Flan Recipe (Video)

May 2, 2010

12 comments

Flan is a soft-baked custard under a layer of caramel that turns to sauce when you flip it out. It looks fancy, it tastes incredible, and you can totally make it. Let me show you how.

It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert, and it has a wow factor anywhere it goes.

If you like custard desserts, try my panna cotta with strawberry sauce, my classic creme brulee and this coffee and chocolate pot de creme.

Flan baked in loaf pans, on a white platter with caramel sauce spooned over

Flan is such an impressive dessert. It doesn’t take too much effort to make, but the flavor is so sophisticated. If you love the flavor of creme brule, you’ll enjoy this one very much! It’s basically the same thing, just in a different format. It’s not hard to make, but there are several things to keep in mind, so make sure to read my “pro tips” at the bottom of the page.

Here’s why you’ll love this flan recipe

A few things keep this one in my rotation.

Silky smooth custard – it melts in your mouth, with dark caramel infusing every bite.
Make-ahead dessert – it has to chill anyway, so it is finished long before anyone sits down.
Dress it up however you want – berries, toasted coconut, a spoon of dulce de leche, or nothing at all.
No mixer, minimal tools – a whisk, a sieve, and a roasting pan.
Only a few ingredients – eggs, canned milk, vanilla, and sugar for the caramel.
Looks fancy but is not complicated – it makes you look like a pro when you serve something like this.

Ingredients for flan

Six ingredients, and every one of them is doing a job. Here is what each brings and what you can swap.

Granulated sugar: This is the caramel. Use plain white sugar. Brown sugar and coconut sugar will not set into a clear amber caramel.
Water: It helps the sugar melt evenly, so fewer crystals climb the side of the pot.
Egg yolks: Yolks only, no whites. I like deep orange yolks – they give the flan a warmer color and I think a better flavor. This recipe uses a lot of them, if you’re scared to be using that many egg yolks, feel free to use 8 egg yolks and 4 whole eggs, I’ve tested this one and it works well too.
Sweetened condensed milk: Thick milk with the sugar already cooked into it. It sweetens the custard and gives it body. Nothing else behaves quite the same way, so I would not substitute it.
Evaporated milk: Is basically unsweetened condensed milk that has had some of the water cooked out. You might see it labeled unsweetened condensed milk. In a pinch, heavy cream or half and half works instead, and cream makes it richer.
Vanilla: Extract or emulsion, whichever you keep. Emulsion holds its flavor better through a long bake.

How to make flan (step-by-step)

The whole thing is caramel, custard, water bath, chill. Read through once before you start, because the caramel moves fast at the end.

Heat the oven and boil water. Set the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle, and put a full kettle on.
Cook the caramel. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir. Swirl the pan if you need to help the sugar dissolve, and cook until it turns amber and just starts to smoke.
Coat the pan. Take it off the heat right away and pour it into the round baking pan, swirling to cover the bottom. Amber caramel burns in seconds, so move fast. The caramel is extremely hot, so handle it with real care. Set the pan inside a deep roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel and let the caramel harden.
Whisk the custard. Whisk the yolks in a large bowl, then add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth without beating air into it.
💡 TIP: Save the whites. Cover the bowl and keep them in the fridge while the flan bakes, then turn them into basic meringue or amaretti cookies. Neither one needs a yolk.
Strain it over the caramel. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into the pan, then cover tightly with foil or a lid.
Add the water bath. Slide the roasting pan onto the oven rack, then pour boiling water around the flan pan until it comes at least halfway up the side. Cover the pan with the flan so the water doesn’t get into the flan as it bakes.
Bake until the center barely jiggles. 90 to 100 minutes. The middle should read 175°F to 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the tip of a knife slipped into the center should come out clean. Do not take it past 185°F – that is where the custard curdles and goes grainy.
Cool, then chill. Let it come to room temperature, cover with foil, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Flip it out. Run a knife around the edge. Set a rimmed serving plate upside down over the pan, then turn the whole thing over in one quick motion. The flan drops out, and the caramel runs over the top.

