Easy Spanish Flan With Caramel Sauce

Spanish flan with caramel sauce

The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Refrigerate: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Flan is the Spanish name for vanilla egg custard topped with caramel sauce. It is a classic in Spanish cuisine and one of the most popular desserts. You can find it served everywhere in Spain and it's not as difficult to make at home as you may think.

Flan makes a great finish to any meal because, even though it is sweet, it's also a light dessert. You can also make a lower calorie flan by substituting the whipping cream with 1 cup non-fat milk and 1 cup light whipping cream.

Flan can be an intimidating dish, but it doesn't have to be. When you break the classic flan recipe down into simple steps, you'll find that it's rather simple. 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided

  • 2 cups whipping cream

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cupblanched almonds

  • 1 sprig mint, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for classic vanilla flan
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  2. Wipe out the ramekins to ensure that there is no dust in them. Set them in a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish, which will be used for a boiling water bath while baking.

    Wipe out ramekins
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  3. Heat 4 to 5 cups of water in a pot on the stove.

    Pot
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  4. Heat a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sugar.

    Heat skillet
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  5. With the back of a wooden spoon, keep the sugar moving constantly in the skillet until the sugar is completely melted and caramelized to a rich medium-brown color.

    Brown sugar in pot
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  6. Carefully spoon caramelized sugar into each of the 6 ramekins or a large baking dish.

    Carefully spoon carmelized sugar in
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  7. Preheat oven to 325 F (162 C).

  8. In a saucepan, scald the cream. Keep a close eye on the pan, so the cream does not boil over. Remove immediately.

    Scald cream
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  9. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, slightly beat 3 eggs.

    Beat eggs
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  10. Mix in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

    Mix in sugar
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  11. Stirring constantly, gradually add the hot cream to the egg mixture.

    Add cream
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  12. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then blend in the vanilla extract.

    Stir in vanilla
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  13. Ladle the mixture into ramekins.

    Ladle into ramekins
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  14. Carefully remove 1 or 2 ramekins to provide some extra room in the larger dish. Pour hot water until there is about 1/2-inch of water in the 9- by 13-inch baking dish for the water bath.

    Ramekins in pan
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  15. Replace ramekins. If the water level does not reach 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins, carefully add more water.

    Replace ramekins
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  16. Bake uncovered in the water bath for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted halfway between the center and the edge of the dish. To ensure the custard does not over-cook, check for doneness after 45 minutes, then every 3 to 5 minutes.

    Bake uncovered
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  17. Carefully remove each ramekin from the water bath. Set on a cooling rack until lukewarm, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. This usually takes at least 1 hour.

    Set on cooling rack
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  18. When ready to serve, un-mold the flan by running a knife around the inside edge of each baking dish.

    Unmold
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  19. Place a small dessert plate on the top of the ramekin.

    Place dessert plate on ramekin
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  20. With one hand under the ramekin and the other on top of the plate, turn it over in one smooth motion.

    Ramekin upside down
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  21. Tap the ramekin and the flan should drop onto the plate. If it does not, carefully “prod” the flan out of the ramekin with a small paring knife. It should slide out and onto the plate.

    Flan on plate
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  22. Garnish with whole blanched almonds and a sprig of mint if desired.

    Garnish
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
  23. Serve and enjoy!

    Classic flan
    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

Ramekins Are Not Required

While it's traditional to bake flan in ramekins for individual servings, don't worry if you don't have them. A single baking dish that can fit into a 9- by 13-inch dish will work just fine. You do need to ensure that the dish holding your flan is tall enough to accommodate the 1/2-inch of water required for the water bath.

Flan on the Go

Because it is made in ramekins or a baking dish and not removed until it's time to eat, flan travels well in an ice chest. This makes it an excellent choice if you need to take it to a dinner party or family gathering. Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap while en route and un-mold when ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
476 Calories
37g Fat
31g Carbs
8g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 476
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 20g 98%
Cholesterol 183mg 61%
Sodium 115mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 98mg 8%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 193mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)