Dulce de leche flan is smooth, rich and creamy. The combination of decadent dulce de leche and velvety custard results to a delicious dessert you’ll want to make over and over.
(Are you a big fan of flans like I am? You’ll love this creamy Filipino leche flan, delightful leche flan cupcakes and stunning leche flan cake.)
If you think sweetened condensed milk is amazing, wait till you try dulce de leche. It’s like condensed milk on steroids.
The taste is similar to caramel but creamier, richer and thicker.
It’s used in a lot of latin American desserts and I use them in these dulce de leche brownies and dulce de leche cupcakes.
Today I’m adding dulce de leche flan (flan de dulce de leche or dulce de leche creme caramel) to my dulce de leche dessert collection.
And yes it’s as luxurious as it sounds.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making this recipe
Some people are afraid of making flan but it’s actually easy and simple to make (I give lots of tips below). Also:
- Simple ingredients. You’ll only need 7 easy-to-find ingredients. If you’re wondering about dulce de leche, you should be able to find them where you would find the condensed milk.
- Use whatever pan you like. This recipe is also customizable in that you can use whatever pan you want. You can even use ramekins to make individual flans. Traditionally, Filipino leche flan is made in a llanera and that would work here too. I prefer using an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan.
- Make ahead. You need to make flan ahead so it has time to set, which makes it perfect for parties and potlucks — make it when you have time, serve when you’re ready for dessert.
- Crowd favorite. Whenever we have company, flan is always one of the first to disappear from the dessert table. Everyone loves it!
How to make
Some flans are steamed but I like to bake mine. And don’t worry, it’s easy!
Ingredients
You’ll need pantry staples like granulated sugar, salt and vanilla extract. A few things to note:
- Whole eggs — I usually make flan using just egg yolks but for this recipe, I’ve decided to use whole eggs to lighten the mixture a bit. Dulce de leche on its own is already very rich.
- Dulce de leche — you can find dulce de leche in the baking aisle, where you would usually find the condensed milk, or in Amazon.
- Evaporated milk — for best results, use full-fat evaporated milk.
Baking tools
You don’t need an electric mixer in this recipe. And you can use any kind of pan or mould you like.
You will need a roasting pan or deep baking pan for the water bath.
Step-by-step photos
Preheat oven to 350F.
Make the caramel by dissolving granulated sugar with water in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Swirl occasionally to ensure the sugar does not harden and/or burn (see below for tips).
Once it turns a light golden color, remove from heat and spread evenly on your baking pan. Set aside to work on the flan.
Whisk eggs.
Add dulce de leche and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add evaporated milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Mix well.
Strain mixture into your baking pan (on top of the caramel).
Gently and carefully pour so as not to create large air bubbles.
Place your baking pan in a roasting pan and put the roasting pan in your preheated oven.
Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of your baking pan.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the flan is set (firm but still jiggly). If you see that the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
Take the flan out of the oven and cool slightly before refrigerating for at least 3 hours.
Run a thin, sharp knife around the edges of your pan to loosen the flan before inverting into a platter to serve.
Expert flan making tips
Easy, right? Here are more tips for perfect flan every time.
- For the creamiest texture, bake your flan in a water bath. Put baking pan in a roasting pan (or any deep baking pan) filled with hot water that comes up to your baking pan halfway.
- You’ll know if your flan is done baking when the top has turned a light amber, the sides have started to firm up but the middle still looks jiggly (but not soupy). It’s similar to how you check for doneness in cheesecakes.
- The key to making the caramel is to watch it but leave it alone. This means don’t walk away but also resist the urge to stir. What you want to do is gently swirl your pan once the sugar dissolves so it doesn’t burn. And when it turns a beautiful golden color, you’re done.
- Allow time for the flan to set. I chill mine for at least 3 hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs
You can use any pan you like! I prefer using a 9×9 round cake pan, or an 8×8 round cake pan if I want a thicker flan.
Soupy flan can be due to different factors, including:
(1) Undercooking — make sure to cook the cake all the way through.
(2) Wrong ratios — there might be too much liquid in the mixture. Read the recipe carefully and make sure to add the correct amounts of ingredients.
Run a thin sharp knife along the edges of your pan before inverting your pan into a serving platter. I like to help things along by gently tapping on the pan’s bottom so the flan smoothly drops into the platter.
Flan is rarely stuck but if yours is, you can leave it in the pan and serve them by scooping them into little bowls.
Keep dulce de leche flan in a covered container in the fridge. It should keep for 3 days.
Other custard desserts
Do you like custard-based desserts? Check these out!
Happy baking!
Did you make this dulce de leche flan recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Dulce de Leche Flan
Ingredients
Caramel
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
Custard
- 5 pieces large eggs room temperature
- 1 10-oz can dulce de leche
- 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Make the caramel by dissolving granulated sugar with water in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Swirl occasionally to ensure the sugar does not harden and/or burn.¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water
- Once it turns a light golden color, remove from heat and spread evenly on your baking pan. Set aside to work on the custard.
- Whisk eggs in a bowl.5 pieces large eggs
- Add dulce de leche and stir until thoroughly combined.1 10-oz can dulce de leche
- Add evaporated milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix well.1 12-oz can evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Strain mixture into your baking pan (on top of the caramel). Gently and carefully pour it so as not to create any large air bubbles.
- Place your baking pan in a roasting pan and put the roasting pan in your preheated oven.
- Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of your baking pan.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the flan is set (firm but still jiggly). If you see that the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Take the flan out of the oven and cool slightly before refrigerating for at least 3 hours.
- Run a thin, sharp knife around the edges of your pan to loosen the flan before inverting into a platter to serve.
Video
Notes
- The total yield depends on how big or small you slice your flan. Note that this is very rich and a little goes a long way. The estimated nutritional information is based on 16 servings.
- See post for tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Leti
First time making flan and it’s good! This was very rich and sweet perfect for a small bite after dinner.
Jolina
Glad you liked it Leti! It is super decadent, a little goes a long way 🙂