Flan Casero: Silky Baked Caramel Custard - Family Favorite
Flan Casero
Silky baked custard with golden caramel — a beloved homemade dessert for family gatherings.
Nutrition (per serving)
Flan Casero is one of those comforting, show-stopping desserts you bring to family dinners and celebrations. The caramel top glistens when you flip it out of the ramekin, and the custard itself is luxuriously smooth — simple ingredients that come together to make something truly special.
This recipe is approachable whether you’re making your first flan or you’re a seasoned maker. I’ll walk you through gentle caramel-making, a velvety custard base, and the bain-marie bake that gives flan its signature silkiness — the perfect end to any meal.
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar (for caramel):3/4 cup
- Water (for caramel):2 tbsp
- Sweetened condensed milk:14 oz
- Evaporated milk:12 oz
- Whole milk:1 cup
- Large eggs:4 pieces
- Large egg yolks:2 pieces
- Pure vanilla extract:2 tsp
- Kosher salt:1/4 tsp
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange six 6-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan.
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Make the caramel: in a small heavy saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water. Cook over medium heat without stirring until sugar melts and turns a deep amber, swirling the pan occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly pour equal amounts into bottom of each ramekin, tilting to coat the base. Set aside to harden.
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Whisk the custard: in a large bowl whisk together 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 12 oz evaporated milk, 1 cup whole milk, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth and homogeneous. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pourable pitcher to ensure silkiness.
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Pour the strained custard evenly over the set caramel in the ramekins (leave a little space at the top). Place the roasting pan with ramekins in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (bain-marie).
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Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the custards are set at the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and let the ramekins sit in the water bath for 10 minutes.
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Remove ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set and chill.
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To unmold, run a thin knife around the custard edge, invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate, and tap gently to release. Serve chilled with any caramel that flows over the custard.
Tips & Notes
- Watch the caramel closely — it can go from deep amber to burnt in seconds. Remove from heat as soon as you see a rich golden-brown color.
- Straining the custard removes any stray egg strands and ensures a perfectly silky texture.
- Bake in a gentle water bath and avoid high heat to prevent curdling; a little jiggle in the center is perfect — it will set as it chills.
- Make it a day ahead: flan tastes even better after resting overnight, and it frees you up on serving day.
