Classic Flan with Caramel

Name: Classic Flan with Caramel
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, cool; 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk; 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract, pure; 3 whole (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 2 whole (37 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ⅛ teaspoon (0.7 g) fine salt; 4 cups (960 ml) boiling water, hot, as needed to come halfway up the ramekins

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Silky, lightly sweet vanilla custard baked in individual ramekins over a layer of bittersweet amber caramel, then inverted so the caramel pools around each flan as a glossy sauce.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 4 hr 30 min
Total: 5 hr 40 min
Makes: 6 individual flans (6-oz / 180 ml ramekins)

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the flans need about 30 minutes to cool and at least 4 hours to chill, so bake them the morning or day before serving.
Set a kettle of water to boil for the water bath, and place a roasting pan large enough to hold all 6 ramekins with space between them on the counter.
Have the ramekins lined up and ready before you start the caramel; it hardens within a minute or so once poured.
Use a light-colored saucepan for the caramel so you can judge the color accurately.

1
Heat oven, arrange ramekinsOven 325°F / 165°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325°F (165°C).
- Place the 6 ramekins in the roasting pan, spaced about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Put the kettle on to boil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven reaches 325°F (165°C)
2
Cook the caramel
- Stir ½ cup (100 g) sugar and the 2 tablespoons water in the small saucepan just until it looks like wet sand.
- Set over medium heat without stirring.
- Boil 6 to 9 minutes, swirling the pan gently (not stirring) once the edges color, until the syrup turns a deep amber, like an old copper penny.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Deep amber color with a toasty, slightly bittersweet smell and thin wisps of smoke
Tip: Pull it off the heat a shade lighter than you want; it keeps darkening from residual heat. Hot caramel causes severe burns.
3
Line the ramekins
- Immediately pour about 1 tablespoon of caramel into each ramekin and tilt each so it coats the bottom evenly.
- Work quickly before it sets.
- Leave to harden for 5 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Caramel is firm and glassy
Tip: Soak the caramel pan in hot water right away to dissolve the leftover caramel.
4
Warm the milk
- Heat the milk in the medium saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, about 160°F (71°C).
- Do not let it boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Steaming with tiny bubbles at the edge, not boiling
5
Whisk the eggs
- In a large measuring cup or pitcher, whisk the 3 eggs, 2 yolks, ½ cup (100 g) sugar and the salt for about 30 seconds until just combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Avoid creating foam.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Smooth, pale yellow, with no visible sugar granules
Tip: Whisking gently keeps bubbles out, so the flans bake smooth rather than pitted.
6
Temper and strain
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
- Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer back into the pitcher.
- Skim off any foam from the surface with a spoon.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Thin, uniform custard with no egg bits
Tip: Adding the milk slowly prevents the eggs from scrambling.
7
Fill ramekins
- Divide the custard evenly among the caramel-lined ramekins, about ⅓ cup (80 ml) each, filling them to about ½ inch (1 cm) below the rim.
- Pull the roasting pan out onto the oven rack.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Ramekins evenly filled
Tip: Pop any surface bubbles with a toothpick for a smooth top.
8
Add water bath and bakeOven 325°F / 165°C
- Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, about 4 cups (960 ml).
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Flans are done when the edges are set and the centers still jiggle slightly like gelatin when the pan is nudged, and the center reads 170°F (77°C).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Edges set, center has a slight wobble about the size of a quarter, 170°F (77°C) in the center
Tip: Do not splash water into the custard. Overbaked flan turns grainy and holey, so check at 38 minutes.
9
Cool and chill
- Lift the ramekins out of the water with tongs or a thick towel and set on a rack.
- Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Completely cold and firm to a gentle touch
Tip: Chilling overnight gives the most sauce, since the hardened caramel has more time to dissolve.
10
Unmold and serve
- Run a thin paring knife around the inside edge of each ramekin.
- Place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the ramekin, hold both firmly and flip.
- Wait 10 seconds, then lift the ramekin; the flan should drop out with the caramel sauce pouring around it.
- Serve cold.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Flan slips out whole, surrounded by liquid caramel
Tip: If it sticks, set the ramekin in an inch of hot tap water for 30 seconds to loosen the caramel, then try again.

Good to know

Tips

Do not stir the caramel once it is boiling; stirring can cause sugar to crystallize into a grainy mass.
Strain the custard for the smoothest texture, and let the foam settle before filling.
A water bath with hot water is essential. It protects the custard from direct heat so it sets gently and silkily.
For clean unmolding, chill thoroughly and loosen the edges with a knife before flipping.

Make ahead

"Bake and chill the flans up to 3 days ahead, covered in the ramekins in the refrigerator. Unmold just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: covered in the ramekins up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended because the custard turns watery and grainy on thawing. Serve cold; no reheating needed."

Substitutions

whole milk → 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk plus 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream. Makes a richer, denser flan. Bake time stays about the same.
vanilla extract → 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla bean paste, or a 2-inch strip of lemon peel steeped in the milk. Lemon peel gives a more traditional Spanish aroma; remove it before mixing with the eggs.
large egg yolks → 1 additional whole large egg. The flan will be slightly less rich and a little firmer.
granulated sugar → light brown sugar, packed. Adds a subtle molasses flavor.