An easy flan recipe made with only 5 simple ingredients! This creamy custard dessert is topped with rich caramel and is very popular in Mexico, Spain and Latin America. It’s a showstopper dessert that is sure to impress friends and family. Perfect for any occasion!
I need to shout it from the rooftops – I’m officially in love with flan! I must admit that I didn’t eat much flan growing up. Instead, my family was big on Tres Leches Cake, Conchas and Marranitos. Pretty much all the bread-y desserts found in Mexican bakeries. But flan wasn’t really on my radar until recently when my nephew kept mentioning how much he loved flan (a subtle hint he kept throwing my way). That’s when I knew I had to make it.
So I got to work, tested and tested, and finally created the richest, smoothest and creamiest flan recipe ever! Best of all, it’s so easy to make and it’s officially made me a flan lover!
What is flan?
Flan, or crème caramel, is a creamy custard dessert topped with caramel that’s popular in Mexico, Spain and many Latin American countries.
It’s known for its smooth and creamy consistency that’s achieved by cooking the custard in a water bath, or a bain-marie or baño-maría. Doing so creates steam in the oven which gently and evenly cooks the flan, keeping it moist and ensuring that the eggs aren’t overcooked and curdled or scrambled.
The flan is cooked with the caramel on the bottom of the pan and the custard mixture on top. After it’s cooked and sufficiently cooled, the flan is then inverted onto a plate to reveal a rich and golden caramel sauce that perfectly covers the top of the flan!
It truly is a magical dessert!
Ingredients in Flan
This flan is made with only 5 simple ingredients which is why I love it so much! Here’s what you need:
- eggs
- sweetened condensed milk
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- sugar
You’ll also need a small 7-inch cake pan or a special pan called a flanera. I got my flanera here. It’s inexpensive and perfect! It has an easy locking lid so I don’t need to use foil to cover the top while baking.
How to make flan
Step 1: Make the caramel by pouring the sugar into a warm skillet over medium heat. Keep stirring the sugar while it heats up and begins to brown and clump together. Continue stirring until the sugar completely dissolves and melts into a beautiful golden-brown caramel!
Step 2: Carefully pour the caramel into the bottom of the flanera or cake pan as evenly as possible. Try to work quickly because the caramel will start to harden in a matter of seconds after it’s hit the bottom of the pan. Also be sure to use a towel or oven mitts as the bottom of the pan will be very hot. Try to distribute the caramel evenly into the pan. If it hardens too quickly and you aren’t to do so, you can carefully heat the pan up by placing it directly on the stove or on the skillet. That will loosen up the hardened caramel a bit so it can flow into the areas you need it to go.
Step 3: Set the caramel aside and let it cool so it hardens a bit. While it’s cooling, whisk together the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is evenly incorporated but try not to over whisk so you don’t get too many air bubbles in the mixture.
Step 4: Pour the custard mixture into the hardened caramel-lined pan.
Step 5: Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, or secure it with a lid if you’re using a flanera like I do in the photo below.
Step 6: Place the pan in a large baking dish and fill the baking dish with water until it reaches halfway up the flan pan. Bake the flan for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 7: Carefully remove the flan pan from the water bath, remove the lid and let it cool to room temperature. Then place it in the refrigerator and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Step 8: When you’re ready to eat it, remove the lid or aluminum foil from the pan and gently slide a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen it up a bit.
Step 9: Place a large plate or platter over the pan and quickly and carefully flip over the pan and the plate so that the flan is upside down. Pull up the flan pan – if the flan doesn’t slide out immediately, place the pan down and let it sit for a bit. It will slide out so don’t freak out! Give the sides of the pan a tap or some squeezes and see if that helps.
All that’s left to do is grab a slice and enjoy! I like serving it on its own with lots of the caramel sauce, but you could also serve it alongside some fresh fruit.
Variations
- For a citrusy twist, add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the custard mixture.
- For a coffee twist, add 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder to the custard mixture.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour the sugar into a skillet over medium heat. Stir the sugar continually until it begins to brown and clump together. Keep stirring until the sugar completely melts and dissolves into a golden-brown syrup. Remove the syrup from the heat as soon as it has dissolves as it can burn.
- Working quickly, carefully pour the caramel into a 7-inch round pan or a special flan pan (flanera) as shown in the photos in the blog post. Pour the caramel evenly into the bottom of the pan so the entire bottom is coated. If you need to, use an oven mitt or potholders to move the pan from side to side to get the caramel evenly distributed. If the caramel hardens too quickly, you can carefully reheat the pan by placing it directly on the stove or on the skillet for a few seconds.
- Set the caramel-coated pan aside to cool and harden.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and vanilla extract. Whisk together until everything is fully combined, but try not to overwhisk so that there aren't too many air bubbles in the mixture.
- Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated pan. Cover the top of the pan with the lid (if using a flanera) or tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place the flan pan in a large baking dish and pour enough water in the dish until it reaches about halfway up the pan. Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven, and then lift the flan pan out of the water bath. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and let it cool to room temperature. The flan may still be a little jiggly, but that's okay – it will continue to cook with the residual heat.
- Once it's cooled, cover with the lid or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- To serve, remove the lid or aluminum foil and slide a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen it up. Place a plate or platter on top of the flan, grab a hold of both the plate and the pan and quickly and securely flip it over so that the flan is now upside down. Carefully lift off the flan pan. Your flan should be sitting in the caramel on the plate, ready to enjoy!
- Carefully lift the flan pan up. The flan should be on the plate – if it's not, place the pan back down and let it sit for a few minutes. Don't freak out! It will loosen up and slide out. You could try tapping the sides of the pan a bit or even giving the sides a squeeze.
- Slice the flan and serve with the rich caramel sauce!
Nutrition Information
I am trying to read your recipe but your adds cause it to quickly jump the page around 🙁
I love the recipe though!
What if you don’t use a water bath
Hi Lola! If you don’t use a water bath, the flan will overcook. The water bath helps gently cook the custard so its not too egg-y. I would definitely recommend using a water bath if you can!
Does the water have to be cool, warm or hot? Do you have a specific temperature of where the water is supposed to be. Thanks
I would say cool water since it cooks for awhile in the oven.
Made flan and it was amazing. Easy to follow top 10 flavor
Curtled flan and sauce stuck to bottom of pan. Follow directions perfectly.
Hi Doug. Oh no! I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you. Do you mind explaining what happened? We may be able to help.
I made your flan just as you specified but I did misread one part. I thought I read to loosen it with a knife and then put in the fridge overnight. As of now it still looks fine but will anything happen to it since I loosened it before putting in the fridge overnight?
Hi Kat! It should still be fine 🙂 Let us know how your flan turns out!
I make this often with rave reviews.
This was super easy and delish!
It was delicious but not all the Carmel came out of the pan. I might have cooked it too long? I’ll be making it again!!!
The taste and presentation were impressive in the end, but I threw out my first 2 attempts at the syrup. Including a time estimate for first time syrup makers would have earned that 5th star for me.
Those who have had trouble with the cake being overdone or collapsing in the middle could try the flan pan you recommended. It didn’t cost much, and I use it all the time. My flan always comes out perfect.
This is my third time making your flan. I’m heading to a party tomorrow and 3 of my friends requested (or maybe demanded) that I make flan! Thank you for the great recipe and your excellent instructions
Hi! If you use a flanera do you still need a water bath?
Hi Kim! Yes, the water bath is to help gently cook the flan with the vapor it creates!
I followed your recipe to the letter. This flan is overcooked by at least 15 minutes.
Ours was lumpy with the texture of scrambled eggs.
I was embarrassed as I served it to guests before tasting.
Threw the leftovers out.
Yuck.
Hi Dan, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you. We will consider this when moving forward.
Can I use heavy cream for a flan?
Hi Rosa! I’m not totally sure but I think it should be okay! Let us know how it turns out.
I accidentally (last night) used cream because I couldn’t remember and it was so incredibly rich. I waited until it just settled and pulled it out. The Bain Marie is critical.
Since I also made 1.5 of the recipe I used extra egg yolks (4) and some extra but not the whole can of sweetened condensed milk. Caramel was made with generous of sugar and let it get a rich dark color (not burnt) I baked for 1hr 40 mins in a deep 8in cake plate/heavy duty foil and it is spectacular. Better than anything I have ordered out. I hope this helped.
Hello! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed this flan recipe. It’s definitely a favorite!
The recipe is great however I’m going to have to use another website to many popups and it Interferes with the recipe in the making it’s really aggravating so I will have to use another website
What should the flan look like when it is finished cooking? Should a toothpick come out clean? If it is still jiggly, is it not done?
Hi Rebecca! Yes the toothpick should come out clean, and if its a little jiggly in the middle that’s okay. It finishes cooking with residual heat and then sets in the fridge.
I’m in the process now if making it, but only have an 8 Inch pan. Should I just cook it for maybe an hour, instead of 1 hour and 15 minutes??? I hope you reply soon!!!
Hi Judy! Yes that should be fine! As long as you keep a close eye on it. How did it turn out?
Love this recipe! and the tip about the pan to use. I am now a fan!!!
Can you use Pam in the pan to keep it from sticking without ruining the recipe?
Hi Cindy! I’m not sure about that, but I think it should be fine!
So I made this flan but the carmel stuck to the bottom of my flanera pan. It was hard. When I flipped it over it only had a little bit of carmel. What did I do wrong?
Hi Brenda! You may try putting the flanera (once its ready to flip and has cooked and cooled) into a water bath of warm water just on the counter to help melt down a little bit of the caramel on the bottom of the pan, and then try flipping it over. I hope this helps!
Looks tasty, but kinda bland compared to other flan.
Hi Michael! Thank you for the feedback. We will consider this when moving forward.