Flan - Silky, smooth, custard like texture and caramel topping. Easy to make and delicious to eat, this Flan recipe is a win-win. This flan is originated from Mexico and it is also known as Mexican flan, Spanish Flan, Tres Leches Flan. Learn how to make the best flan with step by step pictures & video. In this recipe I have shared flan made using condensed milk and dulce de leche. If you enjoy this recipe, check my caramel custard & eggless creme caramel.
Flan
You all know my love for caramel custard. It is one dessert which I go for whenever I am craving sweet. It is made with milk, sugar and eggs. Flan is little different than creme caramel. it is made with evaporated milk, heavy cream, condensed milk and eggs. It has a lovely dense texture which is so loved.
About Flan Recipe
Flan is nothing but a rich dense caramel custard dessert. This is super easy to make and taste absolutely delicious. The texture of this is unlike other flans, it is little dense in texture and so much richer.
The flan is creamy pudding like which is not too sweet and has a slight bitter note from the caramel. So good.
Normally caramel custard is so smooth which just melt in mouth. But this one has a dense texture in the custard which is just perfect. I have shared many recipes for caramel pudding on my blog before. check out my caramel bread pudding as well.
Similar Recipes,
You can use dulce de leche instead of sweetened condensed milk in this recipe to make the most addicting dulce de leche flan which I have shared in my youtube video.
Watch Flan Recipe Video
Ingredients for Flan (Tres Leches - Three Milk)
Evaporated Milk - The flan is made with evaporated milk which is reduced milk. If you cannot find evaporated milk, you can replace it with full fat or full cream milk.
Cream - regular whipping cream is used in flan to create the dense texture.
Sweetened Condensed milk - the sweetness in the flan comes from condensed milk. It also adds to create the luscious dense texture.
Eggs - some recipes uses egg + egg yolk in flan custard. But I use three whole eggs which makes this recipe easy and straight forward.
Sugar - heat sugar till it gets golden caramel; and use that to line the baking pan.
Vanilla Extract - use pure highly quality vanilla which adds a considerable amount of flavour.
How to Make Mexican Flan (3 Easy Steps)
Make Caramel
Take sugar in a pan, melt it gently on medium heat. Don't stir. Keep cooking on medium heat till caramel colour. Now once sugar has reached caramel colour. Pour it into the pan.
Make Flan Custard
Now take all ingredients in a blender and blend till creamy. Pour this into the pan over the caramel.
Bain-marie Baking
Now place the pan into a bigger pan. Fill with hot boiling water. Till it is half way through. Now pop this into a 180 degree C oven. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins. Remove and pop it into the fridge overnight. Next day. un mould. Slice and serve.`
Expert Tips
- Don't over cook the caramel, else the sugar might get burnt and taste bitter.
- Instead of evaporated milk, you can use regular milk.
- Instead of using blender, you can blend the custard in a bowl using a whisk.
- Once flan is baked, chill in fridge till it is completely cold and set before unmoulding.
How to Make Flan (Stepwise Pictures)
1)Take a baking pan. I used a 4 to 5 inch square pan for this recipe. Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
Making Custard
2)Take evaporated milk, cream in a bowl. Instead to taking in a bowl, you can add it directly to a blender jar and blend.
3)Add in sweetened condensed milk. Mix well. This is your three milk mixture known as Tres leches.
4)Take eggs in a blender.
5)Add in vanilla extract.
6)pour in the milk mix in a blender.
7)Now place in a blender and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
8)Blend till creamy. Set aside.
Making Caramel
9)Take sugar in a pan. Heat the pan, cook till golden brown. Use a spatula to mix gently so the sugar starts to turn golden.
10)Swirl the pan gently so the sugar turns golden. Set aside.
Coating pan with caramel
11)Pour the caramel into mould.
12)Coat the caramel on the pan. Make sure you coat the caramel, on the sides of the pan as well. Set aside the pan for few minutes for the caramel to harden.
