Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml water
Tres Leches Custard Base
- 396 g sweetened condensed milk
- 354 ml evaporated milk
- 120 ml whole milk
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 378 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 58 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 57 g
- Sodium
- 203 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 173 mg
- Potassium
- 379 mg
- Calcium
- 293 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 295 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 129 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.52 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 28 mcg
- Water
- 89 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F). Bring a kettle or large pot of water to a boil, which will be used later for the water bath.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Place over medium heat and swirl gently until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Cook until the syrup turns a deep amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Immediately pour the hot caramel into the 8-inch round cake pan. Using oven mitts, carefully tilt and swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom and slightly up the sides. Set aside on a wire rack to cool and harden.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and egg yolks just until broken up. Do not whisk vigorously, as introducing air bubbles will ruin the smooth texture of the final custard.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs. Whisk gently until fully combined.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly into the caramel-coated cake pan. This removes any chalazae or unmixed egg white.
Cover the cake pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place it into the large roasting pan. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
Carefully transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake at 175 C (350 F) for 60 to 70 minutes. The flan is done when the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly like gelatin when gently nudged.
Remove the cake pan from the water bath and let it cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature for about 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, run a thin, flexible knife around the edge of the flan to loosen it. Place a rimmed serving platter over the pan, grip both tightly, and invert in one quick motion. You should hear a satisfying squelch as the flan drops. Lift the pan to reveal the flan and pouring caramel.
Chef's Notes
- Using a rimmed serving dish is critical when unmolding, as the liquid caramel will immediately flood the plate once the vacuum seal is broken.
- The extra egg yolks in this recipe provide a velvety density that mimics the richness of tres leches cake batter while preventing a rubbery bite.
- Straining the custard mixture is a non-negotiable step for professional-quality flan. It guarantees a perfectly homogenous texture without stray bits of cooked egg white.
- To create a sharper, darker caramel profile that balances the sweet milks, cook the sugar to a very dark mahogany, stopping just before it begins to smoke.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep covered or stored in its original mold until ready to serve to preserve the caramel coating.
Troubleshooting
Custard has a spongy texture with air bubbles inside
Cause: The custard boiled in the oven, meaning the water bath dried out or oven temperature was too high. Can also be caused by whisking too much air into the eggs.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the water bath covers at least half the height of the flan mold and do not over-whisk the eggs.
Caramel crystallized and seized into a hard white lump before browning
Cause: Agitation of the sugar syrup while cooking or impurities in the sugar.
Fix: Add a tablespoon of water, cover with a lid for 2 minutes to let steam melt the crystals, then remove lid and continue cooking. If severely burnt or crystallized, discard and start over.
Prevention: Never stir the sugar once it boils. Swirl the pan gently instead. Adding a drop of lemon juice can prevent crystallization.
Flan collapsed or cracked upon unmolding
Cause: Flan was not chilled long enough to set, or the knife used to loosen it dug into the custard.
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but still tastes delicious. Serve in bowls instead of slicing.
Prevention: Always chill for a minimum of 8 hours. Use a very thin, flexible blade kept pressed flush against the pan wall.
Cultural Context
Flan arrived in Latin America via Spanish colonization, evolving significantly based on local ingredients. The Mexican adaptation utilizing canned milks (sweetened condensed and evaporated) emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Combining the traditional flan technique with the beloved 'tres leches' profile creates a definitive Latin American dessert that is rich, reliable, and deeply comforting.
