Condensed Milk Flan
Of all the flan variations, this is the simplest one with the finest result. The technical difference is the warm water in place of milk: it lets the condensed milk stay the lead, and the texture comes out silky with a flavor that is intense without being heavy.
Buy the right can: sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. They sit side by side on the shelf and they are not interchangeable — evaporated milk carries no sugar and the flan will not set the same way.
Because the recipe leans on yolks for richness, it is the perfect moment for a zero-waste habit. Put the leftover whites to work in an île flottante or a fresh corn soufflé.
Same caramel and same water bath, but with bread in it: the bread pudding.
🔎 What is condensed milk? — where it comes from, what goes in it and how it differs.
Ingredients
- 150 g sugar (for the caramel)
- 50 ml water (for the caramel)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (about 390 g)
- 1 1/2 cans warm water (use the empty condensed milk can as the measure)
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- Vanilla extract, to taste
Method
- 1
Caramel: make a caramel with the 150 g of sugar and the 50 ml of water, directly in the flan mold, and when it turns an even amber, coat the base by tilting the mold. Leave it to cool.
For a more complete guide to making caramel, read this tip.
- 2
Measure the warm water with the empty condensed milk can: one and a half cans. Stir the condensed milk into the water until it is completely smooth.
- 3
Add the eggs, the yolks and the vanilla, mixing gently — do not whip. Whipping folds in air, and air leaves holes.
- 4
Strain the mixture before pouring it into the mold. The sieve catches the chalazae — the white cords that anchor the yolk — along with the denser egg white: they never blend in, and they turn into white lumps as the flan bakes. Discard those few grams; the flan does not need them.
- 5
Pour into the mold, cover with foil and bake in a water bath at a low 160 °C for about an hour, until the center barely wobbles but feels firm to the touch.
- 6
Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours before unmolding.
Flan Every Which Way
Who said flan always has to taste the same? Here we show how versatile the homemade caramel custard is, with ingredients that turn a simple dessert into something surprising. One technical principle, many versions — find your favorite.
