Foolproof Vanilla Flan

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This Easy Flan Recipe will be a favorite.

Vanilla flan can be one of those desserts that seem very complicated to make. That is because it requires a few baking steps that can seem daunting to the inexperienced cook. However, once its simplified, I swear it is actually one of the easiest to make. The hardest part about it, is to wait for it to cool down before you eat it! That is a promise!

This vanilla flan recipe starts with a caramel base made out of nothing but sugar. Timing it is key here. Let’s not get crazy about temperatures, and instead stick to just getting the feel for it. This recipe and my guidance will have you doing it perfectly in no time.

When it comes to timing it well, your sense of smell is what’s going to guide you best. Your eyes second. This caramel cooks quickly and it will make you regret turning your back on it, so stay on point, don’t leave it’s side, and it will thank you. 

The custard in this flan is like silk. It’s smooth and thick, but it’s not “eggy”. It is crazy creamy. The sweetness in this dessert is not for the faint of heart. It is definitely rich and sinful but you will find yourself wanting more and more. It’s truly to die for. 

This dessert is cooked in a water bath. This helps it cook evenly and slowly. Cooking something in a water bath sounds intimidating or complicated to some, but trust me, it’s not. The only thing to keep in mind is to be careful handling the hot hot water and hot hot caramel! Other than that it’s easy as pie! I mean easy as flan! Ha! 

Instructions for this Flan Recipe in detail:

Before starting to cook the caramel, first pick the size of the cake pan to use.

The size of your cake pan will determine the thickness of the flan, the thickness will determine the cooking time.

For a thicker flan, choose an 8′ cake pan and bake for 1:15 minutes. For a larger pan cook for less time, but no less than 1 hour.

Here is how to make the caramel:

Start by melting one cup of sugar in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Do not use high heat because this caramel goes from perfect to burnt in 2 seconds.

The sugar will slowly melt on the bottom the pan. Lift the pot from the heat and help the sugar that has already melted to coat the sugar that is still not melted. If needed, use a spatula or a wooden spoon to help incorporate the sugar into the melted sugar.

Tip! Use a swirling motion to help incorporate the sugar so it melts evenly. Swirling the pan will also help the temperature stay leveled instead of rising rapidly.

As the sugar is almost all melted, you will start smelling the caramel. Recognize the smell of this melted sugar as it is an indication of how dark you want your caramel to get. As the caramel darkens, the smell changes.

At this point, every second counts. As you remove the pan from the heat and swirl it, notice the smell and notice the color of the caramel. Place back on the heat, give it a few seconds to keep on cooking, then remove again and swirl. Repeat this as much as you need to until you reach the color of the caramel you want.

I like my caramel a bronze amber color, some prefer it darker. As the caramel darkens it starts getting a bit acidic and bitter in taste and smell. There is such a thin line between a dark dark caramel and a burnt caramel, I always err on the side of a lighter caramel. By doing this, it allows me to always have the ability to cook it a bit longer.

If you burn your caramel do not feel badly! You will know what burnt sugar smells like and you won’t want to make that mistake again. Besides, it was only one cup of sugar. Redo it and learn from what you did in the previous one. There is no score keeping here!

If you would rather use a candy thermometer and do it a bit more technically, melt the sugar evenly until it reaches 320°. Use a candy thermometer to help you reach the desired temperature. Once it reaches 320° remove from the heat.

Pour your caramel into a cake pan, that you have placed in a larger roasting pan.

Swirl the cake pan so the caramel coats the bottom evenly. You can also use individual ramekins instead of a cake pan for adorable individual flans.

Set your cake pan with the caramel aside, and let’s move onto the Custard.

For the Custard:

In a blender, mix the sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla bean paste, two whole eggs plus two yolks.

Blend until well combined. (measurements are in the recipe box below)

After the mixture is well blended, pour it over the caramel.

Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches the sides of the cake pan or ramekins halfway. It will take about 8 cups of water, depending on the size of your roasting pan, I used an 18/10 pan.

Bake the flan in a 350° oven for 1 hour. Make sure your oven is preheated. Before you remove it from the oven, give the flan a little jiggle. It should be moving, but not so much that it’s not set. The top will be nice and golden.

Let the flan cool slowly before putting it in the refrigerator to cool completely. Overnight is ideal. If not, at least 4-6 hours in the refrigerator will help it set properly.

When it comes to unmolding it. Run a knife under warm water and separate the flan from the mold around the edges. Jiggle the flan a bit to confirm that it is entirely loose and separated from the sides.

Pick a serving platter that has the ability to hold liquid as the caramel will be runny.

Tip! The warm water will help it detach smoothly.

Place your serving platter on top of the flan mold and in one swift motion flip the pan so that it is now on the top of the serving platter.

Lift the pan and allow the flan to come out slowly.

Enjoy!