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 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.