This Flan recipe is a classic Spanish dessert with a sweet and creamy custard base with a golden crown of caramel that pours over the cake as you slide it out of the pan. It’s also easy to make with only 6 ingredients. You’ll love this make-ahead dessert that’s perfect for parties and holidays.
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Helpful Reader Review
“I was a little hesitant having never tried a flan recipe with this combination of ingredients.
Needless to say, I’ll never use another flan recipe again because it was such a hit! Creamy and sweet and literally the best flan recipe ever tasted in all my life. Thank you!“ – Elizabeth ★★★★★
Flan Video Tutorial
Here’s a video tutorial on how to make flan using my tried-and-true Mexican flan recipe. Watch to learn everything you need to know.
Flan
My first introduction to Flan was at a Mexican restaurant years ago and I’ll admit I didn’t love it the first time I tried it because it was more gelatinous than creamy. With inspiration from Epicurious and Cooks Illustrated, I created a simple but classic version that I love and have been making for years. I’ve compared this to authentic homemade flan that I enjoyed on a trip to Mexico, and I can confidently say this Flan Recipe is a treasure!
Flan is a popular Spanish custard dessert, made by combining eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla, and it is baked in a water bath similar to the way a cheesecake is baked.
There are several desserts that compare–like French Crème Caramel and Panna Cotta. But Flan is still unique and special in flavor and texture. It’s sort of a cross between a Cheesecake, jello, and a Creme Brûlée, and it has that creamy milk flavor similar to Tres Leches (it even uses the same 3 milks).
Mexican Flan vs Spanish Flan?
The two flan styles are so similar, but this is closer to a Mexican flan. Mexican flan is traditionally made with whole eggs (sturdier texture) and sweetened condensed milk, while Spanish flan often uses granulated sugar and omits the egg white for a creamier flan.
Ingredients for Flan
Since Flan is made with a short list of ingredients, I suggest you avoid substitutions since it needs the right balance of eggs to dairy for the custard to set.
- Sugar and water – These two simple ingredients make the decadent and sweet caramel topping.
- Sweetened condensed milk – adds sweetness to the flan. For a more authentic dessert, we recommend using La Lechera brand, but any brand will work.
- Evaporated milk – adds richness to the custard
- Heavy whipping cream – creates a creamy and indulgent custard. Be sure to buy heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the right milk-to-fat ratio.
- Vanilla extract – I used my homemade Vanilla extract, but a Mexican vanilla can be substituted for a more authentic flan.
- Eggs – (at room temperature) Allow the custard to thicken and set properly.
Variations
Flan is prepared differently in various regions and can come in different flavorings:
- Cinnamon – Blend 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the cream mixture
- Dulce de leche – A reader, Tina, suggested swapping the sweetened condensed milk for Dulce De Leche.
- Mangos – top the flan with sliced mangos like my Mango Cake. Mangos are a popular variation in the Philippines.
- Coffee – blend 1 tsp of espresso powder into the custard
- Citrus – try swapping the vanilla extract with orange or lemon extract and zest
How to Make Caramel for Flan
- Prep – Because the caramel sets quickly, you want to have a 9″ x 2″ round cake pan out and ready for use. Also, preheat the oven to 350˚F and bring a kettle of water to boil.
- Make the caramel – In a heavy saucepan (a heavy saucepan will prevent burning), combine water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring it to a boil over medium heat without stirring for 3-5 minutes. As soon as you see it start to turn golden, start swirling the pan for 1-2 minutes or until it turns the color of cinnamon, then take it off the heat and swirl it for another 30 seconds. *Swirl, don’t stir, since this can cause the caramel to crystallize and harden, and don’t walk away from this pan since it can quickly burn.
- Pour caramel into your cake pan and immediately tilt the pan to coat the bottom. The sugar will harden quickly.
Important Safety Tip:
Be careful not to get any melted sugar on your skin to avoid burns, do not put your finger in it to taste it, and NEVER lick the spatula. Also, keep in mind the cake pan gets quite hot when you pour the caramel in.
How to Make Flan
- Make the Custard – Combine the rest of the flan ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed for 1 minute. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth (to reduce the bubbles) and pour over your caramel layer.
- Cover the cake pan with foil and be sure it isn’t touching the custard. This helps keep the moisture from escaping and prevents cracks in the dessert
- Make the Water Bath – Set the pan inside of a large roasting pan and transfer to your reheated oven. Pour hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan, at least halfway up the sides of the cake pan for even cooking.