What pan to use for flan

I bake this in a 10-inch round pan. It also works in a Pullman loaf pan or in ramekins, and the pan changes the timing more than anything else does. Every row below takes the full batch.

Pan	How deep it sits	Bake time at 350°F
8 to 10 6 oz ramekins	1 in	30 to 35 min
One 13×4 Pullman loaf pan	1.8 in	80 to 95 min
10-inch round pan (what I use)	1.2 in	90 to 100 min

The ramekins are quickest because each one is small, so the heat reaches the middle fast. The Pullman loaf sits deeper than the round pan does, but it is only four inches wide, so the sides help it along, and it finishes around the same time.

The 10-inch round is the one in the video. Start checking the others early and go by temperature. However you bake it, it is done at 175°F to 180°F in the center. To check, pierce directly through the foil in the middle with the thermometer probe.

Marina’s pro tips for
the best flan

These are the places where custard can go wrong.

Do not stir the caramel – Swirl the pan instead. A spoon drags sugar crystals up the side, and they seed the whole pot.
Watch the caramel as a hawk – it goes from amber to burnt in seconds. Once it’s burnt, you’ll have to start over. So have your pan ready to pour into because once it’s ready, there will not be time to go find it.
Caramel is hot! – Molten sugar runs well over 300°F, far hotter than boiling water, and it sticks to skin instead of running off. Pour it in one steady motion, keep your face back, and let the pan cool on its own before it goes near the sink.
Pull it early – Amber with the first wisp of smoke is done. Ten seconds later it tastes burnt. So, watch it!
Do not be tempted to use a springform pan. The seam leaks in both directions. This custard is thin when it goes into the pan, so it seeps out into the water bath, and the water bath seeps back in around the caramel. Use a solid one-piece pan.
Pour the caramel fast – It starts setting the moment it leaves the heat, so tilt and swirl the pan straight away.
Whisk the custard gently – You want the yolks and milk combined, not aerated. Air bakes into holes.
Strain for smoothness –The sieve catches the chalazae (the white cords attached to the yolk) and any bits of set egg in the custard.
Cover the pan. Foil keeps the top pale and keeps water out of the custard.
Fill the water bath in the oven – carrying a roasting pan of boiling water across the kitchen is how it ends up in the flan, so don’t 😉
Give it the full chill. Four hours is the minimum. Overnight sets it firmer and it releases cleaner.
Want it cooked faster? – bring all the milk to a boil and temper the egg yolks with the hot milk first before completely mixing it together. It can bake in half the time, so keep an eye on it and check a lot earlier.

Flan troubleshooting: what went wrong

If your flan came out full of little holes, or curdled instead of smooth and custardy, the answer is almost always heat. Each problem leaves a mark you can read.

What you see	What happened	Next time
Small holes all through it, like a sponge	It overbaked, or the oven ran hotter than the dial said. The egg proteins tightened and squeezed out water, and that water pushed its way through the custard as it left.	Bake to temperature, not to the clock. Pull it when the center temp reads 175°F to 180°F.
Grainy and curdled, almost like cottage cheese, with an eggy taste	The same problem, further along. Egg proteins curdle past 185°F and there is no coming back from it.	An oven thermometer is worth more here than any timer.
A puddle of watery liquid on the plate after you flip it	Overbaked again. The water squeezed out of the proteins had nowhere to go until you unmolded it.	Pull it earlier, and let it cool in the water bath before it goes in the fridge.
A foamy, spongy layer on top, with smooth custard underneath	This one is not heat. It is air you whisked in and did not strain out.	Whisk gently, strain, and skim the foam off the surface before it goes in the oven.
The center is still soupy after chilling	Underbaked.	If it has not been chilled yet, put it back in the water bath and check every 10 minutes. Once it is cold, it will not set.
Watery caramel, or water sitting under the flan	Water got in, usually from a splashy water bath or a pan with a seam.	Fill the roasting pan once it’s on the oven rack, and use a solid pan.
The caramel is still a hard sheet and will not release	It did not chill long enough. The caramel needs hours in the fridge to pull moisture out of the custard and turn back into sauce.	Give it at least four hours, or overnight if you can.

