This creamy condensed milk flan is a super easy dessert to make at home. The best part about this recipe is that it requires only four essential ingredients. These flans have a smooth texture over a layer of sweet caramelized sugar.
Who doesn't love a bite of super creamy caramel flan, right? Just so you know, I love flan. It's not normal love, but crazy stupid love.
As mentioned above, this easy homemade baked custard recipe requires only 4 ingredients. You don't need a fancy vanilla extract or a variety of milk to achieve a creamy condensed milk caramel flan.
This 4-ingredient-only flan is the one true recipe you need in your recipe tin box. You'll get the most delightful and delicious flan you've ever wanted.
Creamy condensed milk flan
A classic caramel flan is an egg custard baked over a layer of caramelized sugar and inverted for eating.
The caramelized sugar produces a golden brown surface on the inverted custard with a thin layer of caramel sauce.
Usually, flans are made with lots of eggs, sugar, your choice of dairy, and vanilla extract. Here, I am sharing a super simple version of this classic dessert that requires only three ingredients to finish (if you don't count the water).
A classic baked custard includes simple mixture of whole eggs or yolks, milk, and sugar. That said, cheesecake, bread pudding and quiche are also baked custards.
Ingredients
All you need to make this caramel flan recipe is:
- Eggs - The main ingredient for this caramel flan. 5 eggs are called for in the recipe, but if you want lighter texture for your flan, you can reduce the number of eggs to 4 or 3.
- Condensed milk - A primary sweetener for these flans. It not only helps to add sweetness to the flan but also to elevate the creamy texture that we all aim for.
- Sugar - This is used to make the caramel sauce (not put directly into the flan).
- Water - Water is used in the flan and caramel sauce. Remember to use warm water (not room temperature or cold) for the flan mixture.
Cooking schedule
For this cooking schedule, you start to make these at noon and they will be fully ready to eat at dinner. Please adjust the schedule according to your own if necessary.
- 12:00 pm - prep ingredients
- 12:15 pm - make caramel
- 12:25 pm - spread caramel into ramekins
- 12:35 pm - make egg and milk mixture
- 12:55 pm - strain mixture into ramekins
- 1:00 pm - baked flan
- 1:30 pm - finish & chill for service
- 6:00 pm - ready to serve
How to make caramel sauce
This whole process would take 5-9 minutes. It is important not to stir the sugar mixture while making the caramel sauce, or the sugar will solidify.
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan.
Bring the mixture to boil over medium-high heat.
Cook until the sugar reaches a medium golden brown color (about 5 minutes).
Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the heat source immediately. The caramel sauce will continue to cook and become a deep golden brown, the desired color.
How to bake caramel flan
Combine condensed milk and warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the milk dissolves completely.
In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a hand blender to whisk the eggs.
Then carefully stir the egg mixture into the milk mixture.
After that, strain the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
This step needs to be done right after the caramel sauce is finished cooking. Immediately pour about 2 tbsp of caramelized sugar into each 4-oz ramekin. Then arrange the ramekins in a hotel pan (or any pan that has at least 2-inch deep)
Pour the custard mixture into the caramel-lined ramekins, make sure to fill them to just below the rim.
Bring the tray of flan to the oven. Then pour enough hot water into the hotel pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake at 350F for approximately 20-25 minutes. The flan should be almost set but still slightly soft in the center.
Unmold the flans
- Run a small pairing knife around the edge of the custard then invert onto your choice of serving plate.
- Give the ramekin a firm shake or tap on the bottom to release the flan onto the plate.
- Serve by itself or with shaved ice.
Related recipes
Other easy homemade baked custard recipes:
- Super rich caramel cream cheese flan
- Classic Basque burnt cheesecake
- Creamy New York style cheesecake
- Creamy Greek yogurt cheesecake
- Light un-bake Japanese tofu cheesecake
- Raisin bread pudding
- Soybean pudding
Did you make this recipe? If so please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comment section. Also, don't forget to tag me #cookmorphosis @cookmorphosis on social media.
Creamy Condensed Milk Flan
Equipment
- 5 4-oz Ramekins
- Heavy sauce pan
- Hotel pan or any pan that has at least 2-inch deep
- Hand mixer or hand blender or stand mixer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Whisk
- Pairing knife
Ingredients
Flan mixture
- 5 eggs room temperature
- 5 oz condensed milk room temperature
- 12 oz warm water
Caramel sauce
- 6 oz granulated sugar about 1 cup
- 2 oz water 2 tbsp
Other
- hot water for pouring into baking pan
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F
Make caramel sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar with water. Bring the mixture to boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook until the sugar reaches a medium golden brown color (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the heat source immediately. The caramel sauce will continue to cook and become a deep golden brown, the desired color.
- Immediately pour about 2 tbsp of caramelized sugar into each 4-oz ramekin.
- Tilt the ramekin to spread the caramel evenly along the bottom.
- Then arrange the ramekins in a hotel pan (or any pan that has at least 2-inch deep) and set them aside.
Make flan mixture
- Combine condensed milk and warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the milk dissolves completely.
- In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a hand blender to whisk the eggs.
- Then carefully stir the egg mixture into the milk mixture. After that, strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Pour the flan mixture into the caramel-lined ramekins, make sure to fill them to just below the rim.
- Bring the tray of flan to the oven. Then pour enough hot water into the hotel pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake at 350F for approximately 20-25 minutes. The flan should be almost set but still slightly soft in the center.
- You can insert a toothpick in the middle of the flan to determine its doneness. There should be little to no custard stick on the toothpick.
- Make sure to chill caramel flans completely before serving for at least 5 hours.
Unmold
- Run a small pairing knife around the edge of the custard, then invert it onto your choice of a serving plate.
- Give the ramekin a firm shake or tap on the bottom to release the flan onto the plate.
- Serve by itself or with shaved ice.
Nutrition
I NEVER follow a recipe, and I love flan ... However, I made an exception and I must say, this flan was beyond SUPERB! (Followed your instructions and the recipe to the letter). Very simple to make and a fabulous way to impress dinner guests. Thank you. We'll be making it again soon.
Hi Lynne,
Wow, thank you for such kind words. I really appreciate them. So glad that the recipe worked out perfectly for you :). Happy Holidays to you.
This is the perfect flan recipe and so easy- thank you!
*I just wanted to let you know that it still reads "warm sugar" being added to the milk 🙂
Hi Anna,
I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. The recipe has been updated with 'warm water' and valuable photos for clear instructions. Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and loving it.
Could this recipe be doubled & put in a 9×13 pan for potluck??
Hi Sherry,
How deep is the pan? If it is 2 inches, you don't need to double the recipe. The original one will fit perfectly in the pan.
I love flan! I haven’t made it but it looks good. In the instructions you need to change warm sugar to warm water. (Quite a trick 😂)
Hi Cate,
Sorry for the late reply, I've already updated it. Thank you for spotting it haha.
Warm sugar or warm water ? I’m Confused
Hi Dinah,
As stated in the ingredients list, it's warm water for the egg custard mixture. Sorry about the confusion in the instructions; I've fixed it. Thank you so much for letting me know :).