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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Hello. Wonderful recipe as this was my first time. My caramel hardened at the bottom of my pan so when I went to invert it, it just stuck. What can I do to make sure the caramel sits well and comes out next time? Thank you.
Glad you liked it! If you make this again and find that the caramel sticks, after releasing the flan from the pan, warm the bottom of the pan by setting it in a larger pan filled with some boiling water. It should loosen up and come out that way. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe. Well written, easy to perform and great to eat.
Made this in ramekins rather than a loaf pan, the taste and texture are excellent. The only issue I had was getting the flan out of the ramekins, but they get out with minimum damage to the edges.
This is AMAZING!!!! Best recipe I ever tried. Can I double it?
So glad you like it! Yes, you can double it – I’d do it in two separate loaf pans for even baking.
I wanted to thank you for the delicious flan recipe!! I made a different one a few weeks ago and it didn’t turn out the way we thought it would. I saw yours this time and tried it, SOOOO much better. I baked them in 8 teacups (instead of the loaf pan because that’s all I had) for almost the entire baking time and it turned out wonderful! Will use this recipe every time!! Thanks!
Hi! I don’t drink alcohol. Is it possible to eradicate the whisky?
Sure – you can replace it with an additional 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Enjoy!
I made this a few days ago. Follwed the recipe to the T, came out beautifully.. Thank you Jenn!
Hello, Love the recipe. I did substitute the evaporated milk with heavy cream and it was perfect. This took away the sweetness of the evaporated milk for me
Excellent 👍👍👍👍 👍
Wonderful recipe! I used 2% milk instead of Whole Milk and followed everything as given. Perfect caramel, perfect sugar, everyone liked it. Next time i’m going to keep it for 80 minutes, instead of the 90 minutes I kept this time.
Hi, thank you for sharing this amazingly yummy flan recipe!
That said, I’ve made the recipe 2 times now, still not able to get the sugar caramelized like in your photo. I would be grateful for you to tell me how to improve on what I am doing. The key part, in my opinion, is your sentence ” this entire process should take only 10 minutes”
The first time I thought my saucepan was too heavy and did not allow the sugar to caramelized in that 10 minute window. So my next attempt I used a copper, stainless lined saucepan, still not achieving the dark caramel color in the 10 minute window.
Please advise me with your suggestion as to what I need to do to achieve the lovely dark, and flavorful caramel sauce on the flan.
While my 2 tries have yielded a lovely texture flavorful flan, I believe the layer of flavor a true caramelized sugar will add, has been missing from what I am doing.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Lucy, I would either cook it longer or increase the heat; there’s always some variation with the timing, depending on the type of pan and stove. Just go by color and don’t worry about the time. Hope that helps!
What temp for the oven?
Hi Mary Ann, the flan should be baked at 300°F/150°C. Hope you enjoy!
Hey Lucy, if your still wondering how to get that honey color on your caramel I can tell u step by step.
1. You need a nonstick white sauce pan
2. Put 2/3 C of sugar with 1/4 C of water in there till the sugar is completely covered by water
3. Let sit over medium high heat and DO NOT TOUCH IN ANY WAY
4. Kepp still until sugar starts to darken
5. Start moving your pan in a circular motion ACCATUINALY
6. Keep going until it get that honey brown color
7. Then start following the rest of the recipe
Bravo! This is a fantastic and very easy recipe. I’ve never made flan before so when I saw the great photos, I felt I could try this. So easy and so delicious too!
Only one problem and that was because I used too heavy a saucepan to make the caramel. After 2 tries, I just used it even though the caramel never darkened. It also cooked down so the amount was almost not enough to coat the loaf pan. I used a small cast iron ceramic coated pan which was my problem. Next time I am using my saucepan that is stainless so caramel will properly darken. BUT even this small problem did not dull this delicious dessert. I received rave reviews from all the dinner guests! This recipe and great tips will be in my collection forever. Thank you