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!)

Of course, flan is not very vegan-friendly. However, creating a delicious vegan flan with the same rich and creamy textures is possible with plant-based ingredients. The combination of oat milk, cornstarch, and vegan butter emulates the egg-based custard that everyone loves.

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.

That said, creme caramel is often made with a combination of whole egg and egg yolks while flan uses only whole eggs and often doesn't contain sweetened or condensed milk. However, the end results are desserts that are nearly identical in taste and texture and the different names are used interchangeably.

Crème brûlée is a baked custard made with cream, sugar and egg yolks with a thin layer of sugar on top that is caramelized with a kitchen torch to create a hard caramel crust. Flan is also a custard made with cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks, but it's baked in a caramel-lined ramekin until soft and jiggly.

Egg yolks are made up of fat, protein and about 50% water. The fat in the yolk gives desserts like crème brûlée, crème caramel and flan their creamy and smooth texture. However, if we tried to make flan with yolks alone it would not set, because the mixture wouldn't contain enough protein and water.

Cool fully in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, run a paring knife or offset spatula along the edge to loosen the flan from the dish and flip over onto a rimmed plate to catch the caramel sauce.

Crystals will form if the temperature is too high, and also if you do not keep up with wiping down the sides of the pot with a brush dipped in cold water.

Flan is a gently cooked custard with a clear glaze of caramel on its top. I like it when the caramel has been cooked until it's an auburn brown, the texture of the custard is silky smooth and when I can really taste a hint of vanilla.

Both custard and pudding are sweet, goopy desserts made mostly from cream and then cooked. However, custard (and therefore flan) is made with eggs and sweetened milk alongside the cream, and flan itself includes caramel.

What culture eats flan? ›

Flan is a popular dessert in Spain and Latin America, also known as creme caramel due to its indulgent custard base topped with delicious caramel. It's one of those delicacies that are irresistible and once you try it, you can't stop eating it.

The key to getting it right is to use soft caramels as opposed to hard. You must also add some sort of liquid, such as milk or cream, to prevent the caramels from drying out. Knowing these tricks will help you to melt caramels with ease.

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.

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.

What Is Flan? "Flan" can refer to a couple different things depending on where you live. In this case, it's a baked custard dessert topped with caramel. The Spanish dessert is similar to the French crème caramel.

“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.

Both custards and puddings begin with a base of sweetened cream or milk. The main difference is the ingredient used as a thickening agent. Eggs are an essential ingredient in custard, as they give the dessert its gelatinous texture. Instead of egg proteins, flour or cornstarch are thickeners in puddings.

When it comes to crème brûlée and flan, it's mostly the toppings that distinguishes the two, as well as the presentation. The former has that signature crackly sugar crust on top, and the latter has the gooey, soft caramel top.