Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (2024)

FAQs

Is the caramel in flan supposed to harden? ›

Quickly pour the hot caramel into the bottom of each ramekin. (The caramel will harden against the bottom of the ramekin almost immediately – this is normal, so don't worry about it!)

Too many air bubbles will cause your flan to be spongey and not creamy. Using a water bath helps the flan cook evenly and not too fast. If the flan cooks fast, it will create air bubbles. We don't want air bubbles in our flan.

“Leche Flan” is the Filipino version of Crème brûlée and is also known as Crème caramel. The main difference with this Filipino dessert is that leche flan is Jello-like in consistency, while crème brûlée is pudding-like. Another difference is how the leche flan is cooked.

It's normal. Caramel hardens when you pour it into a ramekin but gradually melts into syrup during cooking. If the layer of caramel poured into a ramekin is too thick, it will not have time to completely melt during cooking.

Refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours. They will be easier to cut and wrap). The caramel will seem hard in the fridge after they're set, but they should be soft at room temperature.

It's always the simple things in life that are the most difficult to master. With flan the key to a smooth texture is the cooking temperature. Cooked for too long or cooked at too high of a temperature and the custard will have a slightly pock-y curdled texture.

The consistency of flan is very smooth and creamy with a sweet, milky flavor. It's also topped with a thin caramel sauce, made by carefully melting granulated sugar until golden brown. Flan is cooked upside down, with the caramel sauce going into the baking dish first, then the custard mixture on top.

The taste is unique & you can't find it in any other dessert. While eggs are an essential part of the dessert, some flan fans believe the flavor becomes eggy if there is too much egg.

After 1 hour, check with a knife inserted just off-center into one of the servings: If the knife comes out clean, the flan is ready. If not, leave it in the oven for 15 more minutes. If baking a whole flan, thump the side of the dish after 1 hour, and if it wobbles as one, the flan is ready.

Covering the custard not only prevents it from forming a skin, but also helps it cook faster. When testing flans baked covered versus uncovered, the covered flans baked in one-third less the time.

Should flan jiggle when done? ›

Out of the oven

The flan is ready to be removed from the oven when it has begun to set. Gently shake the pan: the centers of the custard should jiggle slightly. You can also insert the tip of a knife into the custard near the center; if the flan is still liquid, it needs more time in the oven.

The former has that signature crackly sugar crust on top, and the latter has the gooey, soft caramel top. Crème brûlée is served within mini soufflé dishes, and flan is served out of the baking dish, standing alone. And it's also the culture each dessert hails from: French and Latin American cuisines, respectively.

Creme Brulee is famous because it is usually topped with brown sugar. Flan refers to a sweet custard-like dessert, topped with caramel.

While a typical caramel recipe calls for heavy cream, what if you don't have any handy? This easy recipe uses milk and butter instead, ingredients you're more likely to have on hand. If you want to make delicious caramel sauce without running to the store, this recipe will do the trick.

Sugar is hydophilic - it absorbs moisture. Some of the moisture in the custard is absorbed by the hard caramel, eventually dissolving it to the point it becomes a liquid. The process takes a while - it doesn't just happen when the flan is being baked - most of it happens during the cooling period, in the refrigerator.

Your flan should be done when it's lightly colored and firm to the touch but not solid. To double check, stick the blade of your knife in the center of the flan and halfway down; the blade should come out clean. Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven, then remove the flan from the water bath.

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

Give your caramel at least two hours to set, or overnight if possible. You can also pop caramel into the fridge to help it set up faster. The caramel will sweat a little when brought out of the fridge, but will still taste fine. If you don't eat it right away, here's how to store caramel.