What is the difference between flan and creme brulee?

Flan and creme brulee are silky smooth custards with a beautiful texture and lavish flavor. The main difference is that flan has a denser texture and is topped with a soft and gooey caramel sauce. Creme brulee is lighter in texture and topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar. Also, flan hails from Latin American cuisine, while creme originates from French.

What is flan usually made of?

Traditional flan is made of eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream, whole or evaporated milk, and sugar. It may be flavored with vanilla, coconut extract, coffee, or orange.

Does flan have gelatin?

Flan, or crème caramel, doesn't have gelatin; it is an egg-based custard made of eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream, whole or evaporated milk, and sugar.

Do you need to cover flan with foil while baking?

You do not need to cover the flan with aluminum foil while it is in the oven.

Can you make the flan ahead of time?

Make this flan at least 2 hours before serving so that it has time to set.

How to serve coconut flan?

Once you flip the flan onto a serving platter, the dessert will be covered with a golden caramel sauce. Slice the flan and spoon the caramel over each serving. Garnish with fresh berries if you desire.

Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan) Recipe

Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan)

Coconut flan decorated with coconut chips and served on a white plate.

Print Recipe

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Enjoy this easy gluten-free coconut flan (flan de coco) recipe to make one of the most impressive desserts. Made with condensed milk and topped with caramel, this delicate custard is worth making at least once in a lifetime. But once you try it, you will indeed repeat that experience!

Author: Irina Totterman
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus resting time)
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Custards
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

For custard:

1 cup (255 g) evaporated milk
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (245 g) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon (12 g) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoons (125 ml) cold water
2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons (80 g) shredded coconut

For caramel:

2/3 cup + 3 1/2 tablespoons (200 g) granulated sugar
10 teaspoons (50 ml) water

For decoration:

0.3 oz (10 g) roasted coconut chips

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** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C). Prepare a 9-inch/23 cm pie pan or pie plate to pour caramel right away.
To make the caramel, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour water, add white sugar, and bring to a boil. Once the caramel turns golden, pour it into the bottom of the prepared apn and let it cool down.
To make the custard, in a separate bowl, add whole eggs and brown sugar and whisk with a hand whisk. Add evaporated milk and combine. Add sweetened condensed milk and cold water, and whisk again. Finally, add coconut and mix.
Pour the preparation into the pie tin over the caramel. Place the tin inside a large frying pan, bring it to the oven rack, and carefully add warm water. The water level should reach about halfway up the flan tin. Bake the flan for 50-60 minutes.
Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool at room temperature in the water bath. Then remove the flan pan.
Once the flan is cool, slide a sharp knife between the custard and the mold. Then place a serving plate on top of the mold and flip the flan quickly using a sharp move. The flan will be covered with caramel on top, while the coconut forms a biscuit-like base.
Decorate the flan with coconut flakes or coconut chips. Allow 2 hours for the flan to set.

Notes

Make sure your pie pan is ready to pour the caramel in. Once the caramel gets golden, pour it right away until it hardens.
While cooking the caramel, stir it constantly or rotate the pan on top of the stove without using any spoon. It is essential to catch the right color of ready caramel!
Tilt the pan in every direction to get a nice coating of caramel in the pan. Then let it harden.
Keep the flan (still in the pan) in the fridge until ready to serve. Before serving, bring it to the oven at 355°F (180°)C for a few minutes to liquefy the caramel. Then flip it over and serve.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 340
Sugar: 47.2 g
Sodium: 107 mg
Fat: 13.7 g
Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 8.1 g
Cholesterol: 102 mg

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/coconut-flan-by-gracie/