- Bake at 350°F for 70-80 minutes or until there is just a slight jiggle in the center. You don’t want to overcook the custard, and it will continue cooking as it cools. Remove from oven, uncover, and place pan on a rack to cool to room temperature. Then, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- To Serve – Run a knife around the edges of the cake pan. Set the cake on a rimmed platter and invert the cake onto the platter. Tap the cake pan until you feel it dislodging then lift the cake pan off the cake.
How to Know the Flan is Done Cooking?
When you jolt the pan, you should see a slight jiggle in the center – It should be mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center, about the size of a quarter. It will set more as it cools. Do not overbake, or it can cause cracking.
How do I prevent my flan from cracking?
There are several ways to prevent cracks in flan. Here are our best tips for beautiful results every time:
- Water bath – this is the most important, as cooking in a water bath allows for gentle and even cooking.
- Don’t over-bake – Overcooked flan can turn rubbery and will be more likely to crack.
- Cool gradually – After cooking, remove the foil cover and gently transfer the whole pan to a wire rack and cool completely to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.
- Loosen the edges – run a knife around the edges before unmolding the flan to reduce tension as it slides out of the pan.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You will love that Flan is a make-ahead dessert, which is so convenient for gatherings and entertaining.
- Make-Ahead: You can keep the flan covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving. It’s best to flip onto a platter just before serving.
- To Refrigerate: cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing flan since the texture can change when thawing.
My family loves Mexican-inspired desserts such as Churros and Tres Leches Cake. If you are a fan of Latin desserts, this Flan recipe doesn’t disappoint. It’s such a fun and rewarding dessert to make. It’s just 5 ingredients and easy to make. The custard is so decadent, and the caramel sauce makes it perfectly sweet. Make this your go-to dessert for every occasion–especially Cinco de Mayo or whenever the craving strikes.
Flan Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, preferably la lechera brand
- 12 oz can evaporated milk, preferably Carnation brand
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract, Homemade Vanilla extract or Mexican Vanilla Extract
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Berries to serve, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, Optional for garnish
Instructions
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack in the middle of the oven and bring a kettle of water to boil which you will need for the water bath. Take out a 9-inch by 2-inch round, non-stick cake pan* so it’s ready when the caramel is ready to pour.
- Make the Caramel – In a medium heavy saucepan, stir together sugar and water until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring, about 3-5 minutes. Once you see it start to turn golden then start swirling the pan frequently over the heat until it’s the color of cinnamon, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat and continue swirling constantly for another 30 seconds as it turns amber-colored.
- Immediately pour melted sugar into your round cake pan and quickly tilt your baking dish to spread the caramel over the bottom of the pan before it sets (be careful, that bottom of the pan will turn hot!). Set the pan aside and prepare the custard.
- Make the custard – In a blender add condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla, eggs, and salt. Blend for 1 minute on low speed (to avoid too much foam/bubbles). Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (cheesecloth is optional but helps break up foam) and pour it into the cake pan over the caramel layer.
- Cover the cake pan with a sheet of foil, making sure the foil isn’t touching the top of the custard (you don’t want to bake your foil into your flan).
- Make the Water Bath – Set the cake pan inside of a large roasting pan then set the roasting pan in your oven (it’s hard to carry the roasting pan after the water is in there). Pour hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan, at least halfway up the sides of the cake pan, making sure it doesn’t reach the top of your baking pan or get inside your cake pan.
- Bake at 350 for 70-80 minutes. When it's done, jolt the pan and you should see a stiff jiggle in the center. If it seems too liquid/wobbly, bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, transfer to a rack, and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to fully set the custard.
- To Serve – Run a knife around the edges of the pan (clean your knife periodically). Set a rimmed platter over the cake pan and holding the top and bottom with both hands, invert the cake onto the platter. If the cake doesn’t slide out easily, tap the cake pan until you feel it dislodging then lift the cake pan gently off the cake. Garnish with berries if desired and serve spooning extra caramel sauce over each slice.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Mexican Recipes
- Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
- Carne Asada
- Fish Tacos
- Easy Tostada Recipe
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Soft Flour Tortillas
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
I followed the instructions to the letter and everything came out perfect. My friends were so impressed, they thought it compared favorably to flans they’ve had in Spain. Thank you!
Wow! High compliments. That’s so great!
Hi Natasha, thank you for the detailed instructions. Is this possible to make in a glass pie pan? Thanks!
Hi Abbie! If you do, you may need to make some modifications. Glass takes longer to heat up, which takes longer to bake.
