A silky smooth, creamy egg custard coconut flan covered in a rich, sweet caramel sauce creates the perfect ending to any meal. This truly is an aesthetically gorgeous dessert. While seemingly complicated, a flan is anything but. The ingredients are few and the preparation and bake are quite simple. It’s gluten and dairy free with all the flavor you expect. We love the Americas for this dessert thanks to Spanish exploration with roots in the Roman empire. Now that’s a worldly treat.
“Flan” Meaning
The word “flan” has two meanings. In culinary terms, it simply refers to the French “crème caramel” meaning caramel cream dessert. It is also used colloquially to denote “nervousness”. In Spanish, someone may refer to a nervous individual as a “flan” meaning they “jiggle like jello”. The English equivalent is to “shake like a leaf”. That, my friends, is why this incredibly tasty, jiggly dessert is called a “flan”.
A Little Custard (Flan) History
Custard or flan using canned milk became really popular in the early 20th century. Fresh milk, particularly in South American countries, was difficult to come by and expensive. Canned milk was easy to find and cheap to buy. Even earlier than that, during the Roman Empire in the first century, flan was created to use up leftover milk and eggs. Who would’ve thought this beautiful creamy dessert is a result of leftovers. It sort of gives leftovers a new perspective, huh?
My Coconut Flan Inspiration
I enjoy a good traditional flan. Over the past several years, I’ve encountered both gluten and dairy issues. However, for whatever reason, I’m currently able to tolerate both in moderation. There are so many flan recipes online. However, I wanted to cater to those like me that need a little break occasionally from gluten and/or dairy.
When I decided to play around with a recipe, I thought this coconut version would be really coconut-y. To my surprise, even with the coconut milks, the coconut flavor is undetectable (neither myself nor Scott could taste it). So, I thought… great! If you don’t like coconut, no problem! If you DO like coconut, no problem! For you coconut lovers, just add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract. BAM! So many of us can enjoy this dessert! Let’s check out my coconut version.
Coconut Flan Ingredients
For this Coconut Flan recipe ingredients, you’ll need granulated sugar, canned unsweetened coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and toasted coconut for an optional topping.
Preheat Oven & Boil Water
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F (177˚C). Ensure one of the oven racks is in the center of the oven. Boil water in a tea kettle over the stove to use for the bain-marie or baño maria which is the “water bath” we need to bake the flan. A water bath simply prevents custards from developing a crusty exterior as it bakes.
Make the Caramel Sauce
This caramel sauce is a dry sauce meaning there is no liquid. All you need is sugar. In a medium saucepan, add 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar. Cook over medium-high heat. Stir consistently until the sugar melts and becomes a golden (amber) caramel color (8-10 minutes).
TIP: As the sugar begins to melt, it will clump to look like rock candy. Continue to stir until the sugar melts completely.
Pour the Caramel into a Pie Plate
Once completely melted, stir the caramel as you remove it from the heat, so it doesn’t burn as it continues to cook in the hot saucepan. Pour the caramel into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate and swirl the plate to spread the caramel to cover the plate bottom. Place the pie plate it in a larger pan (casserole dish) with higher sides. Set aside to cool.
TIPS: The caramel will harden as it sits in the pie plate. It will melt again as it cooks in the oven. As the caramel solidifies you may hear it crack but don’t worry it’s the candy, not your pan.
Prepare the Coconut Flan
Beat Eggs & Sweetened Condensed Milk
In a large bowl, add 6 large eggs and beat using a hand-mixer (or whisk) until the eggs are bubbly and frothy. Pour 1 can (11.25 ounces or 320 grams) of sweetened condensed coconut milk and continue to beat the mixture. If you’re not dairy-free, you can use regular sweetened condensed milk here.
TIP: Sweetened condensed milk is important in this recipe because the thick mixture prevents the custard from curdling. It’s like a fail-safe ingredient. The sweetened condensed milk is also the only sweetener (aside from the caramel on top).
Stir Coconut Milk & Add Remaining Ingredients
Pour in 1 can of coconut milk (between 13-14 ounces) and beat some more. You can also use the same amount of regular evaporated milk here. I’ve made this recipe with 12 ounces up to 14 ounces of coconut milk and all amounts work fine. While this recipe uses coconut ingredients, the flan itself will not taste like coconut. So, if you are dairy-free but not a coconut fan, don’t worry, the coconut to me isn’t noticeable.
