Filipino Leche Flan Recipe

Leche Flan is a classic Filipino dessert served during special occasions. This flan is rich and decadent that melts in your mouth!

It’s the holidays again, meaning it’s nearly time to make Mom’s yearly Leche Flan recipe!

Ingredients

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these 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 slightly thicker in consistency and fattier in taste compared to standard whole milk, which will give our flan the perfect amount of richness.

Vanilla Extract: Some recipes will omit the vanilla, but my mom always added about a teaspoon of it to her recipe, 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 the sugar into your llanera and heat until it caramelizes into a dark amber color. Set aside to cool and harden.

Gently whisk together the yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract.

Strain and transfer the mixture divided into two llanera molds. Cover and steam the flan for about 30 to 35 minutes, then let set in the refrigerator prior to serving.

Cooking Tips

Let the flan chill overnight: It’s important to let the flan chill overnight to give it firmness, develop its flavors, and to allow the caramel 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 to 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-inches in size and 2-inches 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
• Crunchy Cereal French Toast
• Mango Sago