“Leche flan is a popular Filipino delicacy made with eggs and milk with sweet caramel sauce toppings. This ultra-rich and creamy custard dessert is perfect to serve at parties.”

Leche Flan is the most popular dessert in the Philippines. It is composed of eggs and milk and topped with soft caramel. It is one of the menus you will find on the dining table during events such as parties and local fiestas.

I remember when I was a kid, my auntie used to cook Leche flan during our town fiesta. She would usually make it a big batch. And she seems to know the ingredients and measurements by heart because she was just putting the ingredients altogether. And the outcome is always a perfectly cooked & creamy flan. Yum!

This party dessert has become a staple on most restaurant menus because of its flavor, ease of preparation, and extended shelf life. Some Pinoys are also making this sweet treat for business especially during the Christmas season which is around the corner. Try this Leche flan recipe and I’m sure your customer will like it. It’s smooth, silky and creamy, and not overly sweet.

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WHAT IS LECHE FLAN?

Leche flan is a Filipino dessert with a smooth and creamy texture topped with caramelized sugar. It is a Filipino version of creme caramel but considerably richer than Spanish flan. Because milk is used, the texture is significantly more jiggly and pudding-like than French flan.

To lighten the flavor and decrease the richness, vanilla extract and key lime (“dayap”) or lemon zest are commonly used.

This sweet delicacy is commonly offered at parties, fiestas, and other special occasions. It’s also a popular topping for shaved ice delights like halo-halo and other desserts like floating island, graham de Leche, or puto flan.

ORIGIN OF LECHE FLAN

The Philippines were colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s. Because of their 300-year dominance, Spanish influences had infiltrated many aspects of Philippine society including food preparation.

Leche flan arrived in the Philippines in the form of creme caramel, a custard dish with a transparent caramel covering.

The original name for the dessert was Leche de flan, which means milk in Spanish. This was directly translated as “flan milk.” They shortened the name to Leche flan over time. With time, the chilled custard with caramelized sugar grew in popularity.

Originally, the dairy base for Leche flan was carabao, or water buffalo milk, which has a higher fat content and a richer flavor.

Soon after, the American colonization began and introduced evaporated and sweetened condensed milk. And as a result of the enhanced convenience of canned milk replaced carabao milk, and the dish quickly became a crowd-pleasing dessert present at every event.

LECHE FLAN INGREDIENTS

The ingredients in making Leche flan are simple and easy to find.

• Sugar – adds sweetness and is use to make the caramel toppings.
• Egg yolks – creates smooth and rich texture on the flan.
• Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk – enhances creaminess to the flan.
• Lime zest or lemon zest – balances the richness of the yolk and milk.
• Vanilla extract – adds depth of flavor that complements the sweetness of the flan

HOW TO MAKE LECHE FLAN

Making Leche flan involves preparing the caramel and the custard mixture. Though complicated as it sounds, it’s actually quite easy to prepare.

Leche flan is traditionally produced in the shape of an oval in aluminum molds known as llaneras. They’re small and light, and they’re frequently made from recycled aluminum containers.

If you don’t have access to a llanera, you can substitute alternative pans or molds, such as a cake mold or small tart molds. It’s important to note that the cooking time for each Leche flan will be affected by the size of the mold.

Caramel Preparation

There are two ways to prepare the caramel. You can either use the mold directly or use a pan to make the caramel.

But whatever method you would use make sure it’s thoroughly melted and with no grains remaining. Also keep an eye on it to avoid burning, which might result in a bitter taste.

Using the llanera. In each llanera, put 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the llanera on the burner over low heat and move it back and forth over the flames with tongs until the sugar has melted and turned to honey gold. To achieve even melting and distribution of the liquid on the bottom of the mold, tilt and swirl the llanera continuously. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool and firm the caramel.

Using a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook, swirling regularly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula over low to medium heat, until sugar dissolves or until the color has changed to honey gold. Allow even browning by gently tilting the pan off the heat using the handle. Pour into molds right away and set aside to harden. This is important as the caramel easily solidifies.

Personally, I like using the llanera directly when making the caramel. Why?

• each mold will have a uniform sugar distribution (2 tablespoons) each.
• if in case you have burnt one caramel, you only spoiled a single mold, not the entire caramel.
• since the caramel solidifies immediately, there is a tendency that it cannot evenly cover the llanera molds. You need to hurry to do this.
• less dishes to wash, hahaha!

Custard preparation

Use cold eggs so the whites and yolks keep their shape and are easier to separate.

Because the yolks will form an outer skin if exposed to the air for too long, make the custard mixture as soon as the eggs are separated.

