Leche Flan- A Classic Filipino Pudding for Every Celebration
Leche Flan is a Filipino pudding. We always have this as dessert whenever we have celebrations, festivals or occasions in the Philippines.
Whether it’s a birthday, fiesta, New Year or Christmas celebration.
We always have this on our Handa (the food we prepare and serve for special occasions) is not complete without leche flan.
It’s a must have dessert on the table. Kids and adults love leche flan so much.
It’s smooth, melt in your mouth texture and rich caramel top that makes everyone smile.
When I was young, I always anticipate for the leche flan when we have celebrations 🙂
I always look for the leche flan first. I would spot it on the table and get so excited.
I love the smooth leche flan texture than the one with airy bubbly texture.
I’d even eat quickly just so I could have my dessert right away. That was the highlight for me 🙂 The Leche Flan! 🙂
Sometimes, I try making leche flan in different shapes and characters or giving it a little twist too,
like topping it with a scoop of ice cream or in a small tart crust for an extra treat so we can enjoy it even more.
This is the classic way we shape a leche flan using a lyanera.
Leche Flan with vanilla ice cream
Leche Flan
Ingredients
- 10 medium egg yolks
- 1 can (390g) condensed milk
- 1 can (370 ml) evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar (for caramel)
Instructions
Make the caramel
- In a pan, melt the sugar over low heat until it turns golden brown. Immediately pour it into your llanera (or any mold) and spread it evenly before it hardens.
Mix the flan
- In a bowl, combine egg yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix gently—don’t whisk too hard to avoid bubbles.
Strain the mixture
- Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to get a smooth texture. Then pour it into the mold over the caramel.
Steam it
- Cover the mold with foil. Steam for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool before refrigerating.
Serve cold
- Run a knife along the edges and invert it onto a plate to serve. You’ll see that beautiful golden caramel on top.
Notes
- Use a fine strainer when pouring the mixture into the mold. This helps get that silky-smooth, no-bubbles texture that melts in your mouth.
- Stir gently, not whisk. You want to mix the ingredients well, but not create air bubbles.
- Cover the llanera with foil while steaming. This prevents water from dripping onto your flan and making it watery.
- Chill it properly in the fridge before serving. Cold leche flan is firmer and tastes way better.
- Use fresh eggs and milk
- Don’t overcook it. Over-steaming can make the texture rubbery or create bubbles. Check it around 30 minutes.
- Don’t burn the sugar. The caramel should be golden—not dark brown or black. Burnt sugar tastes bitter.
- Don’t rush the cooling. Let it sit before flipping. If you rush, the flan might break apart or stick to the mold.
- Don’t skip the straining. It’s tempting, but it really does make a difference in the final texture.
