Caramel Flan

Name: Caramel Flan
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1/4 cup water; 4 large eggs; 6 large egg yolks; 1/2 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon; 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk; 3 cups low-fat 2% milk

5 from 1 vote

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Caramel Flan is the creamy custard dessert you need in your life! You only need 7 ingredients to make this Mexican Flan. Each taste is pure heaven and will leave you begging for the next bite of this homemade flan.

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Caramel Flan

Andrew and I love hosting dinner parties for our friends and family; however, since we moved to Peoria, we haven’t planned one. This past weekend changed all that! We had a few of our friends for a delicious Mexican feast featuring chicken enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, guacamole, and a caramel flan for dessert. We had plenty of classic margaritas, raspberry margaritas, and sangria to accompany the delicious food. Everyone had so much fun, and we can’t wait to host another dinner party.

My husband Andrew made the dessert entirely by himself, and it turned out amazing. If you remember from January when he made my birthday cake, Andrew is not a baker. In fact, that carrot cake was the first thing I have ever seen him bake, and we have been together for almost 10 years.

When we were planning the menu for our dinner party this past weekend, Andrew insisted that he wanted to make the dessert. We decided on this recipe for a caramel flan, and I am so glad that we did. It turned out wonderful! Making the caramel topping was the only problem that Andrew ran into. He was stirring the sugar-water mixture to dissolve the sugar, but it kept recrystallizing in the pan. He tried making the topping three separate times before I had to step in and show him how to do it.

When making the caramel topping, it is very important not to stir the sugar-water mixture; you only want to gently swirl the pan. It is also very important to use a candy thermometer to cook the topping to the correct temperature. After showing him how to make the caramel topping, it was smooth sailing. This thick and creamy flan was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

What Is Flan

Flan is a luscious dessert that is a custard that is made in a single serving ramekin. My recipe is topped with homemade caramel sauce and is perfection. Flan is a Mexican dessert, and it has become very popular over the years. It’s wonderful for serving at elegant dinner parties or enjoying at home after burgers and fries. There is no wrong reason to make this caramel flan recipe.

Tips for Making Flan

It’s important to put the oven rack in the middle position of the oven. It will allow the flan to cook evenly.
Don’t overcook the sugar when you are heating it up; no one wants burnt flan.
Mexican flan needs to be cooked in a water bath. That’s the only way to get it to be the perfect texture. Be sure not to accidentally get any water into the ramekins.

Best Containers to Cook Flan In

Tart Pans – Be sure to use a tart pan that is non-stick. The edges of the pan will give you a gorgeous result too.
Flan Tin – They make special tins that are intended for flan. They are wonderful!
Glass Flan Pan – If you don’t want tin, you will be glad to know that there are glass pans made for flan as well.
Ramekin – Having a nice set of ramekins is a must, especially when you are considering making something like flan.

Storing Leftover Flan

Cover the flan in the containers that you cooked them in. I like to use a couple of layers of plastic wrap. Then put them inside of a larger container to give them an added protection against other foods in your fridge with strong odors. They will last 4-5 days in the fridge.

Does Flan Freeze Well

Yes, it actually freezes great. Keep it wrapped with plastic wrap and in an airtight container. It will last 1-2 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge before serving and enjoy!

Ingredients

Sugar
Water
Eggs
Egg yolks
Grated zest from 1 lemon
Sweetened condensed milk
Low-fat 2% milk

How to Make Flan

First Step: Put the oven rack in the middle position. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Then put a kitchen towel at the bottom of a baking dish or a roasting pan. Put 8 ramekins that are 7 ounces each in the pan.

Second Step: Use a small saucepan and combine the sugar and water together. Bring them to a boil and gently swirl the pan until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook the sugar and swirl gently until the caramel has reached the color of straw and has reached 300 degrees on your candy thermometer. Once the sugar mixture reaches 300 degrees, lower the heat to medium and keep cooking and gently swirling the pan. Continue this process until the caramel has turned a deep amber color, and it should register 350 degrees on a thermometer. Be sure not to stir.

Third Step: Divide the homemade caramel among the eight ramekins. Be very careful not to burn yourself with the caramel. Allow it to cool slightly in the ramekins for a few minutes.

Fourth Step: Heat a large saucepan with water over high heat. It needs to be boiling.

Fifth Step: Combine the whole eggs and the egg yolks together in a medium bowl until well combined. Add in the lemon zest, condensed milk, and low-fat milk and combine them together. Pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins.

Sixth Step: It’s so important not to splash any water in the ramekins. Pour the boiling water carefully into the roasting pan until it fills it about halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake the flan until the custard has barely begun to set. It should reach 170 – 175 degrees and usually takes around 20-25 minutes.

Seventh Step: Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place the ramekins on a wire rack to let them cool for at least 2 hours. Use plastic wrap to cover the ramekins and refrigerate the flan for 2 – 24 hours.

Eighth Step: Take a knife and run it around the edges of the ramekins to gently loosen the custard. Invert the ramekins over a plate and add any extra caramel sauce on top. Repeat the process until all the ramekins are inverted.

Serve and enjoy!

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Caramel Flan

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Caramel Flan

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: individual flans

5 from 1 vote

Review Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cups low-fat 2% milk

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Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large baking dish or roasting pan and place 8 7-ounce ramekins in the pan.
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil swirling the pan gently, until the sugar has dissolved. Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until it has the color of straw and measures 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. After the sugar syrup reaches 300 degrees, turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel turns a deep amber color and registers 350 degrees on the thermometer. Do not stir.
Carefully and slowly divide caramel among the ramekins, being careful not to splash caramel onto yourself or outside of the ramekins, and cool slightly until hardened.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in the zest, sweetened condensed milk, and low-fat milk. Pour the mixture evenly among the ramekins.
Being careful not to splash any water inside the ramekins, pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake until the center of the custard is just barely set, is no longer sloshy, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 170 to 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes (start checking the temperature after 15 minutes).
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Wrap the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Run a knife around the ramekins to loosen the custard. Invert a plate over the top of the ramekin, and grasping both the ramekin and plate, gently flip the custard onto the plate, drizzling any extra caramel sauce over the top (some caramel will remain stuck in the pan). Repeat with remaining ramekins. Serve immediately.