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Easy Spanish Caramel Flan Dessert Recipe

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4.6 from 84 reviews

This Easy Spanish Caramel Flan is a classic creamy custard dessert with a rich caramel topping. It’s smooth, sweet, and perfect for any occasion. The flan is baked in a water bath to ensure a delicate texture, then chilled overnight for the best results.

Ingredients

Scale

Caramel

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Custard

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Important – Before You Start: It’s best to make this recipe one day ahead as the flan needs about 5 hours minimum to cool and set properly. Ensure you have a 7-inch round pan or a flan mold with lid (flanera) ready.
  2. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the flan.
  3. Make the Caramel: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir until the sugar is moistened. Cook over medium heat without stirring, bringing it to a boil. Watch carefully until the mixture turns golden. Swirl gently and continue cooking until it reaches a honey-golden brown color, avoiding burning. Remove from heat immediately.
  4. Coat the Pan with Caramel: Quickly pour the hot caramel into the bottom of the 7-inch round pan or flan mold. Swirl the pan gently to evenly coat the bottom before the caramel hardens. If it hardens too quickly, warm the pan over low heat to soften.
  5. Make the Custard: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Mix gently without whisking vigorously to avoid creating air bubbles which can cause unwanted texture in the flan.
  6. Prepare the Bain Marie (Water Bath): Pour the custard mixture over the caramel in the flan pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or the flanera lid. Place the flan pan inside a larger baking pan (such as a roasting pan) and add warm water to the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan pan. This gentle water bath cooking prevents curdling and ensures creamy custard.
  7. Bake the Flan: Carefully place the baking pans in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the custard is mostly set but slightly jiggly in the center.
  8. Cool the Flan: Remove the pans from the oven using a kitchen towel or mitt. Take off the foil or lid and allow the flan to cool to room temperature. It will firm up further as it cools.
  9. Chill Overnight: Cover the flan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to fully set and develop flavor.
  10. Unmold the Flan: Before serving, slide a paring knife gently around the edges of the flan to loosen it. Place a serving dish on top of the flan pan and invert both together. Carefully lift the pan away; the caramel sauce will flow over the flan, adding a glossy finish.

Notes

  • For best texture, avoid vigorous whisking to minimize air bubbles.
  • Use a heavy, small saucepan for caramel to ensure even heating.
  • Make sure the water bath reaches halfway up the flan pan for gentle, even cooking.
  • If caramel hardens before coating bottom, gently warm the pan to soften it again.
  • Allow flan to chill thoroughly in the fridge to improve slicing and flavor.
  • This dessert is best made a day ahead.

Keywords: Spanish flan, caramel flan, easy flan recipe, classic flan, custard dessert

Find it online: https://kochenmitviktoria.com/easy-spanish-caramel-flan-dessert-recipe/