Your instructions were perfect, easy to follow. The flan came out amazing my new go to dessert and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Great to hear that it was a huge success!
Don’t know what I did wrong. It curdled. The taste was great, but the custard was not smooth. I knew there was a problem when it rose with cooking. I blended it a little higher than low since it did not seem that the eggs were getting mixed enough. I also forgot to pour it through a seive 🙁 What else could have caused this problem?
Hi Tassie, common reasons are- overcooking can cause a custard to curdle, leading a grainy texture (The flan should seem firm at the edges but still jiggly in the center). Also mixing the custard vigorously can incorporate too much air and negatively affect texture. Did you make sure to cook in a water bath? That helps to stabilize the temperature to bake evenly.
I cooked in water bath about 3/4 way up the pan for 70 minutes. When I checked it it was already jiggly, but firm. It had also risen up above the top of the pan.
Hi Tassie. Assuming that you used the correct size pan, it’s likely due to excessive or aggressive whisking/blending that could have incorporated too much air in the batter, causing it to rise. I would also recommend a internal oven thermometer (amazon affiliate link) to verify your oven’s temperature accuracy. Sometimes it could be that the oven runs hot, which affects the texture and can cause a rapid rise. I hope this helps.
Another hit Natasha! I’ve been following your recipes for a while now. I made a small change to the recipe since I didn’t have enough heavy cream. I made a heavy cream substitute but blending cottage cheese with a bit of milk. It was still as creamy and smooth as the flan you made. Slightly more protein I guess hehe 🙂 Kiddos loved it and so did the hubby (who is the hardest to please out of the ‘kids’ lol) So, thank you!
That’s wonderful to hear Jay. I’m so glad the kids and husband loved it. Thanks for sharing.
I made this dessert for New Year’s dinner with friends. It was a total HIT!! Everyone loved it and asked that I make it again for our next get together. Very light and delicious.
That’s so wonderful! Happy new year, Chris!
Did you mean 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract? That’s a lot of vanilla.
Hi Vincent, that is the accurate measurment.
Hello.
I see that this calls for a 9″x2″ non-stick cake pan with foil. I’m looking at purchasing a flanera. Would all of the other cooking directions remain the same if I use a flanera/flan mold (round, 9-inch diameter, 1.5 quart, stainless steel)?
Thanks!
Hi D! I haven’t tested that, but it should be fine. I would follow the same instructions, temperature and method but watch the fill level (fill only 3/4th full). Check for donees earlier, just in case.
I made this and it was delicious. I would probably drop the amount of sugar just a tad. It is fire going to be my go to recipe from now on. Really enjoyed it.
I’m so happy you found a favorite on my blog, Gini! Thank you for sharing that with me.
What about using a cupcake pan for individual flan? How should I adjust the timing or temperature?
Hi Marie! I haven’t tested that so I don’t have those instructions. It should work but may be a little messy to remove.
Hi Natasha, can I make this in an 8 inch round pan? Do you have an idea on bake time for 8 inch pan?
Hi there! I haven’t tested that. I think it would barely fit if your pan is 2” deep or more. You need to leave at least ½ inch space at the top to avoid spilling.
It will take longer to bake since the custard is thicker.
Made it in a 9 inch pan and it came out perfect! Thank you for the detailed recipe!
Hi Natasha, I was wondering how I can adjust the recipe for an 11” ceramic flan dish that I already have. Thank you!
Hi Amy! Without testing it, I don’t have those instructions and I would be guessing. It will require some experimenting. You may need to increase the recipe by half to reach the same thickness/height, but that will depend on how deep your dish is. You can also make the recipe as is in your 11” pan, but it will be thinner and bake faster so keep an eye on it and check early.
Excellent recipe .
Thank you very much , I love everything you make!
Sorina
I don’t think adding water to the caramel helped it set. I poured over half out of the pan because it wasn’t setting in the freezer after 30 min. Hopefully what was left in the pan doesn’t affect the batter.
Hi Claire! The water should evaporate as it cooks. If the caramel was too pale when you stopped cooking, it might still have had water in it and stayed thin. The darker you cook it (to a deep amber), the thicker it gets once cooled.
This flan is delicious!! It was a hit when I made it, and received many compliments — it’s easy to make. I love it! it’s so creamy and not so sweet.
So glad to know you loved it, Rosa!
Hello! Do I double the recipe if I want to use a 9×13 pan so I can make it for a potluck?
Hi Valentina! I think it will work to double it for a 9×13 pan.
I gave made this several times. Very tasty.