Flan

4.60 from 5 votes

Flan is a traditional Latin American dessert recipe. A rich custard topped with caramel sauce and fresh berries is how I like to serve it. Its silky and smooth texture is what makes this so delicious and irresistible!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Chilling Time4

Total Time5 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Latin American

Servings:

Author: Julie Maestre

Ingredients

1 cup of sugar
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Add the granulated sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. Allow the sugar to melt, stirring occasionally, until completely smooth and amber in color. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Immediately pour the caramel into a loaf pan or 9-inch round pan (a bundt pan works too), carefully tilting the dish so the caramel evenly coats the bottom. Set it aside while you prepare the custard.
Add the 3 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend just until smooth and combined. Avoid over-blending, as too much air can create bubbles in the flan.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the caramel-coated baking dish. This helps remove any lumps and creates an extra-smooth custard.
Place the baking dish inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the flan dish.
Bake for 1 hour, or until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle. Avoid overbaking, as this can make the flan rubbery.
Carefully remove the flan from the water bath and allow it to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the flan to loosen it. Place a large serving plate upside down over the baking dish, then quickly and carefully flip it over. Lift the baking dish and allow the caramel sauce to run over the flan. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Don’t walk away from the caramel. Sugar can burn quickly once it begins changing color.
If you don’t have a blender, feel free to whisk the custard by hand using a hand whisk or an electric mixer.
Strain the custard. It takes an extra minute and helps produce an incredibly smooth finished flan.
Use a water bath. This is one step I wouldn’t skip. Gentle, even heat makes a noticeable difference in the final texture.
Don’t overbake it. The center should still have a slight jiggle when you remove the flan from the oven.
Chill it thoroughly. Warm flan is much more delicate and won’t have the same creamy texture. Give it several hours in the refrigerator, overnight is even better.

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