Flan Recipe: Classic Caramel Custard in a Water Bath

The short answer: this flan recipe melts 3/4 cup of sugar into amber caramel, pours a custard of 5 eggs, condensed milk and evaporated milk over it, and bakes it in a water bath at 350°F for about 50 to 60 minutes, until the center reads at least 160°F. Chill it 4 hours or overnight, then flip. Serves 8.

• Key numbers: 9-inch round pan · 5 large eggs · 14-ounce can condensed milk · 12-ounce can evaporated milk · 350°F water bath
• Done test: edges set, center jiggles like gelatin, thermometer at 160°F or above
• Next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or save it in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99)

Prep time: 15 minCook time: 1 hrTotal time: 6 hr 21 minServings: 8 servingsTotal includes 5 hr 6 min of resting, chilling or rising.

Flan is mostly hands-off time: about 15 minutes of work, an hour in the oven, and a night in the refrigerator. Plan to make it the day before you serve it.

Flan ingredients

Serves 8.

You also need a 9-inch round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep) or a 9-inch pie dish, a larger roasting pan that the cake pan fits inside, a fine strainer and an instant-read thermometer.

How to make flan

1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath. Set the 9-inch pan inside the roasting pan.
2. Make the caramel. Combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a small, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves, then let it bubble until it turns a deep amber, about 6 to 10 minutes. Pour it immediately into the 9-inch pan and tilt to coat the bottom. It will harden; that is expected. Caramel is extremely hot, so keep children and bare fingers away.
3. Make the custard. In a large bowl or blender, combine the eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, salt and cream cheese, if using. Whisk gently or blend on low for 15 seconds, just until smooth. Beating in air causes bubbles.
4. Pour the custard through a fine strainer onto the hardened caramel. Skim off any foam on the surface.
5. Set the roasting pan on the oven rack and carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the flan pan. Cover the flan pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes. The flan is done when the edges are set, the center wobbles slightly as one piece when you nudge the pan, and a thermometer in the center reads at least 160°F.
7. Lift the flan pan out of the water bath and let it cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
8. To unmold, run a thin knife around the edge. Set a rimmed serving plate upside down on the pan, hold both together and flip in one motion. Lift the pan off and let the caramel run over the flan.

The rim on the serving plate matters. The caramel turns into a thin syrup in the refrigerator and will run off a flat plate.

Egg safety for flan

Flan is a baked egg custard, so the thermometer check is not optional. The FDA's egg safety guidance notes that fresh eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells, may contain Salmonella, says casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160°F, and recommends using a food thermometer to be sure. Insert it into the center of the flan, where it sets last. A well-set flan usually reads a little higher than 160°F, which is fine; 160°F is the minimum.

A few habits keep the custard safe:

• Buy eggs from a refrigerated case, and check that shells are clean and not cracked, per the same FDA page.
• Do not taste the raw custard. It contains raw eggs until it bakes.
• Refrigerate the cooled flan promptly. The FDA says not to leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F.
• Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness, according to the FDA, so the thermometer step matters most when they are eating.

Flavor variations

• Classic milk flan (creme caramel style): replace the condensed and evaporated milk with 3 cups of whole milk and 1/2 cup of sugar, warmed until the sugar dissolves, and use 4 eggs plus 2 yolks. It is lighter and less sweet.
• Cream cheese flan (flan de queso): include the optional 4 ounces of cream cheese. The texture is closer to a soft cheesecake, which is baked in a water bath for the same reason.
• Coconut flan: replace the evaporated milk with a 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk.
• Coffee flan: dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant espresso in the vanilla before blending.
• Orange or lime flan: add 1 teaspoon of finely grated citrus zest to the custard, then strain as usual.
• Individual flans: divide the caramel and custard among 8 six-ounce ramekins in the water bath and start checking at 30 minutes, using the same 160°F test.

Flan is one of the classic desserts in our Mexican desserts guide, alongside tres leches and arroz con leche. For a stovetop custard-adjacent dessert with no oven, see the rice pudding recipe.

Troubleshooting

Bubbles, holes or a spongy texture. The custard had too much air, the oven ran hot, or there was no water bath. Blend on low, strain, and confirm the oven temperature with an oven thermometer.

Curdled or weeping custard. It overbaked. Pull the flan when the center still wobbles; it firms as it chills. Pull it earlier next time, but always confirm 160°F.

Center still liquid. It needs more time. Keep baking in 5-minute increments until the thermometer reads at least 160°F and the center jiggles as a whole instead of sloshing.

Bitter caramel. The sugar went past deep amber toward dark brown or smoked. Start over; burnt caramel will flavor the whole flan.

Caramel crystallized into grainy sugar. It was stirred, or sugar crystals on the pan sides fell in. Swirl instead of stirring, and brush the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.

Flan stuck in the pan. It was not chilled long enough, or the knife did not reach the bottom. Run the knife around again and set the bottom of the pan in hot water for 1 minute before flipping.

Make ahead and storage

Flan is a make-ahead dessert by design. Bake it 1 to 2 days before serving and keep it in the pan, covered, in the refrigerator, then unmold it shortly before dessert. The FDA's egg safety page says to refrigerate leftover cooked egg dishes and use them within 3 to 4 days. Keep slices covered and refrigerated, and spoon the caramel syrup over them before serving.

Do not freeze flan. The custard weeps and turns grainy as it thaws.

For a party, the FDA's safe food handling guidance on the 2-hour rule applies to the dessert table too: bring the flan out close to serving and put leftovers back in the refrigerator within 2 hours.

Serving and holiday menus

Cut flan into 8 wedges with a thin knife dipped in hot water. Serve it plain with its caramel, or with sliced strawberries, mango or a little whipped cream. Flan is a natural make-ahead choice for a crowded holiday oven because it is finished the day before. More ideas are in Christmas desserts and bread pudding, another egg-custard dessert that feeds a group.

A dessert from pantry staples

Flan needs eggs, sugar, vanilla and two shelf-stable cans of milk. Keeping a can each of condensed and evaporated milk in the pantry means an elegant dessert for 8 is possible on any week you have eggs in the refrigerator. If dessert is part of your weekly food budget, plan it like a meal so the eggs are bought once and used fully; the meal planning on a budget guide shows how to shop the pantry first.

Plan the dessert

Write flan on the plan for the day before you need it, so it has time to chill.

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly menu and an aisle-sorted grocery list, so the canned milks and eggs are on one trip.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Write down your pan, your oven's bake time and how dark you like the caramel.

Browse more kitchen printables in the printables shop.

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