Flan Recipe With Egg Yolks

This is your ultimate guide to making Leche flan. Perfectly smooth, ultra-creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Filipino flan made of egg yolks, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Cook in the oven or in a steamer. Step-by-step photos, a recipe video, and lots of tips are all here!

Leche flan is the most ultra-luxurious Filipino dessert of all time! Known to many as creme caramel, flan, and caramel custard. Back home in the Philippines, we call it leche flan, derived from

Traditional Filipino flan is made of 3 main ingredients but my recipe includes simple additions to balance the richness and enhance the overall flavor (in short, hindi nakakaumay).

Flan (creamy Egg Custard With Caramel)

My recipe yields a rich and smooth custard that's less sweet compared to other recipes. It uses 12 egg yolks and equal amounts of milk. It's just the perfect mix!

Now let's talk about the number of egg yolks. If you're wondering why other recipes call for 12 egg yolks while others call for 10. Read on!

When making leche flan, the goal is to use up whole cans of milk so you don't have to think about what to do with the leftovers.

Pinoy Cooking Recipes

In the Philippines, canned milk is sold in smaller sizes/amounts. While in most countries like here in Singapore, they are commonly sold in large cans.

Thus, the varying number of egg yolks appears to be based on the size of the canned milk available to the cook,

Here's a rough guideline to help you decide how many egg yolks to use based on the sizes of canned milk I've seen online.

Leche Flan (caramel Custard)

Ultimately, the control lies more with the condensed milk–the more you put, the sweeter the flan will be. Some recipes even use 2 cans of condensed milk!

Traditionally, leche flan is cooked in oval baking pans called llaneras (lyaneras). These are thinner than a regular pan and are made in the Philippines. Some Filipino stores abroad carry this but quite seldom.

As an alternative, you can use two 7-inch round cake pans or two 8-inches oval cheesecake pans. Ramekins can also be used which requires a shorter cooking time.

All Egg Yolk Leche Flan

This is the very first step I do when making leche flan. It's super easy and there are two ways you can make it–the stovetop and oven method.

You can make the caramel per llanera or in one big batch using a pot then just pour the syrup into each tin mold while still hot.

It's really as simple as combining all the ingredients in a bowl. For a smooth and silky flan, strainthe mixture through a sieve or muslin cloth to remove any bits of egg and air bubbles (step 4).

Leche Flan (filipino Creme Caramel) Recipe

The steaming method is a much quicker way of cooking the flan as the cooking vessel is more compact. However, the chance of overcooking is quite high especially if you forget to adjust the heat to low.

Cooking the flan in the oven using the water bath method is somewhat similar to steaming. By placing a pan of water in the oven, moisture is added providing a gentle heat source. Basically, this method helps cook the custard evenly under dry heat.

Whichever method you choose to use, remember that the secret to making a smooth and silky flan without any curdle or bubbles are COOKING IT IN GENTLE HEAT and NOT OVERCOOKING. That's it!

Classic Whole Milk Flan

After the flan has cooled, chill it in the fridge OVERNIGHT. This will completely set and firm up the custard and will allow the caramel to liquefy. If you unmold it too soon, it may still be hard and not blend with the custard.

Truly one of the most beloved Filipino desserts, serve on every special occasion, fiesta, Christmas, and New Year. Eating it is always a treat and always puts me in a mood to celebrate.

But of course, you don't have to wait for any occasion. Make it whenever the craving strikes! Enjoy it on its own with tea or coffee or use it as a topping for halo-halo, saging con yelo (minatamis na saging), and even mais con yelo (crushed ice layered with corn kernels and sweetened milk).

Leche Flan (filipino Baked Custard) Recipe

Leche flan should last in the fridge for 3 to 5 days but I highly recommend consuming it within 3 days for the best flavor and texture.

You can store the leftover egg whites in the fridge until ready to use. It should last in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Evaporated milk can be substituted with fresh milk but the flavor will slightly be different as the former has an added caramel milk flavor.

Silky Leche Flan

The secret to making a smooth and silky flan without any curdle or bubbles is COOKING IT IN LOW HEAT and NOT OVERCOOKING.

Large llanera/baking pan will need 35 to 40 mins in a steamer; 45 to 50 mins in the oven; ramekins will need about 18 to 20 minutes in a steamer and 25 to 30 mins in the oven.

The flan is cooked when the custard is set around the edges and the center is set but will still be a bit jiggly. It will continue to cook as it cools and the center is completely firm. Do not overcook, as it will cause uneven texture and bubbles.

Filipino Leche Flan Recipe (oven Or Steamer)

After the flan has cooled, chill it in the fridge OVERNIGHT. This will completely set and firm up the custard and will allow the caramel to liquefy. If you unmold it too soon, it will still be hard and not blend with the custard.

Smooth, ultra-creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Filipino flan made of egg yolks, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Cook in the oven or in a steamer. Step-by-step photos, a recipe video, and lots of tips are all here!

Riverten Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.comOne of the most popular Latin desserts, flan is a rich, sweet custard topped with caramel sauce. It’s made with a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and other flavorings, and then baked gently in a water bath until it is set but still creamy. The custard is then inverted onto a plate, revealing a layer of saucy caramel on top. Flan is almost identical to the French custard dessert crème caramel; it’s also similar to crème brûlée, only it’s a bit denser and, instead of the brittle caramel top, the caramel is liquid. Though it looks impressive, flan is actually quite simple to make. This classic version adapted from Cook’s Illustrated is my go-to recipe. It’s prepared in a loaf pan rather than a wide cake pan, so it’s easy to unmold without breaking—and since it’s made up to four days ahead of time, it’s a wonderful dessert for company.

The Best Creme Caramel Custard

To make this flan, you’ll need three different types of milk: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk.  If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 2% or half-and-half, but skim milk is not recommended. The splash of bourbon is my addition to the recipe – it adds incredible depth of flavor – but if you’d like to omit it, simply increase the vanilla by two teaspoons.

Since the recipe calls for 2 whole eggs and 5 egg yolks, you’ll have lots of leftover egg whites. If you’re looking for easy and delicious ways to use them up, check out my chocolate chip meringue cookies and coconut macaroons.

Stir the sugar and 1/4 cup water together in a medium saucepan until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, without stirring. Continue cooking until the mixture begins to turn golden.

Easy And Perfectly Smooth Leche Flan |

Carefully swirl in 2 tablespoons of warm tap water until incorporated – be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam. The water helps thin the caramel, so it doesn’t all stick to the pan after the flan bakes in the oven.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a larger bowl. The strainer will catch little bits of egg that you don’t want in your flan.

Place the loaf pan in the center of a 9×13-inch baking or roasting pan (preferably with high sides) to make a water bath. Place the nested pans in the oven; using a tea kettle or pitcher, pour hot water around the loaf pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. The purpose of the water bath is to moderate the heat and ensure that the mixture cooks evenly into a smooth and creamy custard. (Cheesecake uses the same technique.)

Easy Flan Recipe (flan De Queso)

Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. Very carefully pull back the foil (there will be steam that has accumulated under it) to ensure the custard is set around the edges but still a bit jiggly in the center. The custard should not be completely set when it is removed from the oven; it will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the pans from the oven. Remove the foil and leave the flan in the water bath for about one hour to cool.

Remove the loaf pan from water bath, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight or up to 4 days. To unmold