Flan Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Flan is a luscious, sweet custard topped with a decadent caramel sauce that brings a touch of elegance to any dessert table. It looks impressive, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is 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. Once done, the custard is inverted onto a plate, revealing a layer of luscious caramel on top. Flan is almost identical to the French custard dessert crème caramel; it’s also similar to crème brûlée, but a bit denser and with liquid caramel instead of a brittle top.
Though it looks impressive, flan is suprisingly simple to make. This classic version adapted from Cook’s Illustrated is my go-to flan recipe. Prepared in a loaf pan rather than a wide cake pan, it’s easy to unmold without breaking—and since it can be made up to four days in advance, it’s a fantastic dessert for entertaining.
“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. You will have plenty of leftover egg whites—a great excuse to whip up macarons, chocolate chip meringue cookies, pavlova, or coconut macaroons!
- 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. If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 2% milk or half-and-half, but I don’t recommend skim milk.
- 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. 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.
- 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 on the stove over medium-high heat, without stirring. Continue cooking until the sugar dissolves and 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 caramelized sugar 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 pan 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.
You May Also Like
Video Tutorial
Flan
Flan is a luscious, sweet custard topped with a decadent caramel sauce that brings a touch of elegance to any dessert table. It looks impressive, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is 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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This recipe came out flawless and perfect, everyone loved it .
But I have a very sensitive sense of smell so I found it a bit eggy
What did I do wrong? Overcooked maybe ?
Hi Iram, Flan by nature is a bit eggy. It the texture was good, I don’t think you did anything wrong.
Awesome!
It’s a great recipe and the flan was so delicious! Love it was not too eggy like some other flans I’ve bad before. The instructions for making the caramel was so helpful. I’ve failed making caramel with other recipes before and I was happy with the outcome this time.
One problem I had was cracking though. I took mine out of the oven when the center was still jiggly and let it cool in the water bath for an hour before moving to the fridge, so I don’t think it was overcooked or the temperature changed too quickly. The crack was around the center where the custard was jiggly out of the oven. Is it possible it cracked because I shook too hard when testing the doneness? Or is there any other common mistakes causing cracks?
Hi Kat, Glad you liked the way the flan tasted but sorry to hear it cracked. I haven’t experienced that before but believe that it can happen if flan cooks too fast. Is there any chance your oven runs a bit hot? Here are some ways to check your oven temperature.
Thanks for the response, Jen! I’ll have to watch my oven temperature more closely next time. I have a large baking stone/pizza stone kept in my oven, so that might have caused having the oven temperature get hotter than it should be. I will try again. Can’t wait to make this delicious flan again!
Just made this but using a 9″x9″ glass baking dish instead of the bread tin. First attempt using the instructions didn’t set and was soupy. Second attempt I baked uncovered for 1hr 40 mins at 300degs. There was no visible liquid on top but was still jiggly. This way came out perfect! Also, raspberries is a must as the tartness balances out the sweetness.
CAN I USE A GLASS LOAF PAN?
Sure, that should work.
This sounds delicious. Can I make individual portions in 6 oz ramekins?
Sure! The bake time will be different so make sure you keep a close eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
I was so excited to try this recipe , and even though the taste was amazing! the flan didn’t set in the middle and it was like a pudding. I was so sad. I made it in a porcelain dish since i didn’t have a loaf pan, and followed the instructions exactly. i don’t know what could have went wrong 🙁
Hi Diana, Sorry you had a problem with this! The recipe is pretty predictable. Is there any chance you made a measuring error?
This is absolutely delicious! i was looking all over for a flan recipe that didn’t require cream cheese. this was very easy to follow. i’ve made it multiple times both in the loaf pan and 8 oz ramekins (makes 4). thank you so much!
Hi! Im looking to make this for the first time and was wondering if you can use fat free evaporated milk instead.
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
excellent recipe – both the clear, comprehensive instructions and the delicious results