Classic Puerto Rican Flan Recipe - Salima's Kitchen (2024)

Today we’re making my mom’s Puerto Rican flan recipe. This classic dessert consists of a lusciously creamy custard filling topped with homemade caramel.

Classic Puerto Rican Flan Recipe - Salima's Kitchen (1)

A Puerto Rican Classic

Flan is a classic Puerto Rican dessert (also known as an egg custard to many) and is made with a milk and egg base.

Traditionally, this custard is poured over a caramelized sugar base, baked and flipped upside down to reveal a beautiful caramel topping.

It’s the perfect combination of light creamy custard and rich sweet caramel.

Make sure to also try my flancocho, flan de calabaza (pumpkin flan), and budin (bread pudding) if you enjoy this sweet treat!

Featured Review

My wife made this for me and it is the best flan I’ve ever had.

Tony

5 from 11 reviews

Read more reviews

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Ingredients

Here at Salima’s Kitchen, we love an easy recipe and my mom’s Puerto Rican flan recipe is about as simple as it gets.

Heading to the store and need a list? I’ve got you covered!

To make this dish you will need:

For the caramel layer :

  • White granulated sugar

For the filling:

  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
  • milk
  • vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • 5 eggs
  • More white granulated sugar
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Making the caramel (you’ve got this!)

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Be very careful when making and pouring the caramel as it gets extremely hot and can cause serious burns.

My mom and I usually use a round glass pyrex dish or smaller ramekins for this recipe but you can use whatever you have on hand that’s oven safe.

Making the Flan Filling & Baking

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Create a water bath by placing your baking dish or dishes inside another, larger oven safe dish. Pour in warm water until it is nearly as tall as the flan, but not tall enough to overflow into it.

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The water bath technique helps the custard to cook evenly.

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Some helpful tips if your flan isn’t budging: shake the flan dish gently, tap on the bottom, let the dish sit in warm water, patience is key!

What Not to Do

A few tips on things to watch out for:

  • Don’t overcook the caramel – it can develop a burnt flavor easily so it’s important to cook over low heat and be patient so that it reaches a liquid form before burning.
  • Be careful to not burn yourself with the hot caramel, it is extremely hot and can cause serious burns.
  • Don’t forget to let your flan cool and set, and loosen the edges with a knife before flipping.

Creme Brulee vs. Flan

For many Americans, flan is just the Spanish version of Creme Brulee.

While the two dishes have many similarities, flan does not have the hard brulee crust or require any special tools (like a torch) to make.

Additionally, flan involves the process of baking the custard on top of the caramel, then flipping it after it’s cooked and cooled. Creme brulee involves baking the custard alone, then sprinkling with sugar and using a torch to caramelize as mentioned above.

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Baking Vessels

As you may have noticed, you can make this flan in a large baking dish or in smaller ramekins and bake in a larger dish to create a water bath.

The result is essentially the same, with the only difference being single servings of flan or one larger flan that can be cut into slices.

Just make sure whatever baking dish/es you use are oven safe up to 350 degrees Fareinheit.

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Different variations to try

This version of flan is the most traditional in Puerto Rico and can be found at most panaderias (Puerto Rican or Spanish bakeries).

Many Latin cultures have their own versions of the traditional flan that will vary between countries. That said, there are also variations between flavors of flan.

That said, you can experiment with any of your favorite sweet flavors in this dessert.

In the end, you can’t go wrong with flan.

And if you’re interested in trying more Puerto Rican food & desserts, check out this collection of my favorite Puerto Rican recipes.

More Puerto Rican Desserts

Puerto Rican-Style Flancocho (Vanilla Flan Cake)
Puerto Rican-Style Baked Budin (Bread Pudding)
5 Ingredient Guava Cheese Empanadas
Pumpkin Flan (Flan de Calabaza)
ChocoFlan (The Impossible Layered Cake)
Puerto Rican Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)
Authentic Puerto Rican Quesitos (in 30 minutes!)
Arroz con Leche

Buen provecho,

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Print

Classic Puerto Rican Flan Recipe - Salima's Kitchen (25)

Puerto Rican Flan Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 11 reviews

  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Puerto Rican, Dessert, Custard, Flan
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

UnitsScale

For the caramel:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

For the custard filling:

  • 1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Make the caramel. Pour sugar into a heavy bottomed pot and melt over low heat. Watch closely and mix occasionally to ensure the sugar melts evenly (can take up to 20 minutes).
  2. Pour the caramel into baking dish/es. Once sugar has melted, carefully pour the caramel into an oven safe baking dish or dishes. Tilt the dish/es around to evenly distribute the caramel before setting aside.
  3. Make the custard filling. Add all remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until velvety smooth. Pour mixture into baking dish/es over caramel.
  4. Bake in a water bath. Place the baking dish/es inside another, larger oven safe dish with a layer of hot water to create a water bath. Bake at 350° F for 60-80 minutes, or until the center looks jiggly (think jello) but no longer liquid. Remove the flan from the oven and allow time to cool.
  5. Loosen & flip the flan. Using a knife, loosen the edges around the flan and baking dish/es. Grab a platter to serve on and place it over the baking dish. Carefully flip the flan onto the platter, allowing the caramel to drizzle over the top. Slice, serve and enjoy!