TIP: Use canned regular coconut milk (not low fat) since regular contains the consistency of evaporated milk that is needed for a flan.
Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Since this coconut milk dessert doesn’t really have coconut flavor, if you really want to taste the coconut, add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract with the vanilla. Add ⅛ teaspoon (1 gram) of salt and beat another minute or so until the mixture is smooth.
Pour Coconut Flan Mixture Over Caramel
Pour the mixture over the caramel in the pie plate. Cover and seal the pie plate with foil.
TIP: If you find your mixture lumpy, pour the mixture through a sieve to break them down or remove them.
Add Water Bath & Bake
Place the pie plate sitting in the larger pan in the oven on the center rack. With the rack pulled out, pour boiling water from the kettle into the larger pan around the pie plate without getting any in the pie plate. Fill the large pan until the water reaches ¾ full around the pie plate. Carefully push the rack back in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes or longer until the flan is set all around and a knife inserted half-way down in the center comes out clean. The flan should flan…meaning “jiggle like jello” or “shake like a leaf” when lightly shaken.
Coconut Flan Baked!
Remove the pie plate from the larger pan and cool on a wire rack at room temperature. Once the flan cools to room temperature about 2 hours, you can cut it into serving pieces and serve. To determine if it has cooled enough, touch the bottom of the pie plate and if it’s room temperature cool, that’s it. After it cools completely, you can store it in the fridge as is in the pie plate for several days. Flan makes a great make-ahead dessert.
TIP: As the flan cools, the hard caramel directly on the surface of the pie plate will make cracking sounds. Don’t worry, that’s normal. The caramel will be runny and saucy when you invert the flan.
Time to Serve
When ready to serve the flan, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pie plate to loosen the flan. Place a larger plate or serving dish over the top of the pie plate and invert the flan to release it from the pie plate. Caramel sauce will ooze over the flan. Spoon any remaining sauce from the pie plate on top of the flan. At this point, you can leave the flan as is. You can decorate the top with fresh cut seasonal fruit, like sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc. Or since we are using coconut flavors, you can top the flan with toasted coconut chips. Your choice, of course. To serve, cut the flan into wedges like a pizza or pie and serve spooning extra caramel on top. 😉
Coconut Flan Final Product
Let’s take a closer look. Do you see the creamy texture? Notice the thin layer of caramel sauce baked into the top of the flan. The oozing caramel adds color and sweetness. Tasty, sweet, and very light.
Coconut Flan Storage Suggestions
Store covered in the fridge for up to a week. You can store it covered and serve it 2-3 days later.
Coconut Substitutions
You can substitute the coconut milk and sweetened condensed coconut milk with regular dairy evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, using one standard size can of each.
Coconut Flan Final Thoughts
Yummy! This is an easy, light dessert great eaten after a heavy meal when you want something sweet. The custard itself isn’t very sweet, but the caramel sauce on top balances it out making it a true dessert. The ingredients are simple and easy to find particularly if you substitute regular evaporated milk and regular sweetened condensed milk for the coconut versions. However, in doing so, you no longer have a dairy-free dessert. If you’re looking for an elegant-looking dessert that doesn’t break the bank or take up too much time and that can be made ahead of time, consider this one. It’s gluten and dairy free but no one would know because it just tastes really good. 😊
Baker’s Thoughts
This is a simple and pretty dessert to make. The best part is that it can be made ahead of time, even days, and still tastes amazing whenever you cut and serve it. If you make it ahead of time, add the toppings just prior to serving, so they are fresh. However, you can unmold the flan whenever you choose and place it on a serving platter for later.
Making the caramel from scratch is a little extra step, but it only takes 10 minutes and only consists of sugar making it the primary sweetener in the dish. If you’re unable to locate coconut milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk, just use regular evaporated milk and regular sweetened condensed milk as substitutes. The regular unsweetened canned coconut milk has the same consistency and thickness as evaporated milk so they can be interchangeable in lots of recipes. The flan itself is super easy to make since it only consists of mixing several ingredients and then pouring them into a pie plate. Overall, this dessert is rather easy and creates a beautiful finish to a meal.
