Leche Flan: The Delicious Filipino Creme Caramel Legacy
Indulge in the rich, velvety goodness of traditional Filipino leche flan—a silky custard topped with a layer of golden caramel. This classic dessert is a staple at Filipino celebrations, loved for its creamy texture and sweet, melt-in-your-mouth flavour. Made with just a few simple ingredients like egg yolks, condensed milk, and sugar, this timeless recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. Whether you’re looking to impress guests or simply enjoy a taste of home, this authentic leche flan is the perfect treat for any occasion!
Equipment
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 3 Llaneras (or round cake pan)
- Whisk (or fork)
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Wide oven safe dish
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare the caramel:
- Place 3 tablespoons of sugar in each of the llaneras.
- Set llanera on the stove over low heat.
- Using tongs to hold the llanera, move the mould around over the heat until sugar is melted and turns into a golden liquid. Note: Continuously tilt and swirl the llanera to distribute the heat and ensure that the caramel is distributed evenly at the bottom of the mould.
- Remove from heat.
- Allow the caramel to cool and harden.
- Repeat the process with the remaining llaneras.
Prepare the custard mixture:
- Crack an egg on a flat surface.
- Over a bowl, separate the shell at the widest point to create two halves.
- Pass the egg yolk back and forth between the two halves, allowing the egg white to drip down into the bowl.
- Repeat until you are left with just the yolk in the shell.
- Place the egg yolk in a separate large bowl.
- Repeat for the remaining eggs.
- Using your whisk, or a fork, break the egg yolks.
- Add condensed milk. Using a spatula, stir to combine with the yolks.
- Add evaporated milk. Using a spatula, gently stir in a circular motion until mixture is well combined.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture to remove any remaining egg whites. Set aside.
- Wrap the bottom of your llaneras tightly with foil. This is to prevent any water seeping in when you bake the leche flan.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared llaneras.
- Arrange the llaneras in a wide, oven-safe dish with about 1-inch of water (bain marie or water bath).
Bake the leche flan:
- Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the custard comes out clean. If the leche flan is still a little jiggly, bake for an extra 2 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven.
- Remove the llaneras from the dish.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to chill and set completely.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Run a knife along the outer edge of the llaneras.
- Place a serving plate on top of the llanera and turn the flan over.
- Carefully remove the llanera.
- The caramel on top will cover the top, and run down the edges of the flan.
Notes
- Use eggs straight from the refrigerator. Cold eggs hold their shape better, and will make it easier to separate the whites and the yolks.
- Prepare the custard mixture as soon as the eggs are separated. The yolks will form an outer skin when exposed to air for too long.
- Don’t go overboard with mixing the egg-milk mixture. You want to minimise the amount of air in the mixture as this will cause bubbles in the flan when cooked.
- Release any air pockets in the custard mixture, by tapping the llanera on the counter a few times.
- To ensure a smooth, silky consistency, make sure to not miss the step of straining the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining egg whites, bubbles or froth.
- Leche flan is traditionally cooked in llaneras. If you don’t have one handy, you can use a round cake pan. Small ramekins or muffin tins will also work for individual servings. You can prepare the caramel in a saucepan and pour it into the baking dish of your choice.