Easiest Caramel Flan
This Caramel Flan (aka Crème Caramel) is so easy! It's only 5 ingredients and no separating of eggs. Perfect for your next dinner party dessert!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 eggs
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz
- 1½ cans whole milk 21 oz
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
CARAMEL
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Do not stir it. Heat over medium high until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to cook until it begins to turn a light caramel color. Stir only enough evenly distribute the heat.
- Cook another minute or so until it turns a deeper caramel color. Remove from heat immediately, working swiftly as the caramel can burn very quickly. Pour the caramel into a 5 X 9 inch loaf pan or any pan of similar size. carefully tip the pan back and forth to completely cover the bottom and even the sides of the pan. Be careful as the pan may be very hot from the caramel. Set this aside on a rack to cool.
CUSTARD
- Prepare a water bath (aka bain marie) by filling a large pot with water. This pot should be large enough to hold the pan in which you are making your flan. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix again until smooth. Now using the empty can from the sweetened condensed milk, add 1½ cans worth of whole milk. This should be around 21 oz. Add vanilla and whisk the mixture well until very smooth. (You can even do this in a blender or food processor.)
- Strain the custard mixture into the caramel lined pan. The caramel at the bottom will likely have hardened by now and you may hear it crack. This is perfectly normal. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and seal the edges tightly. Set into the water bath with simmering water so the level reaches at least halfway up the loaf pan. Cover and boil the flan for 45-50 minutes or until the center is jiggly. It should feel cooked in the middle but not too firm as it continues to cook more after the water bath.
- Cool the flan completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover with plastic (or you can just use the aluminum foil from cooking) and chill 4 hours or overnight. When it's time to serve, prepare a plate to invert the flan onto. Run a knife around the edges of the flan, place the serving plate on top and carefully flip the whole thing over. The flan should fall out onto the plate. If it doesn't tap the pan lightly and it should release. Spoon the caramel sauce over the flan as you serve and enjoy.