Cuban Flan Recipe

So what is flan, anyway, you ask? If it's not a dessert you grew up eating, it can be a bit hard to define this tasty stuff. At first glance, a serving of flan (or an entire wheel of it) may look rather like a dense cake. But take a bite, and the texture turns out to be more like a thick custard. As for taste? Well, that's where things get pretty good. Because this Cuban flan recipe, crafted by chef and recipe developer Miriam Hahn, is made with eggs, condensed milk, and evaporated milk as the primary ingredients. It's sweet and rich, but ready to take on any flavors added.

And in this case, the flavors added include cinnamon and vanilla, so it's a delightful taste indeed. Dress the flan up with your favorite syrup and some fresh fruit, too, if you'd like, but that might just be gilding the lily. Served as is, this flan is a treat you will enjoy making and love serving. "I started making this years ago because my in-laws really love flan and it was a fun thing to bring to their house for dinner," Hahn explains. You might just start treating this as your go-to dessert recipe when relatives visit — keep reading to learn how to make it!

As noted, the three primary ingredients in this flan are eggs, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a can of evaporated milk. You'll also need a generous amount of cane sugar, some water, whole milk, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. This is one of those recipes where clever cooking techniques convert ingredients in special ways, and it all starts with simply working with sugar and hot water, then adding creamy ingredients from there.

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 F. Then, put the sugar and water in a medium pot and bring the heat up to medium-high. Stir frequently as the sugar begins to melt and dissolve. After about 10 minutes, the mixture will dry out and it may be more difficult to stir. Keep stirring frequently and when the mixture has been cooking for about 20 minutes, it will get darker in color and turn into caramel. Keep stirring until all lumps are broken down. "This entire process takes about 30 minutes," says Hahn.

Now, pour the caramel into an 8-inch round pan or a standard loaf pan. Using oven mitts, swirl the pan around so the caramel coats the sides of the pan, then set it aside to cool. "When you add the caramel to the baking pan it is important to swirl it around the pan so it coats the sides of the pan as well," Hahn says. "This isn't really that hard but the caramel is super hot and it makes the pan hard to handle."

Now it's time to add the eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Beat everything together on medium speed with a hand mixer for about two minutes, working until all of the ingredients are blended together. It's pretty easy to imagine how well these ingredients will pair with the caramel layer! Next, pour this mixture into the prepared pan on top of the caramel layer, making sure it evenly settles down into the pan.

Place the pan with the raw flan into a 9x12-inch Pyrex baking dish, then add water to the Pyrex so that it reaches halfway up your flan pan. Then place these stacked pans into the hot oven. Bake the flan uncovered for one hour, then cover it with foil and bake for 40 more minutes. Then pop the pans out of the oven, allow the flan to cool, then place it in the fridge overnight or for at least four hours.

To serve your Cuban flan, run a knife along the edges to loosen the sides from the pan, then turn it upside down onto a plate and serve with any toppings you'd like! "I think it pairs really well with fresh berries," says Hahn. "Some people like it with whipped cream and it goes great with a cup of coffee."