The Perfect Flan
Dessert

The Perfect Flan

The Perfect Flan

Flan is one of the easiest desserts to make and it is delicious! This is the perfect flan recipe. I’ve been making this for years because it is a favorite of mine. 

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A friend took me to a mexican restaurant last week and asked me if I wanted flan when he ordered. Well, yes. I wanted some because I never pass up an opportunity to eat flan. This inspired me to teach him how to make it as well, because it is incredibly easy to do. 

The Perfect Flan Ingredients

1 can evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Sugar for the sauce 

Whipped cream & cherries optional

The Perfect Flan Directions

In a stand mixer, combine both milks, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix until combined well. 

In a frying pan, cover the bottom of the pan with sugar. I never measure this out, but if you need a guideline, try ½ of a cup. I made this last night for the first time with cane sugar. When melting the sugar, keep the burner around 5 or medium. The goal is to melt the sugar, not burn or cook it. Using a spatula, continue mixing until the sugar turns into a liquid. 

The Perfect Flan
The Perfect Flan

In the case of the cane sugar instead of traditional white sugar, melting it down took longer. The sugar went from little tiny pellets to a granola-like texture in the pan because it became clumpy. This is where patience is required. Keep stirring it and it will become a liquid. It also looks like really thin melted chocolate in this state. Don’t be alarmed by that. 

The Perfect Flan
The Perfect Flan

Once the sugar has melted, add it to ramekins and cover the bottom of each one. The sugar will become a solid again as it cools, so do this quickly. Put each ramekin in a large baking dish and then pour the flan liquid into the ramekins. Once that is done, pour water into the baking dish until about ⅓ of the ramekin is submerged in water. This technique is known as a water bath and is common in most custard and cheesecake recipes. 

The Perfect Flan
The Perfect Flan

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. At this point, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. 

Once the pan is out of the oven, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish. I put a couple paper towels down on the stove and set each ramekin down to let the bottom dry. I am afraid of dripping hot water on myself, and so I take the time to make sure that will not happen. 

The Perfect Flan
The Perfect Flan

Once they are dry and easier to handle, slide a knife around the edge of each ramekin to separate the flan from the sides of the ramekin. From there, flip the ramekin upside down onto a plate and transfer the flan to the plate. 

Once it is flipped, the sugar will be a sauce on top. That makes the presentation even more stunning. 

The Perfect Flan
The Perfect Flan

Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30-45 minutes before serving. You can add whipped cream and cherries to this as a topping. Make and serve for a delicious dessert. It can be an accompaniment to taco night. Or it can be an excellent way to impress guests coming by to visit. 

The Perfect Flan Notes

Once you have finished making the sauce, add some water to the frying pan and put it back on the stove to boil. This will make for a much easier cleanup. If you let the excess sugar sit in the frying pan, it will become brittle and sticky. This is something I always recommend be cleaned up immediately after making. 

This is such an easy dessert because the ingredients are all readily available and you likely already have them in your panty. In the case of unexpected guests, this is the perfect thing to whip up! Making it is very simple too. Just combine everything into a stand mixer and turn it on. I would even let my husband, Nathan make this on his own without intense supervision! It really is just that easy. 

Discussion

Have you made the perfect flan before? Tell me about it in the comments! Check out my other dessert recipes!

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24 Comments

  • Scott DeNicola

    When at a Mexican restaurant I never pass up the opportunity for a good flan (and churro if they have them!) All delicious ingredients. The key is the vessel which I now know is called a ramekin which sounds way better and professional than a vessel. I’ll have to give this a try at our next taco Tuesday event

    • The Prepping Wife

      I’m right there with you, Scott! I never pass up flan in a Mexican restaurant. This will be a big hit at your next Taco Tuesday event! It should impress your guests.

  • The Sunny Side Lifestyle Co.

    Flan is one of my favorite desserts, yet I’ve never tried to make it. This recipe appears straightforward and delicious. I’ll be giving this a try over the Christmas holiday! Thank you so much for inspiring me to give a new dessert recipe a try.

    • The Prepping Wife

      I’m here to tell you that if I am willing to let my husband make it without supervision, it really is easy! I love that it requires such little preparation.

  • Alexandra Christensen

    You always have such good points in your recipes that I never knew and are so helpful. Just like how to not oversalt your stirfry with soy sauce, here I would not have known two very important things. One, I always use raw sugar and I would probably have bailed right away when the sugar turned into a granola bread-crumby texture, not realizing that if I kept cooking it would eventually melt. The second is the clean-up. I probably would have abandoned the pan altogether thinking that the sugar sauce was like a coat of plastic that I would never be able to remove. Thanks for the advice and recipe!

    • The Prepping Wife

      I am so glad you find my tips helpful, Alexandra! I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my kitchen before, so I try to make sure I include those in my recipes. I love saving others the time and disasters I’ve already had happen. That sugar sauce once it cools and solidifies is like brittle, or plastic. I’m right there with you in wondering if it would ever come out. I normally cook or bake and just set everything in the sink and let Nathan come in behind me and clean up the mess. Except in this case where I clean the pan immediately after to keep the sugar from turning into a massive mess.

  • Daphne Takahashi

    Flan….this post was for me right? you’re speaking my language!! I looooove flan, this is my absolute favorite dessert. I really liked your suggestion of adding whipped cream and cherries on top, need to try this out!

  • Britt

    While I’ve heard of flan before, I’ve honestly never tried it. This looks quite easy, so I’ll have to give it a try! Well, either that or sweet talk my husband into making it for me lol

  • Lyosha

    I haven’t had flans for ages, I almost forgot how much I love them. It is always a very filling and satisfying option, I’ll try your recipe by the book

  • Stephanie S

    I’ve had flan a few times, and I really enjoyed it! This recipe seems simple. I think I’ll give this recipe a go! This will actually be my first time making it myself. Fingers crossed that it will turn out right, lol. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

  • Jasmine Gagarin

    Wow! I’m from the Philippines and flans are such hits! We call it leche flan, btw 🙂 Great to know there’s another way to make them because we usually steam them instead. I wanna try this though!

  • Kat

    This looks so delicious! It’s been ages since I’ve had a flan. I have never made one myself, but it doesn’t look all too complicated. Thanks for this recipe!

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