try cooking it for less time. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your reply! I did use hot water, but it’s certainly possible the caramel was too “done” before I added it. The flan came out delicious, though–I’m making it again today, in fact. Thanks again for the great recipe!
Tasted amazing. I made this for a large crowd. Those who eat flan loved it.
I want to amend a part of my review.
1. On making the sugar for the caramel sauce. I do not use any water. I put on low flame . For kicks I put in some fresh lemon drops.
2. I don’t use the bourbon.
Most of my family come from India and Pakistan. They have there own recipe. But when I made this flan everyone who ate it raves about it.
Great easy recipe to follow. I have made it a few times now and it came out deliciously perfect every time. I didn’t use the bourbon though. Thank you.