Here is an 'easy to make' Mexican flan recipe! It is made using whole eggs along with condensed and evaporated milk and covered with a simple light sugar syrup. It can also be made using cream cheese or coconut milk for a different taste and texture.
Who doesn’t like to have a creamy dessert after dinner? And what about one that is easy to make ahead of time and your family will love?
If you do, this flan recipe is an easy dessert to prepare, as easy as opening some cans and cracking some eggs! I love to prepare this dessert to serve after a delicious family meal like these seasoned pork chops with Mexican rice and charro beans.
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This is not the old traditional way of making a Mexican Flan, which is prepared as a custard where milk, vanilla, and sugar are slowly simmered. But, this is how we make it nowadays, and this flan recipe has been well-known in México for using canned milk for years.
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Flan
Before I share my Mexican flan recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about homemade flan.
What is flan?
Flan, also known as Flan Napolitano, is a popular dessert in several countries in Latin America (like Puerto Rico and Venezuela) and the Caribbean.
It is typically made out of eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream, or whole milk.
Is it easy to make flan at home?
It can be! This past time when we had flan, it was my teenage son’s first time making this dessert. He had been asking me how to make it for a couple of days at that point- since I first told him how easy it was to make it.
Let me tell you- He was so proud of himself! He couldn’t believe how quickly the flan was already in the oven a few minutes later.
Can I make different flavors of flan?
Yes, you can. I usually stick with the traditional Mexican flan recipe but I have also seen many different styles as well.
I've seen flan recipes that highlighted different flavors such as:
- Vanilla
- Orange
- Coconut
- Coffee
I've even seen one with chocolate!
What if I don't have an oven to make the flan?
For those of you that do not have an oven, you can make this flan by cooking it inside a large pot at medium heat in a water bath.
You can also cook it using your Instant Pot by placing it on top of the insert rack and cook for 15 minutes.
Easy Mexican Flan Recipe
Here is a list of ingredients you will need:
- Condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Eggs
- Cream cheese (optional)
- Vanilla
- Sugar
- Water
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Flan: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to breakdown the directions to this recipe into sections.
Make The Caramel
- Add the sugar and water to a medium-size saucepan.
- Bring the sugar mixture to a boil on medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves.
- When the sugar dissolves, reduce heat and keep simmering until the syrup gets a light brown-caramel color. The caramel will continue to cook even if you remove the saucepan from the heat. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Pour the caramel on the bottom of your oven proof pan, swirling the caramel to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.
- Let it cool.
Mix The Rest Of The Ingredients
- Place the rest of the ingredients (the eggs and milk) in a blender and process until you have a smooth mixture.
Add The Custard
- Slowly pour the egg custard mixture into the pan with the cooled caramel for the water bath and cover with aluminum foil.
How To Make A Water Bath For Flan Recipe
- Place the pan inside a large baking pan.
- Add warm water to the pan until it reaches about ¾ inch.
Bake The Flan
- Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes or until flan looks firm as in the picture below. Flan will keep cooking while it cools, so do not let longer in the oven.
- Let it cool.
Remove The Cooked Flan From Pan
- Once the flan has cooled, run a knife between the flan and baking pan.
- Place a large serving plate on top of the pan and quickly flip everything in one smooth move to avoid any liquid caramel to spill from the pan.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Cooking Tip:
- For an even creamier flan, you can use cream cheese in the mixture.
What To Serve With Mexican Flan
When I serve this dessert flan recipe, I like to make some cafe de olla to go with it. The coffee pairs really well with the flan. You can also serve it with some sliced strawberries or a scoop of dulce de leche.
More Dessert Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican flan, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
I hope you make this recipe for Mexican flan! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Flan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can of condensed milk*
- 1 can of evaporated milk**
- 6 eggs
- 1 8oz pkg. of cream cheese (optional, see note)***
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup of sugar
Instructions
- In a medium-size saucepan place the sugar and water, bring to a boil in at high heat until sugar dissolves, when sugar dissolves reduce heat and keep boiling until the syrup gets a light brown-caramel color. This will take about 10 minutes. Pour the caramel in your oven proof pan, swirling the caramel to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Let cool.
- Place the rest of the ingredients in a blender and process until you have a smooth mixture.
- Pour mixture slowly into prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. For the hot bath. Place the pan inside a large baking pan. Add warm water to the pan until it reaches about ¾ inch.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes or until flan looks firm as in the picture below. Flan will keep cooking while it cools, so do not let longer in the oven. Let it cool.4. Once the flan has cooled run, a knife between the flan and baking pan.
- Place a large serving plate on top of the pan and invert with a quick move to avoid any liquid caramel to spill from the pan. Slice, serve and enjoy.
Patty
Mely do you use an 8” round size pan to cook the flan?
Mely Martínez
Hello Patty,
Yes, an 8" round pan.
Ted Brooks
My flan never got solid. I am pretty sure that I followed the steps and ingredients correctly. I even put it back in the oven for another 20.minutes. Do you think high altitude (5400') would affect it that much.
Mely Martínez
Hello Ted,
Maybe if your oven temperature. I'm really not sure the high altitude will render an uncooked flan for such a long time.
Lisa
Ted, did you use cream cheese or not? I'm making this Sunday and I dont want a fail.
Mely Martínez
Hello Lisa,
He didn't mention it, but I highly recommended it.
The texture will be rich and creamier.