Best-Ever Flan

Best-Ever Flan

a crowd pleaser

Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 2h 10m
Cook Time: 50m
Total Time: 3h
Temp.: 350 °F
Servings: 7
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (14 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

858
Calories
25.8g
Fat
160.8g
Carbohydrate
6.1g
Protein
92mg
Sodium
249mg
Cholesterol
Best-Ever Flan

Recipe Description

I absolutely love this Best-Ever Flan. I spent so long looking for the best flan ever: a custard based dessert cooked with a layer of smooth caramel sauce at the bottom which ends up on top when inverted. Flan is a creamy classic the world over although it is sometimes known by its other name: crème caramel.

Although it can be time consuming, it is actually quite simple to prepare the best flan recipe ever. Start by preparing caramel and dividing it between 7 ramekins. If I am cooking for 6 people I always make an extra one as there is always a chance that one of the custard of one of the flans might split (even for a top chef)! Make a custard to top the caramel and bake the flans for 45-50 minutes. Leave to cool. If you are not serving immediately, cover the cooled flans with plastic wrap and place them in a refrigerator until you are ready to serve. You may need to let them come back to room temperature or heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds. And there you have it, the best flan recipe ever guaranteed!

To make Best-Ever Flan, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Best-Ever Flan

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Heat the oven and prepare ramekins

    5 min
    Step 1 - Best-Ever Flan

    Preheat the oven to 350 °F and place seven 6 ounce ramekins (or one 9-inch nonstick pan) in a large baking dish and place them somewhere easy to reach.

  2. 2

    Make caramel

    10 min
    Step 2 - Best-Ever Flan

    In a small saucepan, mix 1 cup of sugar with ⅓ cup of water. Cook for 8-9 minutes over medium-high heat, occasionally swirling the saucepan but not stirring. Remove from the heat when the mixture has turned a golden caramel color.

  3. 3

    Pour caramel into ramekins

    5 min
    Step 3 - Best-Ever Flan

    Work quickly to divide the caramel between the ramekins. Gently move the ramekins around to coat the inside with the caramel.

  4. 4

    Combine cream, milk and vanilla

    1 min
    Step 4 - Best-Ever Flan

    In a large bowl, combine 1¾ cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

  5. 5

    Whisk eggs and sugar

    1 min
    Step 5 - Best-Ever Flan

    In another large bowl, whisk 3 large eggs and 3 egg yolks together with the remaining ½ a cup of sugar until fully combined.

  6. 6

    Finish custard

    1 min
    Step 6 - Best-Ever Flan

    Pour in the cream mixture gradually and mix gently until just combined.

  7. 7

    Add custard to ramekins

    1 min
    Step 7 - Best-Ever Flan

    Divide the custard mixture between the ramekins, approximately ½ a cup in each.

  8. 8

    Add hot water to baking dish

    1 min
    Step 8 - Best-Ever Flan

    Pour hot water into the baking dish so that it comes halfway to the top of the ramekins. Don’t overfill.

  9. 9

    Bake

    50 min
    Step 9 - Best-Ever Flan

    Bake the flans for 45-50 minutes until they are just set. They should jiggle slightly when shaken.

  10. 10

    Cool and chill

    2h
    Step 10 - Best-Ever Flan

    Take the ramekins from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours.

  11. 11

    Remove from the ramekins

    Step 11 - Best-Ever FlanStep 11 - Best-Ever Flan

    To extract the flans from the ramekins, take a small knife or offset spatula and loosen the edges of the flan carefully. Invert the flan over a serving plate and shake gently until the flan slides out of the ramekin and the caramel pours out on top.

  12. 12

    Serve

    Step 12 - Best-Ever Flan

    Serve the cooled flan topped with the orange whipped cream and a garnish of orange zest if you wish.

About the author

Dasha Vakulova

Dasha is an enthusiastic and cheerful mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Dasha is going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews)
Bradley Thompson
March 22, 2025
Verified

I finally found the Best-Ever Flan. After a long search, I tried this recipe and it didnt dissapoint. The caramel was just perfect. I served it on my birthday, and everyone raved about it. I will always make an extra one, just in case. Totaly a keeper.

Anna
February 5, 2025
Verified

Amazing!

Jason
November 15, 2024
Verified

Flan easy and scrumptious.

Sarah Johnson
April 26, 2023
Verified

This flan was a hit at our family dinner!

Wendy
July 15, 2020
Verified

Superb dessert delight!

Itzayana Xayasane
June 27, 2020
Verified

So simple and delicious!!

Mavis Vollmann
June 23, 2020
Verified

Best ever is exactly it, I love me Spanish dessert..next thing I'm going for is the churro apple pie.

Leilah Gauze
June 20, 2020
Verified

My kids are totally hooked lol can't get enough of this.

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