13) Pour the custard into the pan.
Baking Flan in Bain-marie
14)Place the pan in a bigger tray. Pour hot water in the bigger pan till it comes half way through.
15)Place the pan in oven and bake in 180 degree C for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
16)Now flan is baked. Remove the flan from the tray and place it in fridge for 4 to 6 hours to set.
Demoulding Flan
17)Use a knife to gently release the flan from the mould. Un mould the flan from the pan to a plate.
18) Once flan is un moulded. Slice into pieces.
19)Serve.
Flan Using Dulce De Leche
Dulce de leche is a caramelized sweetened condensed milk. There are many versions of making this, the one which i tried here is in pressure cooker because it is time saving, efficient and easy. If you don't have a pressure cooker put the can in a sauce pan, cover it with water and boil it for 2 to 3 hours. But i found this method is quick to make.. And the colour of the ddl you want totally depends on the time you cook them, The more you simmer the pot the more thick and dark it gets. But in my opinion 30 mins is perfect.
Here is a video of me making Dulce de leche flan.
Ingredients for Dulce De Leche Flan
- Homemade Dulce De Leche - ¾ cup
- Eggs 3
- Cream 200 ml
- Milk ½ cup
- Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
- Sugar ½ cup (for caramel)
How to Make Dulce De Leche Flan
1)Blend eggs, dulce de leche, milk, cream, vanilla in a blender till smooth.
2)Take sugar in a pan, melt it gently on medium heat. Don't stir. Keep cooking on medium heat till caramel colour. Now once sugar has reached caramel colour. Pour it into the pan and swirl the pan to coat the entire pan and the sides of the pan. Pour the dulce de leche flan mix over caramel. Bake at 180 degree C for 40 mins and chill in fridge for 6 to 8 hours.
3)Slice and serve.
More Pudding Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Flan | Flan Recipe | Mexican Flan Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
- Baking Tray
- Oven or OTG
- cooking pan
Ingredients
Flan Recipe (using Condensed Milk)
- ¾ cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup Evaporated Milk 240 ml (or use ½ cup regular milk)
- 200 ml Heavy Cream
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Sugar (for caramel)
Dulce De Leche Flan
- ¾ cup Dulce De Leche
- ½ cup Milk
- 200 ml Heavy Cream
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Sugar (for caramel)
Instructions
For Flan (Using Condensed Milk)
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
- Take sugar in a pan, melt it gently on medium heat. Dont stir. Keep cooking on medium heat till caramel colour. Now once sugar has reached caramel colour. Pour it into the pan and swirl the pan to coat the entire pan and the sides of the pan.
- Now take all ingredients in a blender and blend till creamy. Pour this into the pan over the caramel.
- Now place the pan into a bigger pan. Fill with hot boiling water. Till it is half way through. Now pop this into a 180 degree C oven. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins.
- Remove the flan from oven, gently remove the mould from the tray and place it into the fridge for minimum 2 hours or overnight.
- Remove the flan from oven, gently remove the sides using a knife. Invert the mould on to a serving plate. Slice and serve.
Dulce De Leche Flan
- Follow the same recipe, instead of condensed milk use dulce de leche.
- Bake at 180 degree C for 40 mins in a water bath and chill in fridge for 6 to 8 hours. Un mould, slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Don't over cook the caramel, else the sugar might get burnt and taste bitter.
- Instead of evaporated milk, you can use regular milk.
- Instead of using blender, you can blend the custard in a bowl using a whisk.
- Once flan is baked, chill in fridge till it is completely cold and set before unmoulding.
Nutrition
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Nithi
Condensed milk correct measurement please.
Aarthi
200 ml
Lia
do you cover the pan with foil when baking?
Aarthi
no
tigerseye
This is NOT tres leches. It’s either flan or tres leches, can’t be both. Flan is always made with several types of milks/creams anyways. 🙄😑