Flan

By Rick Martínez

Updated June 24, 2024

Flan
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour 35 minutes, plus chilling overnight
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes, plus chilling overnight
Rating
4(378)
Comments
Read comments

Flan can trace its origin back to the Roman empire, when chickens were domesticated and an abundance of eggs led to the creation of a savory, flat cream-and-egg custard cake called “flado.” It was later, during the Middle Ages, that a sweet version of flado grew in popularity in Spain, finding its way to the Americas and eventually spreading across Latin America. This flan was inspired by the flavors of Mexican tres leches cake and uses the same three milks — evaporated, condensed and whole — to give a rich and creamy texture to the custard. A full tablespoon of vanilla extract breaks through the richness of the milks and adds a classic dessert note. To further amplify the vanilla flavor, substitute an equal amount of vanilla bean paste or 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped, for the extract.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • ½cup/110 grams granulated sugar
  • 1(12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1cup/240 milliliters whole milk
  • 4large eggs
  • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

329 calories; 11 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 47 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 157 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Line a roasting pan, large enough to fit a 9-inch-round cake pan with a little extra space on the sides, with a clean cotton kitchen towel. (The towel will keep the round cake pan from sliding and will insulate the flan so it doesn’t overcook.) Set a 9-inch-round (2-inch-deep) cake pan on top of the towel.

  2. Step 2

    Bring sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, without stirring.

  3. Step 3

    Cook until caramel is dark amber (about 360 degrees on a candy thermometer), approximately 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Carefully pour the caramel into the cake pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan and let sit until set, about 10 minutes more. The caramel will crack as it cools, so don’t be alarmed. (To assist with spreading the caramel once it’s in the cake pan, place the pan over very low heat on the stove, warming it enough to be able to tilt it and let the caramel spread. Keep potholders next to the stove — you’ll need them to hold the pan.)

  5. Step 5

    Combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, whole milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender and process on low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, in a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously for about 30 seconds, then add everything else and whisk until combined.)

  6. Step 6

    Skim foam off the top and transfer the remaining mixture to the caramel-lined cake pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

  7. Step 7

    Place the roasting pan in the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that it comes ¾ up the sides of the cake pan. (The dish towel should be fully submerged to prevent burning.)

  8. Step 8

    Bake flan until it looks set on the outside like Jell-O but will wobble a bit more in the center when gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove cake pan from roasting pan, remove but reserve foil and transfer cake pan to a wire rack to let cool. Once cool, re-cover with the foil and chill in the fridge overnight.

  9. Step 9

    When ready to serve, run a paring knife around the edges of the flan to loosen. Invert onto a platter. Serve cold, sliced into wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5
378 user ratings
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Comments

Margaux Laskey, Senior Staff Editor, New York Times Cooking

Thank you so much for flagging! Because the condensed milk is quite sweet, no additional sugar is needed (unless you like a very sweet flan!). We adjusted the steps accordingly.

Holly

Think the directions are mixed up, step 3 talks about sugar dissolving, there is no sugar in step three. The sugar was added/used in step2 for caramelizing in the pan

Martha

Yes, I agree, it's much easier to make the caramel in the same pot where the flan will cook. I let the pan with the caramel cool a bit before adding the liquids. This is how I learned to make it from my Cuban aunt. The le creuset I use is way too heavy for her -- she likes her old stainless steel pot. She'll turn 100 this coming Dec, and the pot must be at least 40 yrs old. Although my aunt uses evaporated milk, I prefer Flan de Leche (NYT has a good recipe).

chickrandi

Followed instructions exactly as written. It turned out perfectly. However, I felt that the recipe was lacking salt. The sweetness was almost like cotton candy. Did anyone else think that it needed the contrast of some salt?

Mattie

Weirdly delicious but the jiggling before it's set is unsettling. I took the advice from someone and just used a pot to caramlize the sugar and made the flan in the same pot. Way easier cleanup and fit in my pan that I used for the water bath. Don't worry about the sugar that crystallized on the side of the pot - it disappears at some point before you flip the flan out

Mattie

I burned my caramel. In retrospect, it can be a little lighter than super dark. I made the caramel in pot and made the flan in the same pot - that was a good call. I'm not sure what the skimming would have done - I didn't do it and the bottom looked a little bubbly, but since you flip it, it didn't seem like a big deal. Overall solid dessert :)

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