More Puerto Rican recipes:

  • Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo
  • Empanadillas
  • Steak Stuffed Avocados
  • Air Fryer Plantain Chips
  • Arroz con Gandules
Classic Puerto Rican Flan Recipe - Salima's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is Puerto Rican flan made of? ›

Flan is a classic Puerto Rican dessert (also known as an egg custard to many) and is made with a milk and egg base. What is this? Traditionally, this custard is poured over a caramelized sugar base, baked and flipped upside down to reveal a beautiful caramel topping.

How long should flan sit before flipping? ›

Cool fully in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, run a paring knife or offset spatula along the edge to loosen the flan from the dish and flip over onto a rimmed plate to catch the caramel sauce.

How did flan get to Puerto Rico? ›

The Europeans brought flan with them as they did with other treasures when they arrived in America. Flan was adopted as an international dessert of the “La Raza” movement by Latinos, Central Americans & North Americans alike.

Why is flan unhealthy? ›

Flan does contain high amount of calcium but the cholesterol and amount of sugar over powers the calcium benefits. One serving (3.5 oz / 100g) of flan has close to 36 grams sugar. It is and seem quite high until you compare it with a can of soda which contains about 44g of sugar.

What is the most traditional dessert in Puerto Rico? ›

Rice pudding is arguably the most well-known Puerto Rican dessert (depending on who you ask). The Puerto Rican style of rice pudding has milk, vanilla, sugar, and spices such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

Why is flan so delicious? ›

Creamy, velvety flan is one of the world's most popular desserts, and it's easy to see why. Made from straightforward ingredients, it has a spoonable, rich texture and it bakes up with its own irresistible caramel sauce on top.

What is the difference between flan and leche flan? ›

What is the difference between Mexican flan and Filipino flan? Mexican flan is sometimes known as flan Napolitino that often includes cream cheese as an ingredient, whereas leche flan adds egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

How is flan different than custard? ›

Both custard and pudding are sweet, goopy desserts made mostly from cream and then cooked. However, custard (and therefore flan) is made with eggs and sweetened milk alongside the cream, and flan itself includes caramel.

Should you cover flan while baking? ›

The water bath will give you more even cooking. Covering the flan with foil will also help with cooking. Put your dish on the center rack and let bake for 30-40 minutes, and then check every 10 minutes until the flan has a gentle jello-like movement in the center and the sides are set.

How to tell when flan is done? ›

After 1 hour, check with a knife inserted just off-center into one of the servings: If the knife comes out clean, the flan is ready. If not, leave it in the oven for 15 more minutes. If baking a whole flan, thump the side of the dish after 1 hour, and if it wobbles as one, the flan is ready.

Why is my flan so jiggly? ›

and if your oven isn't calibrated correctly. it'll end up either under baked or over baked. a perfectly cooked flan should be firm around the edge. and still have a little bit of a jiggle to it in the center, it'll finish setting as it cools.

What country eats flan the most? ›

Spaniards brought flan to Mexico during Spanish conquest and occupation. Since then it's become a truly beloved dish among Mexicans in all regions of the country. Most people consider flan a dessert, but more and more people are finding excuses to eat it at all times of the day.

Is flan a Mexican or Spanish dessert? ›

As the Roman Empire expanded throughout Europe, new variations of flan were created. The region of Spain today is where the classic sweet caramel sauce version was introduced. Eventually, Spain brought the recipe to the New World, specifically to the south of Mexico.

What did the Spanish bring to Puerto Rico? ›

They introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Spanish language and more to the land (Florida) that later became the United States of America. This settlement occurred 107 years before the Pilgrims landed. During the 1520s, the island took the name of Puerto Rico while the port became San Juan.

What is Puerto Rican made up? ›

Studies have shown that the racial ancestry mixture of the average Puerto Rican (regardless of racial self-identity) is about 64% European, 21% African, and 15% Native Taino, with European ancestry strongest on the west side of the island and West African ancestry strongest on the east side, and the levels of Taino ...

What is flan base made of? ›

The strawberry flan base recipe is mums easy 2-2-2-1 formula. That's 2 eggs, 2oz sugar, 2oz flour and 1 tablespoon of water. A couple of quick notes; To avoid an over-stuffed pantry, I make my own self-raising flour by adding baking powder to plain flour.

What is Dominican flan made of? ›

Flan is a creamy, caramel-topped Spanish and Latin dessert. Eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla form a smooth custard.

What is Cuban flan made of? ›

Gather your ingredients to make Cuban flan

As noted, the three primary ingredients in this flan are eggs, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a can of evaporated milk. You'll also need a generous amount of cane sugar, some water, whole milk, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract.

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