We’re bringing a bit of Latin America custard to your dessert table with a smooth and creamy flan recipe that’s made with a few simple ingredients including eggs, vanilla, milk, and a homemade caramel sauce!
But first, dinner! Start your Mexican-inspired meal with Easy Carne Picada, Crockpot Mexican Casserole, and a side of Mexican street corn dip.
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Easy Homemade Flan Dessert Recipe
This Mexican flan (aka Flan Mexicano) might not be something you’d normally make, but I promise that’s about to change. This sweet creamy custard dessert has a caramel base that soaks into the flan as it bakes. Then, once out of the oven, it gets turned out onto a plate upside down (or right side up, depending on how you look at it) so the caramel ends up on top!
It’s silky smooth and tastes just like vanilla custard or French creme caramel!
This traditional Mexican dessert is made with just a handful of ingredients and because it needs chill time it’s the perfect choice for a make-ahead dessert. It travels well, so you can bring it to potlucks, and dinner parties, and of course, serve it for Cinco de Mayo!
Ingredients/shopping list
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card with amounts.
- Whole milk: When added to the beaten eggs it creates the base of the custard. Whole milk has more fat so I use it for a richer consistency.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor. A vanilla custard needs high-quality pure vanilla extract!
- Large eggs: Whole eggs are what a flan is mostly made of. The fresher the eggs the better.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Not to be confused with regular condensed milk or evaporated milk. Since there is no sugar added to the flan itself, it helps to sweeten the custard.
- Granulated sugar: Caramelized sugar is used to make the caramel sauce.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Add a couple of tablespoons of orange juice to the egg mixture for a lovely citrusy flavor. Grate some orange zest on top just before serving.
2. Add a dash of cinnamon to the custard mixture.
3. You can use heavy cream instead of regular milk if preferred.
4. Serve it with fresh fruit on top. Soft slices like mango, peaches, apricots, plums would all work. Fresh berries too.
How to Make Flan
This recipe will come together in quickly and easily. You just need to account for the baking time and then the chill time. So, it’s a great make-ahead dessert!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Make the Caramel Sauce
Step 2: Heat sugar in a skillet or pan over medium heat until it melts and begins to caramelize, stirring continuously.
Step 2: Once the sugar melts and it is a medium brown, divide it evenly into six molds and tilt the molds around to swirl it so it covers the sides and bottom of each one.
You can also bake the flan in a 9-inch pie dish if you’d like instead of the individual dishes and slice it like a pie.
Make the flan mixture:
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs by hand. Do not use an electric mixer. In order for it to be a creamy flan, you don’t want too much air in it. Then, add the whole milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Step 4: Pour the custard mixture evenly into each mold. Then boil 2-3 cups of water.
Transfer the molds to a baking pan or large roasting pan at least 2 inches deep and pour the hot water into the dish so that it comes up to the middle of the molds. Be careful not to get any water in the mixture.
Step 5: Bake on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes. You will know it’s ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the flan comes out clean.
Step 6: Allow them to cool at room temperature and then place them in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
Step 7: To remove them from the molds, run a knife around the edge of the flan to loosen it. Place a small plate on top of the mold and hold it tightly. Quickly flip it over and allow the flan to gently fall onto the plate. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.
Tips
- The caramel will be very hot. You need to pour it as soon as it’s caramelized, so be careful when pouring it.
- Overmixing the egg mixture will cause too much air to be trapped. This will create a sponge-like texture rather than the signature silky texture.
- For an extra smooth texture, you can strain the flan mixture before pouring it into the molds.
- Work fast! Pour the caramel into the molds before it hardens.
- Don’t avoid the water bath. It helps to cook it gently and prevents it from curdling.
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftovers stored in the fridge. Mexican flan contains milk and eggs which can only be kept out for short periods. Store any remaining slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Absolutely! I love using individual ramekins for presentation purposes, however, it does take a bit of practice working fast enough so that the caramel doesn’t harden before you get it all into each one.
Make a larger one in a pie dish or cake pan. Pour caramel into the bottom of the pan and swirl so it coats the sides of the pan. Then continue as directed and increase the baking time by a few minutes.
Spanish flan doesn’t require whole eggs, just the egg yolks.
If that’s what you have, go ahead and use it. It wouldn’t be my first recommendation only because of the water bath (or Bain Marie as it’s also known).
However, if you’re going to use it, cover the bottom with aluminum foil, making sure it goes up the sides of the sides enough so that no water gets in.
It should be as smooth as jello but not as jiggly as jello! If it is, it’s underdone.
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Easy Mexican Flan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 7 ounces sweet condensed milk ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
Make the caramel sauce:
- In a skillet or pan, add the sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize and turn a medium brown in color, stirring continuously .½ cup granulated sugar
- Once the caramel is golden brown, pour it into the six molds evenly. Gently tilt the molds so the caramel covers the sides and bottom of each of them.
Make the flan mixture:
- In a large bowl, add the eggs and whisk them by hand. (don’t use an electric mixer or it will add too much air to the flan).5 large eggs
- Then add in the whole milk, condensed milk and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 7 ounces sweet condensed milk, 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
- Divide the mixture between the prepared molds.
- Prepare a water bath:
- Boil 2-3 cups of water in a saucepan.
- Place the molds, filled with the egg mixture, inside a baking dish that’s at least 2 inches deep.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into a measuring cup and the gently pour the water around the molds until it reaches the middle of the molds. Note: I like to place the tray in the oven and pour the water in the dish to prevent it from spilling while transferring it to the oven.
- Bake it for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before removing from the molds.
To unmold
- Run a knife around the edges to loosen it.
- Place a small plate on top of the mold and holding tightly, quickly turn it over and allow the flan to transfer to the plate.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Anonymous
Good recipe, (I accidently added too few eggs I did 3 on accident). It was half decent still HOWEVER, you want to blend not hand mix, contrary to what the recipe said. Eggs turned out unmixed all the way in the milk/condensed milk combination. So next time Ill suggest blending it. Kinda tastes like eggnog so I dunno whats going on there.
Donna
I can’t wait to try this recipe.