Name: Flan Mexicano - Traditional Mexican Flan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 150 grams / 3/4 cup superfine/caster sugar; 250 milliliters / 1 cup milk; 414 mililiters / 1 can sweetened condensed milk; 3 eggs, room temperature; 3 egg yolks, room temperature; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 30 grams / 2 tablespoons orange juice; 8 grams / 1 tablespoon cornflour; 250 milliliters / 1 cup heavy cream

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This Flan Mexicano - Mexican Flan recipe is smooth and creamy and it’s all topped off with a light caramel sauce that slides right off the top of it. Honestly, this baked custard is so perfect that you don’t even need that sauce, but do try with the sauce first. Have you ever made Flan before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Flan is deceivingly simple and requires little effort, except there are a few essentials to getting a flan that is smooth and doesn’t result in a crack. It’s all in the water bath you bake it in and wrap the baking dish in a tea towel which is the only way I’ve ever had a flan that didn’t crack.

Why you’ll love this

Quick prep

Other than the caramel, you literally throw all the flan ingredients into a blender to combine. It’s so quick!

A great make ahead

Thanks to the fact this needs to be refrigerated post baking makes this a great make ahead dessert.

Ingredients and substitutions for the best Flan Mexicano - Mexican Flan

Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar caramelizes perfectly here without adding additional flavor. You could replace with plain white sugar in equal measure.
Milk: Whole milk was used here for it’s rich creaminess, but you could substitute with a non dairy milk - ideally a thicker one such as oat or even coconut milk.
Sweetened condensed milk: The milk adds creaminess, sweetness without the moisture you get from simply using milk which helps set the baked custard and results in the creamy flavor.
Orange juice: You only need a little, but this helps give our flan a really beautiful subtle flavor alongside the vanilla extract.
Eggs: As well as adding structure and richness to the flan, the eggs will bind everything together and give our dessert it’s nice thick texture.
Cornflour: Acts as insurance to ensure your flan sets here.
Heavy Cream: The heavy cream helps add a nice texture to our flan and helps cut through the sweetness of the sweetened condensed milk

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment needed to make this

Saucepan: A small saucepan is all you need to create your caramel.

Spatula: To stir your caramel to ensure it cooks evenly.

Blender / immersion blender: To create your custard, this is easiest with a blender which combines the ingredients quickly with minimal effort.

2 baking dishes: The dish you’ll bake your flan in and a larger dish your flan dish will fit within as it bakes in a Bain Marie.

Tea towel: This might seem to be the oddest equipment for a baked dish, but placing a clean two bowl in the deeper baking dish helps to insulate your flan and ensure it bakes evenly without cracking.

FAQ’s for the best Flan Mexicano - Mexican Flan

Do you need a water bath to bake flan?

Yes you do! The water bath or Bain Marie helps evenly cook the custard through without the eggs curdling and helps avoid the top drying out during the baking process.

How long should you wait before unmolding flan?

This one requires a little patience as you want the flan to cool completely post baking and then refrigerate it for several hours or preferably overnight to ensure it properly sets.

How do you avoid a watery flan?

The eggs help thicken the creamy ingredients, creating our baked custard so it is essential to use the amount laid out in the recipe.

More custard recipes you’ll love

Crema Catalana

Earl Grey Creme Brulee

Roasted Strawberries and Custard

How to make Flan Mexicano - Traditional Mexican Flan:

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.

Place the sugar into a small saucepan on medium high heat and stir constantly, cooking until the sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize, approximately 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat as soon as it begins to caramelize as the sugar will begin to burn swiftly.

Pour into your flan mold or baking dish immediately and spread across your baking dish as much as possible.

Place the milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, cornflour and heavy cream and blend until well combined.

Strain the custard over the caramelized sugar.

Place a tea towel into the base of a large baking dish and sit the flan dish on top.

Pour enough boiling water in the larger baking dish to reach half way up the sides of your flan dish.

Place in the oven and bake until the custard is only slightly jiggly in the center, approximately 50 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

To serve, carefully run a sharp knife alongside the side of the baking dish to loosen the flan.

Invert onto a serving plate and allow the caramelized sugar syrup to run over before pulling your baking dish away.

Serve up immediately.

Dig in!