Leche Flan Recipe

Leche Flan is a delicacy comprised of eggs and milk with a silky caramel topping. It resembles crème caramel and caramel custard. This wonderful delicacy is well-known around the world.It has become a staple on most restaurant menus due to its delicious taste, ease of preparation, and extended shelf life. It can also be used as a component in other delicious dessert recipes.

This is a popular dessert in the Philippines. Special occasions would be incomplete without it. It is a mainstay at parties, fiestas, and Christmas dinners. My Lola Belen used to cook Leche Flan while I lived in Las Pinas. It truly tasted rich and wonderful. Everyone in our clan constantly asks her to prepare it on important occasions. I’m fortunate since my wife understands how to make a good one too. This is her exact recipe. If I did it my way, you might be served Leche Flan that tastes like Egg Pie instead.

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

It is a traditional Filipino delicacy derived from the creme caramel of European heritage. However, there is a distinction between these treats. Leche flan, for example, does not include cream. Its creamy flavor is primarily derived from evaporated and condensed milk. In addition to the sugar in the recipe, you can use condensed milk to add sweetness. Additionally, creme caramel tastes lighter. While Leche flan, at its best and most authentic, is typically thicker and richer in flavor.You make this by baking caramel on the bottom of a custard mold. And it’s a luscious custard treat that will leave you wanting more. This is because, aside from its delectable rich, sweet flavor, it is customarily served in a llanera. While this oblong metal container is particularly useful for baking, its modest size typically necessitates careful distribution of the dessert among a group of people who wish to share the popular custard.

But, of course, there is always the option to just produce more. And if you want a clear and straightforward guide to make this delectable treat, I’ve got you covered! If you want to learn more about leche flan, keep scrolling. Finally, you may cook it with me using an easy-to-follow recipe.

Where did Leche flan come from?

During the 1500s, the Spanish colonized the Philippines. Because of their roughly 300-year dominance, Spanish influences had entered many aspects of Philippine society. And this, of course, involves cooking.

During the Spanish colonization, various Catholic missionaries arrived in the Philippines to construct churches. Many of these churches were built primarily from egg whites. This is due to their ability to act as a powerful adhesive when coupled with quicklime. However, because egg whites were so widely used, they needed to develop ways to employ the egg yolks that remained.

Of course, egg yolks are a vital ingredient in leche flan. This is how the dish was born. The dessert was originally known as Leche de flan, which means milk in Spanish. The direct translation was “flan milk”. They eventually condensed the phrase to “leche flan.” The chilled custard with caramelized sugar gained popularity over time.

Soon, American colonialism occurred, resulting in various adjustments to the Leche flan. Because of the introduction of canned food products such as canned condensed milk and canned evaporated milk, most recipes now call for these components in large quantities to make a traditional Leche flan. This resulted in the dessert’s rich, dense flavor and texture that we know and love today.

But, while it may be impossible to grow bored of this delectable treat, there are several more varieties you might want to try making yourself!

How To Cook Leche Flan

Making your own leche flan is simple if you use the recipe below and watch the cooking video. Begin by beating the egg yolks in a mixing basin. You can do it manually with a fork, or use a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Ensure the eggs are smooth. Gradually add the milk. Start with the condensed milk, then add the fresh milk and vanilla extract. Continue to beat all of the ingredients in the bowl until they are well combined. Set this aside for now as you prepare for the next step.

Grab your llanera or baking pan and sprinkle some sugar on it. Heat it over a stovetop while holding the pan. Wear oven gloves to protect your hands. You’ll need to cook it until the sugar melts and becomes caramel. Once this has occurred, evenly distribute the caramel around the llanera or mold. Slowly pour the mixture into each mold, then cover with foil.

The final step is to steam the mold. Simply place all of the molds in a steamer and steam for around 30 minutes or so, until the mixture turns into delicious flan. At this point, you can decide whether to eat it right away or wait a little longer. At this moment, I usually attempt to remain calm and wait for it to pass. I then refrigerate the flan for optimal results.

What are some related recipes I could make?

Oven-Baked Leche Flan

This version is ideal for making more than one dish of Leche flan because it allows you to cook with a variety of containers. Because this variant uses an oven rather than steaming, any oven-safe mold, such as a cake pan, can be used. Despite this, the flavor is still as tantalizing and wonderful as it has always been: smooth, rich, and creamy from the inside out. You should also keep in mind that this recipe calls for the use of a water bath throughout the baking process. This is necessary to ensure that your custard does not break while baking.

Leche Puto.

Leche flan is already a deliciously sweet and delightful dish to enjoy on its own. But when combined with an equally popular traditional Filipino dessert or snack? Maybe even better! The Leche Puto version makes use of the puto’s more firm, cake-like texture, which complements the richness of our custard dessert. This will make a beautiful but simple dessert to serve after dinner or on a special occasion. The Leche Puto recipe takes only one hour to prepare and is a dish you should try for your family.

Ingredients