Break the yolks and stir in the condensed milk to make mixing easier. Add the evaporated milk slowly. Followed by the lime zest and vanilla extract.

It is important to note that you should slowly mix the mixture and in one direction. This is to avoid introducing a lot of air bubbles to make your flan smooth.

To remove lumps from the egg yolks and achieve an even smoother finish, strain the mixture at least 2 times through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Then, transfer the mixture into the prepared molds.

Cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent water from dripping into the mixture (if steaming) or to avoid burning the top (baking).

Cooking the Leche Flan

Leche flan is traditionally prepared by steaming it in a steamer. It’s also popular nowadays to bake it in the oven using a “bain-marie” or a water bath.  I’ll show you both methods so you will have some options.

Steaming. This is the traditional way of cooking Leche flan and the cooking style I am accustomed to. Steaming is convenient as you don’t need to have electricity to make it and fairly easy to cook.

If you’re steaming on the stovetop, keep the fire on low and let water comes to a simmer before placing the llaneras. This is to avoid overheating or overcooking the custard, which could result in a gritty texture.

Steam for about 30-35 minutes and check doneness by inserting a toothpick at the center. If it comes out clean then it is ready. Remove from the steamer and let it cool before transferring to the refrigerator to chill.

Baking. To bake the Leche flan, we will use the commonly called “bain marie” or water bath method.

It’s a baking procedure that is similar to cheesecake or other custards that contain egg yolks or other types of custard. Using water to surround the custard molds or ramekins throughout the baking process ensures uniform and even cooking.

To prepare a water bath, place molds in the bigger pan and fill it halfway with hot water. The heated water within the oven maintains a more consistent amount of moisture and heat for the custard. This keeps the texture of the Leche flan from getting rubbery and overcooking.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F/ 180 °C. Bake for around 30-35 minutes and check with a toothpick test. Remove from the oven and let it cool before transferring to the refrigerator to chill.

Personally, I find that baking the flan in the oven with a water bath creates a velvety smooth texture in my flan. This is because a water bath provides a mild and consistent cooking temperature. How about you, which one do you prefer?

TIPS IN MAKING PERFECT LECHE FLAN

• Make sure that all of the sugar has completely melted and is not grainy when preparing the caramel. It should resemble black honey with no grains remaining. If not, the caramel will melt and leave markings on the sides of the flan when steamed.

• When making the caramel, be careful not to burn the sugar. Burned sugar imparts a harsh flavor to the Leche Flan.

• You can speed up the melting process of the sugar by adding a little water to the sugar.

• Separate the egg whites and yolks as soon as possible. The egg yolks will form a skin if they are exposed to the air. This will result in difficult-to-melt lumps.

• To avoid introducing air to the egg-milk combination, don’t beat it too quickly and stir in one direction only. Bubbles will produce holes in the custard when cooked.

• To remove trapped air pockets, tap the llanera on the counter a few times and set aside for a few minutes.

• Allow for a few minutes for the bubbles to dissipate if the mixture appears foamy.

• Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve to eliminate any stray egg whites or froth for a velvety smooth texture. Some air bubbles will rise to the surface. Using a spoon, gently scoop them out.

• Don’t overcook the custard.

• Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour so the custard will set properly.

HOW TO SERVE

To serve the Leche flan, take it out of the fridge and trace down the edge of the llanera with a sharp knife to release the custard. Turn your serving plate upside down and place it on top of the mold.

To release the Leche flan, quickly turn the plate and mold upside down and tap the mold gently.

Serve as a dessert after a meal, a midday snack, or a topping for iced sweets like halo-halo or máis con Hielo.

HOW TO STORE

This Leche flan will be good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. When keep in the llanera, keep it covered in foil.

To freeze, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight before serving.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is leche flan in English?

The Spanish word Leche flan means “milk custard” in English.

What happens if you overcook leche flan?

When Leche flan is overcooked, it has a rubbery texture and begins to solidify.

If baking, bake the Leche flan in a water bath to add moisture to the oven and slow down the baking process, preventing overcooking.

If steaming, use low heat and steam for about 30-35 minutes.

What’s the difference between creme caramel and leche flan?

Crème caramel and Leche flan are fairly similar and have the same appearance.

There is, however, a distinction between these treats. For example, cream is not used in Leche flan. The creamy flavor comes primarily from evaporated milk and condensed milk. In addition to the sugar in the recipe, condensed milk is used to add sweetness.

Another difference is that creme caramel has a lighter flavor. While Leche flan, at its best and most authentic, tends to be a little heavier and richer in flavor.

Try this Leche flan recipe in your next party celebrations or sell it this coming holiday season and I will guarantee that it will be a hit! Happy tummy!

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