If you’re looking for an easy-to-make dessert that’s crazy delicious with an absolute knock-out wow factor—this creamy, citrusy Puerto Rican-style flan is w it’s at! You can make it up to a week ahead, and it’s ridiculously budget-friendly. Are you ready for a new family favorite?
What Is Flan?Â
Puerto Rican-style flan is a chilled custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. The custard base is poured over a layer of caramelized sugar, and then baked in a water bath, ensuring even cooking and preventing the flan from cracking. Once the flan is baked, it’s cooled completely before being inverted onto a serving plate. The caramel sauce flows over the flan, creating a gorgeous, glossy presentation.
What To Serve With Flan
In Puerto Rico, flan is usually served plain, but you can top yours with Homemade Whipped Cream or shaved chocolate. Citrus zest is also lovely with this recipe, as are sliced fresh berries. If you want to lean in on the fruit angle, Strawberry Sauce or Cherry Sauce are fantastic with it as well.
How To Store Flan
Flan shouldn’t be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container with a sheet of plastic or parchment directly on the surface. It will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. To freeze flan for up to 2 months, slice leftovers and wrap well, then place in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe by Cook Good Recipes
This flan recipe is an easy-to-make creamy dessert that is budget-friendly and perfect to share with family and friends on any occasion.
Servings: 8 slices
Prep time: 15 minutes mins
Cook time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Chill Time 9 hours hrs
Total time: 10 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Ingredients
- ($0.18)
- ($0.78)
- ($1.99)
- ($1.50)
- ($1.50)
- ($0.10)
- ($0.01)
- ($0.36)
- ($1.74)
InstructionsÂ
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Find a baking sheet large enough to accommodate a 9-inch pie dish or cake round with a flat top. It must lay flat for the flan to come out of it and onto a serving dish without breaking.
- Set a light-colored sauce pot over medium heat and add the sugar and 1/4 cup of orange juice. (If the orange didn’t release a ¼ cup of juice, make up the difference with water.) Heat the sugar and melt it until it turns light golden brown, then take the pot off the heat. The sugar will continue to brown off the heat. Do not stir the sugar, which can cause it to recrystallize and get grainy. Instead, swirl the pan.
- Pour the hot sugar syrup into the 9-inch pie dish or cake round, coating the bottom in an even layer. Set aside.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, bay leaf, strips of orange zest, and a pinch of salt to a medium pot. Heat until steaming, then take off the heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
- When the milk mixture has finished steeping, beat 4 eggs with 1 tablespoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the steeped milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the egg mixture and mix. Do not whip; you don’t want to incorporate air into the liquid.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil for the water bath. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the prepared 9-inch pie dish or cake round, then place the pie dish or cake round onto the baking pan. Place the baking pan in the oven and fill halfway with boiling water to surround the pie dish or cake round, creating a water bath.
- Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F. Bake the flan for 60 to 70 minutes until the custard has set but still jiggles like thick lava in the middle. Let the flan cool completely. Then, place it in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours.
- To serve the flan, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Then, top the 9-inch pie dish or cake round with the serving plate and carefully flip it over. Tap the baking dish gently to help the flan release. When you hear the flan release from the pie dish, remove the pie dish carefully and let caramel sauce flow over the flan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice Calories: 434kcal Carbohydrates: 52g Protein: 11g Fat: 21g Sodium: 157mg Fiber: 0.02g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer .
How to Make Flan
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Find a baking pan large enough to accommodate a 9-inch pie dish or cake round with a flat top. It must lay flat for the flan to come out of it and onto a serving dish without breaking.
Set a light-colored pot or skillet over medium heat and add ¾ cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of orange juice. (If the orange didn’t release a ¼ cup of juice, make up the difference with water.) Heat the sugar and melt it until it turns light golden brown, then take the pot off the heat. The sugar will continue to brown off the heat. Do not stir the sugar, which can cause it to recrystallize and get grainy. Instead, swirl the pan.
Pour the hot sugar syrup into the 9-inch pie dish or cake round, coating the bottom in an even layer. Set aside.
Add one 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk, one 12oz. can of evaporated milk, one cup heavy cream, one bay leaf, strips of zest of one orange, and one pinch of salt to a medium pot. Heat until steaming, then take off the heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
When the milk mixture has finished steeping, beat 4 eggs with 1 tablespoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the steeped milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the egg mixture and mix. Do not whip; you don’t want to incorporate air into the liquid.
Pour the milk and egg mixture into the prepared 9-inch pie dish or cake round. Place the pie dish or cake round into the baking pan.
Boil 2 quarts of water. Place the baking pan in the oven and fill halfway with boiling water to create a water bath around the pie pan. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F.
Bake the flan for 60 to 70 minutes until the custard has set but still jiggles like thick lava in the middle. Let the flan cool completely. Then, place it in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours.
To serve the flan, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Then, top the 9-inch pie dish or cake round with the serving plate and carefully flip it over. Tap the baking dish gently to help the flan release. When you hear the flan release from the pie dish, remove the pie dish carefully and let caramel sauce flow over the flan.
Recipe by Cook Good Recipes