| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 6 hr 25 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 5 hr |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- To make the caramel: have ready a 2-quart round flan mold and a large roasting pan. Combine 1 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color, about 10 minutes; don’t stir with a spoon. Remove from the heat and immediately add the lemon juice, swirl the pan again to combine, and then pour into the flan mold. Tilt the dish so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom and a bit up the sides, place in the roasting pan and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath and keep it hot.
- Combine the cream, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low flame. Bring the cream to a brief simmer, stirring occasionally. Take care not to let the cream come to a full boil to prevent it from spilling over.
- In a large bowl, cream together the whole eggs and yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture; don’t add it too quickly or the eggs will cook. Pass the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold.
- To create the water bath: pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the mold; be careful not get water into the custard. Carefully transfer to the middle oven rack, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the custard is barely set and just jiggles slightly. Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 526 |
| Total Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 52 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 263 mg |
| Sodium | 94 mg |
Reviews
Wonderfully simple & extremely tasty
The flavor was absolutely delicious, but I must say that this is the densest flan I’ve ever made before. It made for a yummy Christmas dessert, but we like it a bit more on the lighter side.
Turned out really good, especially since I’ve never had flan before. Actual flan part was really good, caramel didn’t look right so I caramelized just plain sugar and it turned out perfect. I also didn’t bother with vanilla bean and cinnamon stick bc they are expensive and instead used vanilla extract and ground cinnamon, which I already had. Turned out great, this also made it unnecessary to boil them with the heavy cream.
it does not look like flan
Perfect! This is going in “keeper” recipe folder. Individual flans come out perfect too.
This is my go to flan recipe! I never find vanilla bean but tastes amazing… I love it!!
Great recipe. Not a fan of condensed milk. Yes I used processed sugar but I try to remove as much as possible. I may try raw sugar next time. Again, love this stuff and this recipe.
Delicious and so easy to make. Like many others, I omitted the lemon juice and had no problems. Will certainly make again, the family LOVED it.
Not for a novice cook, but if you pull off every step as written, you will be rewarded with a creamy, velvety flan with a rich caramel sauce. Do NOT be tempted to stir the caramel. It just happens after 10-15 minutes of focused attention. This was my first attempt at flan, and it was a bit involved, but it was SO worth it and will feel much easier next time. I will own up to using powdered cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Simple ingredients, real food, MAGICAL results. Afraid it’ll be flat? Pour about 2 1/2 cups of water into your mold. It’ll be that thick. A glass pie pan works really well.
The recipe works well. The flan turn out creamy with a nice caramel syrup after letting it sit for a while. The only issue is the egg whites. I’m used to making flan with just egg yolks. To me, using only egg yolks gives the product a creamier less eggy taste. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very good recipe and the flan tasted good. Next time I will only use yolks…8 to 10…not sure.
I snigger at the caramel complaints. If your flan didn’t turn out it is an issue with your cooking skills, not the recipe.