Coconut Flan Recipe (Flan De Coco)

While I love standard desserts like fresh-out-of-oven cookies or pies, sometimes you want something a bit more elegant to impress guests — a recipe that adds that “wow” factor. That’s not always simple to do, especially if you’re trying to whip something up in your own kitchen. That’s what makes this easy flan recipe such a hit. This Latin American dessert looks like something out of a cooking magazine, but preparing it at home is simpler than you think.

What Is Flan?

If you don’t know what exactly flan is or where it’s from, I’m sure you’re not alone. Flan (pronounced flahhn … not rhyming with “plan”) is a custard dessert with a caramel sauce that likely originated in the Roman Empire.

As the Romans conquered their way through Europe, the dessert was embraced in Spain. And when the Spanish headed to the New World, they took flan with them. It’s popular in Mexico, where you’ll find a ton of variations, and the rest of Latin America as well.

A classic flan recipe requires surprisingly few ingredients: sugar, two types of milk, vanilla, eggs and flour. This version requires just as few ingredients, but we’ll lighten things up a bit by using coconut sugar, which has a lower glycemic index than table sugar but will still sweeten things up. (1) Instead of using traditional evaporated and condensed milks, I opt for the coconut milk versions, which mean folks avoiding dairy can safely enjoy this recipe for flan.

Recipe Nutrition Facts

When it comes to nutrition, how does this flan weigh in? Check it out. One serving of this coconut flan recipe contains approximately: (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)

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• 268 calories
• 4.7 grams protein
• 17.4 grams fat
• 25.54 grams carbohydrates
• 23.36 grams sugar

Though this flan probably shouldn’t make a daily appearance at the dinner table, as far as sweet desserts go, this is a great one to choose!

How to Make Flan

Wondering how to make flan? Before getting started, ensure you have enough time to make this recipe. While the hands-on time is minimal, you’ll want to give yourself at least six hours to make this flan dessert. Or, even better, prepare the flan the night before serving, as it will set in the fridge.

Ready to get cooking? Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar and water.

Stir the two together often to create a thick, caramel-like consistency.

Pour the caramel into a 9-inch glass pie pan, letting it cool so it doesn’t run.

While the caramel cools, whisk the eggs and arrowroot starch in a medium-sized bowl.

Next, add in the two milks and vanilla.

Then, slowly pour the milk mixture into the pie pan — right on top of the cooled caramel.

You’ll then put the pie pan in a baking dish and place it in the oven. Add boiling water to the baking dish to work as a water bath.

Bake the flan dessert for 45–50 minutes in the oven. Let it cool, then place the flan in the fridge, where it will continue setting for four to six hours (or overnight).

When you’re ready to serve, place a large plate face down on top of the pie pan. Then carefully flip the flan onto a serving dish.

This flan recipe will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days …

but I think it’ll be polished off much sooner. Enjoy!

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