Ways to serve flan

Cold, straight from the fridge, with the caramel spooned over each slice. Berries cut the sweetness. Toasted coconut or chopped toasted almonds add crunch. A little pour of dulce de leche makes it a holiday dessert.

If you are building a dessert table, this sits well next to my mango sago or a no-bake tiramisu, since neither one needs oven time on the day.

What to do with the leftover egg whites

This recipe leaves you with a lot of egg whites, and they are worth keeping. They freeze in a covered container for up to 3 months, and they whip up well after thawing.

Meringue mushrooms – little cocoa-dusted meringues, worth the fiddle at Christmas.
Lemon blueberry pavlova cake – crisp shell, soft middle.
Cheesecake and raspberry meringue roulade – a whole dessert out of whites.
Dulce de leche macarons – if you want a project.

How to store flan

Fridge: Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. It is easiest to leave it in the baking pan and flip it out when you serve.

Already flipped: Cover the platter loosely and keep the caramel with it. Spoon the syrup back over the slices before serving.

Freezer: I do not freeze flan. The custard turns grainy and weeps when it thaws.

To serve: Flan is served cold. Take it out of the fridge right before you cut it.

Make it ahead

Bake it up to 3 days ahead and leave it in the pan in the fridge, covered. Run the knife around the edge and flip it out right before it goes on the table, so the caramel is still loose.

A few questions come up every time I post this one, so here they are in one place.

Flan recipe FAQ

My caramel hardened into a solid sheet in the pan. Is that normal?

Yes. It is supposed to. The caramel melts back into syrup while the flan bakes and pools under it, which is what runs over the top when you flip it out.

Do I have to use a water bath?

For a pan this size, yes. The water keeps the custard at an even temperature so the outside does not set into rubber while the middle is still loose. Skip it and you get a curdled edge.

Can I bake flan in a loaf pan or in ramekins?

Both work. A 13×4 Pullman pan gives you neat rectangular slices, which is what you see in the photo at the top. Ramekins are the fastest of all, and they still need the water bath. The pan chart above has the depth and timing for each one.

Is flan gluten free?

Yes. There is no flour or starch in it at all – just sugar, eggs and milk. Check the label on your vanilla if you are cooking for celiac, since a few flavorings use a grain alcohol base.

How do I flip the flan out without breaking it?

Chill it fully first, then run a thin knife all the way around the edge. Use a plate with a rim, because a lot of caramel comes with it. Set the plate upside down on the pan, hold both together, and turn it over in one motion rather than easing it.

What is flan made of, and what does it taste like?

Flan is eggs, milk and sugar, baked slowly over a layer of caramel. It tastes like sweet cold cream with a caramel edge, about as rich as creme brulee and lighter than cheesecake.

More desserts to try

Classic creme brulee – the same custard family, with a cracking sugar top.
Passion fruit panna cotta – set with gelatin instead of eggs, no oven at all.
Coffee and chocolate pot de creme – baked custard in small cups.
Mango sago – another condensed milk dessert, served cold in glasses.
Creamy blackberry cheesecake tart – for when you want a crust involved.

Watch Marina make this flan

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Flan Recipe (Creamy Caramel Flan)

Two loaf-pan flans on a white platter with caramel sauce, a double batch of this flan recipe

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A soft baked custard under a layer of caramel that turns to sauce when you flip it out. Looks fancy, tastes incredible, and easy to make ahead.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Calories: 414 kcal

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

For the caramel

3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 g
1/4 cup water 60 ml

For the flan

16 large egg yolks about 290 g, yolks only
28 oz sweetened condensed milk two 14 oz cans, 794 g
24 oz evaporated milk two 12 oz cans, 710 ml; in a pinch, 3 cups heavy cream or half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion 5 ml

Instructions

Get set up

Heat the oven and boil water.
Set the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Put a full kettle on. You need boiling water for the water bath. Prepare a roasting pan for the water bath. Line it with a kitchen towel.
Also get 10-inch round pan for the flan. Set aside.