Taster’s Thoughts
Love, love, love this recipe. The flan alone is very smooth and not very sweet. The coconut flavor is not defined; however, if you really want the coconut flavor you can add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract with the vanilla. The main purpose for using coconut milks in this recipe is to make it a dairy-free dessert. If you don’t like coconut, no worries, you won’t even be able to taste it, I least I don’t.
The texture is incredibly smooth resulting in a flan that just melts in your mouth. The caramel is the highlighted flavor and oozes all around the custard adding extra sweetness and a different texture to the flan. The toppings are optional and honestly not needed unless you want to add other textures or make the dessert even more visually appealing. The coconut chips add a crunchy texture to the smooth flan along with a mild coconut flavor. The flan tastes the same once it cooled to room temperature as it did 4-5 days later. Flan is a wonderful make-ahead dessert that holds texture and flavor.
Check out my YouTube video on all of the ins and outs on making this Coconut Flan. “Silky Smooth Coconut Flan: Gluten & Dairy Free with LOTS of Flavor & Sweetness!”
Silky Smooth Coconut Flan: Gluten & Dairy Free with LOTS of Flavor & Sweetness!
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 can (400 ml) unsweetened canned coconut milk stirred well to mix cream and water
- 1 can (320 g or 11.25 oz) sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 6 large eggs ~50 g each
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp (~1 g) salt
- 1 tsp coconut extract optional (for coconut flavoring)
Optional Toppings
- toasted coconut flakes chips or shavings
- sliced seasonal fruit strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177˚C). Place a rack in the center of the oven. Boil water in a tea kettle over the stove to use for the bain-marie or baño maria “water bath”.
Make the Caramel:
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar and cook over medium-high heat. Stir consistently until the sugar melts and becomes a golden (amber) caramel color (8-10 minutes). Stir the caramel as you remove it from the heat, so it doesn’t burn as it continues to cook in the hot saucepan. Pour the caramel into a 9-inch or 10-inch plate and swirl the plate to spread the caramel to cover the plate bottom. Place the pie plate it in a larger pan (casserole dish) with higher sides and set aside to cool.TIPS: The caramel will harden as it sits in the pie plate. It will melt again as it cooks in the oven. As the caramel solidifies you may hear it crack but don’t worry it’s the candy, not your pan.
Prepare the Flan:
- In a large bowl, add eggs and beat using a hand-mixer (or whisk) until the eggs are bubbly and frothy. Pour in the sweetened condensed coconut milk and continue to beat the mixture. Stir the coconut milk to mix the top cream with the bottom water. Pour in the coconut milk and beat some more. Add vanilla and salt and beat another minute or so until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture over the caramel in the pie plate. Cover and seal the pie plate with foil.TIP: If you find your mixture lumpy, pour the mixture through a sieve to break them down or remove them.
- Place the pie plate sitting in the larger pan in the oven on the center rack. With the rack pulled out, pour boiling water from the kettle into the large pan around the pie plate without getting any water in the pie plate. Fill the large pan until the water reaches ¾ full around the pie plate. Carefully push the rack back in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes or longer until the flan is set all around and a knife inserted half-way down in the center comes out clean. The flan should jiggle when lightly shaken.
- Remove the pie plate from the larger pan and cool on a wire rack at room temperature. Once it cools to room temperature about 2 hours, you can cut and serve.
- When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pie plate to loosen the flan. Place a larger plate or serving dish over the top of the pie plate and invert the flan to release it from the pie plate. Caramel sauce will ooze over the flan. Spoon any remaining sauce from the pie plate on top of the flan. Decorate if desired with fresh fruit or coconut chips. Slice into wedges and serve.
Video
Notes
Interested in some other sweet treat recipes? Check these out.
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan Friendly)
Banana Pudding: No Cook & Egg Free
Argentine Alfajores Sandwich Cookies
Simple Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Gluten-Free & Vegan Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Latin American Tres Leches Cake
Australian & New Zealand Pavlova
New Zealand Kiwi Quick Bread (Regular & Gluten Free)
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