Leche Flan (Filipino Creme Caramel)

Leche Flan is a traditional Filipino dessert influenced by Spanish history. Served during special occasions, this dessert is rich and decadent that melts in your mouth!

Watch the Leche Flan Recipe Video Below!

It’s the holidays again, meaning it’s nearly time to make my mom’s yearly Leche Flan recipe.

Many different cultures have their own standards and cooking methods to make flan, though this Filipino version utilizes a steamer to cook the flan on a gentle heat.

Some recipes will have you use a water bath, which is a more modern method. I’ve experimented using a water bath and it still turned out great in terms of texture, flavor, and appearance!

Whichever method you use is entirely up to you, though this recipe mainly hilights the steaming method to keep up with tradition.

What is Leche Flan?

Leche Flan is the Filipino version of the European Creme Caramel, notably with differences in its ingredients and cooking method. You could also say it’s more similar to the Mexican version of flan.

One of the main differences include the sole use of egg yolks for this recipe. It dates back to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, where Filipinos had to utilize the leftover yolks since the whites were being used as binding material to build churches and other infrastructure.

The condensed milk and evaporated milk eventually became a later modification, when Americans inhabiting the Philippines in the Second World War brought with them canned goods.

Traditionally, the iconic oval shape is achieved by the use of a “llanera“, which are tin molds specifically made for making leche flan or Filipino hardinera. You can melt the sugar directly onto the llanera until it caramelizes, then once it hardens, we pour the custard into the molds and steam them until set.

Simply invert them onto a serving plate the next day, and you’ll have a rich, decadent flan with the classic amber caramel layer on top.

You can find this Filipino dessert being served in most special occasions like fiestas, holidays, or other special occasions. It also just happens to be one of my favorite toppings to eat with halo halo, a Filipino shaved ice dessert!

Ingredients

Egg yolks: The use of only yolks for this recipe creates a much richer, denser, and velvety flan.

Condensed milk: You’ll want to go for the canned sweetened condensed milk. 10 oz is all we need for this recipe, but you can also go for the 12 oz can if you prefer the flan to be sweeter.

Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk is essentially milk that’s been heated to allow most of its water to evaporate. This leaves the millk slightly thicker in consistency and fattier in taste, which will give our Leche Flan the perfect amount of richness.

Vanilla Extract: Some recipes will omit the vanilla, which is great if you’re not a fan of the flavor or if you wanted to go for the traditional recipe. My mom always added about a teaspoon of vanilla to her Leche Flan, and so I’ve grown to love it.

Sugar: Sugar will form the hardened, caramel base for our flan that will give it that signature taste and appearance.

How to Achieve Silky and Smooth Leche Flan

Making any kind of flan requires technique to ensure a velvety texture, aka. little to no holes in the flan and a smooth, silky mouthfeel. This can be achieved by minimizing the amount of air bubbles incorporated into the flan and by cooking it low and slow…

Here are 3 key tips to achieve that perfect Leche Flan texture:

1. Mix gently: Resist the urge to whisk the custard vigorously! The faster we mix, the greater risk of air we incorporate into the flan, resulting with air bubbles.
2. Strain and tap: Strain the custard mixture at least once or twice to filter out any impurities and bits of egg from the custard. Tapping the llanera/flan mold against your kitchen counter is also another technique you can do to pop and release those pesky air bubbles.
3. Steam low and slow: Steaming the flan on a gentle, steady heat will help you achieve that silky, smooth mouthfeel texture. This means setting your stove dial to about a medium-low, just enough so that the water is simmering. Otherwise, cooking the Leche Flan too fast on too high of a heat can result with rubbery, overcooked, and eggy flan.

Instructions

Spoon 5 tbsp of sugar into your llanera and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Continue to heat and stir the sugar until it caramelizes into a dark amber color. Set aside to cool and harden.

*If not using a llanera: In a saucepan, heat 5 tbsp of sugar over medium-high, stirring constantly. Continue to heat and stir the sugar until it caramelizes into a dark amber color. Pour the caramelized sugar into your flan molds (e.g., ramekins, baking dish, etc.) and set aside to cool and harden.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add the yolks to a bowl, then slowly break the yolks with a whisk and stir gently until smooth.

Pour in the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Stir gently until smooth and evenly incorporated.

(Strain this mixture at least 3 times to remove any stray egg bits and impurities).

Bring your steamer to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Divide the mixture into 2 llaneras and cover tightly with foil.

Steam for 30 – 35 minutes (doneness can be checked if a toothpick inserted into the centre of the flan comes out clean).

Let set in the refrigerator overnight. Invert onto a serving plate and enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Let the flan chill overnight: It’s important to let the flan chill overnight to give it some firmness (prevents it from breaking apart too easily), and because it allows the caramel a chance to stick onto the flan itself.

Avoid overcooking: As with any flan, overcooking can cause the texture to become overly hard and rubbery due to curdling of the milk. Be sure to check on the flan when it’s nearly finished to avoid this. Here are a few signs to tell if your flan is ready:

• Visual Test: The edges of the flan should appear set and firm, and the overall appearance (prior to turning over) is glossy and smooth.
• Jiggle Test: Your flan should jiggle slightly in the centre when shook.
• Toothpick or Knife Test: A toothpick or thin knife inserted into the centre of the flan should come out clean.
• Touch Test: When lightly touched with the pads of your finger, the flan should feel firm with a slight bounce, but not overly hard or solid.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How long can I keep the flan?

Flan should be kept refrigerated for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Where can I buy a llanera?

You can purchase llaneras for fairly cheap in most Asian or Filipino groceries. They can come in different sizes, but for reference, the molds I used for this recipe measured 7×5″ in size and 2″ deep

What if I don’t have a llanera?

While this recipe was designed to be steamed in a llanera, you can still follow the recipe as-is.

You may need to make your caramel in a separate pan to pour into your alternate molds (rather than heating it directly from the llanera).

You may also need to adjust your cooking accordingly as different mold dimensions can directly affect steaming times (e.g., larger, deeper pans require longer cook times due to its volume and size compared to mini tart molds).

What do I do with leftover egg whites?

Don’t think you’d need to throw away your leftover egg whites after making leche flan! There are so many different uses for it that you can even make a second dessert to serve on your dinner table. Here’s a couple of my favorite uses for the whites:

• Macarons
• Chiffon cake
• Meringue
• Marshmallows
• Soufflé

If you’re a fan of decadent desserts, then definitely give some of these trending recipes a try!:

• Classic Mango Float
• Turon (Filipino Banana Springrolls)
• Crunchy Cereal French Toast
• Mango Sago