Make the caramel

Cook the sugar and water. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir. Swirl the pan if you need to help the sugar dissolve, and cook until it turns amber and just starts to smoke.
Coat the pan. Take it off the heat right away and pour it into a 10-inch (25 cm) round baking pan, swirling to cover the bottom. Amber caramel burns in seconds, so move fast. Set the pan inside a deep roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel and let the caramel harden. The caramel is extremely hot, so handle it with real care.

Mix and bake

Whisk the custard. Whisk 16 large egg yolks in a large bowl, then add 28 oz sweetened condensed milk, 24 oz evaporated milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion. Whisk until smooth, without beating air into it. (Note 3)
Strain it over the caramel. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into the pan. Cover tightly with foil or a lid.
Add the water bath. Slide the roasting pan onto the oven rack first, then pour boiling water around the flan pan until it comes at least halfway up the side. (Note 4)
Bake 90 to 100 minutes. It is done when the center barely jiggles, reads 175°F to 180°F on an instant read thermometer, and the tip of a knife slipped into the middle comes out clean. Do not let it go past 185°F or the custard curdles. (Note 6)

Chill and unmold

Cool, then chill. Let it come to room temperature, cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Flip it out. Run a knife around the edge. Set a rimmed serving plate upside down over the pan, then turn the whole thing over in one quick motion. The flan drops out and the caramel runs over the top. (Note 5)

Recipe Notes

1. Pan: A 10-inch (25 cm) round pan about 2 inches deep. It also works in one 13x4 Pullman loaf pan or in 9 ramekins - the pan chart in the post above, under “What pan to use for flan”, has the depth and bake time for each. Do not use a springform pan, the seam leaks both ways.

2. Halving: The recipe halves cleanly. Use 8 yolks, one 14 oz can of condensed milk, one 12 oz can of evaporated milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla, in an 8-inch round pan. For the caramel, use 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp water. Start checking at 55 minutes.

3. Air bubbles: Whisk gently and strain. Air whipped into the custard bakes into holes.

4. Water bath: Pour the boiling water once the roasting pan is already on the oven rack, so you are not carrying it across the kitchen.

5. Leftover whites: Sixteen egg whites freeze well in a covered container for up to 3 months, or go straight into meringue.

6. Metric: Sugar 150 g, water 60 ml, condensed milk 794 g, evaporated milk 710 ml, vanilla 5 ml.

7. Doneness: A thermometer beats the clock on a pan this size. Pull it at 175°F to 180°F in the center. Ovens vary, so start checking at 85 minutes.

8. Firmer set: If you want a flan you can cut into clean slices, use 4 whole large eggs and 8 egg yolks in place of the 16 yolks. The whites set firmer, so it holds its shape instead of wobbling, and the custard bakes a shade paler. Nothing else changes.

9. Do not overcook - overcooking will curdle the flan and make it grainy instead of custardy smooth. Watch the video for what the wobble should look like when the flan is done, or use a thermometer.

Nutrition Facts

Flan Recipe (Creamy Caramel Flan)

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 414 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Cholesterol 284mg95%

Sodium 157mg7%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Sugar 54g60%

Protein 13g26%

Calcium 371mg37%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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I first published this flan back in 2010, and it is still the dessert my family asks me to bring. In September 2026 I replaced the old ramekin version with the big-pan recipe I actually make now, and added the video from my Instagram, a new photo, pro tips, storage notes and a full FAQ.

American, Italian

Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Marina, the author behind Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...