Coffee flan – Flan de café

This coffee flan recipe is a decadent dessert that combines the creamy richness of traditional flan with the bold flavor of coffee. Its smooth custard texture infused with coffee creates a dessert that is perfect for all coffee lovers!

Flan de café en Español

Flan is a dessert with a smooth and silky consistency, made from eggs, milk, and sugar.  Flan is basically a custard with caramelized sugar or a caramel sauce.  Flan is also known as crème caramel in France. Even in Latin America flan is known by other names: quesillo, queso de leche, crema volteada, pudim de leite.

The subtle flavor that comes from this combination of ingredients (eggs, milk, and sugar) makes it perfect for infusing with other flavors like coffee, caramel or chocolate. You might even see flan combined with more exotic flavors like rompope (eggnog), pomegranate, or passion fruit.

Coffee is not always a flavor that is fully appreciated in baking, despite it being the quintessential beverage to accompany desserts. When someone associates the idea of “dessert + coffee”, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely the popular Italian Tiramisu. However, the reality is that coffee has countless uses in baking and pairs with so many flavors!

Tips for Making Coffee Flan (Flan de café)

• Choose the right kind of coffee! The most intense coffee flavor in baking comes from instant coffee or soluble coffee. If available, use instant coffee instead of brewed espresso.
• The ratio of eggs and egg yolks that you use in this recipe depends on the texture you are looking for. If you want a firmer texture, then use just whole eggs. If you prefer a soft and creamy texture, like panna cotta, then use half eggs and half egg yolks. For this recipe, we used 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks, to strike the perfect balance and best texture!
• You can use a variety of baking molds when making flan or crème caramel. You can use a large mold that will result in a flan that you slice and serve like a cake or pie. Or, you can use individual small ramekins. They both work well, but cooking time will vary.
• Allow the flan to cool! We recommend allowing the flan to cool at room temperature and then at least 3-4 hours in the fridge before unmolding.

Variations of Flan

If you are a fan of this creamy dessert, then you definitely have to try some new and different flavors! Here is a list of some of my personal favorites:

• Pumpkin Flan
• Pineapple Flan
• Coconut Flan
• Eggnog Flan

Ingredients You Need

For the Caramel:

• Sugar: Regular, granulated sugar is best to make caramel from scratch.
• Water: Water is actually optional when making caramel!

For the Flan:

• Whole Milk: Whole milk helps to create a rich and thick texture.
• Condensed Milk: Condensed milk sweetens up the flan!
• Whole Eggs & Egg Yolks: Use a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks here. The eggs are what creates the custard-like texture in the coffee flan.
• Instant Coffee: Use your favorite store-bought instant coffee! Instant coffee effortlessly adds a lovely flavor here.
• Vanilla Extract: For added flavor.

How to Make Coffee Flan (Flan de Café)

There are two ways to make the caramel layer for flan: with water or without water. Either one is fine, this is just a matter of preference.

To Make the Caramel Without Water:

• Heat Sugar: Pour the sugar directly into a large heatproof flan mold. No need to add any water. This works great if you are using a metallic round flan mold or baking pan. Cook directly on the stove (in the flan mold) over low heat until the sugar dissolves and caramelizes. It should be a golden amber color.

• Use Saucepan If Needed: If you are using a flan mold that cannot be directly heated on the stove or you are using several small molds (ramekins), you can do this method in a saucepan.

• Pour into Mold(s): When the caramel is ready, distribute it into the molds or ramekins. Then, carefully hold each mold one at a time with a potholder or tongs and rotate them gently until the caramel coats the bottom and sides of the molds. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the flan.

To Make the Caramel With Water:

• Heat Sugar & Water: In a medium pot or saucepan, add ¾ cup sugar and about 6 tablespoons (90ml) of water. The ideal ratio is 1 part water to 2 parts sugar. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved, and bring to a boil over high heat.

• Allow to Caramelize: The key here is to let it boil without stirring. At first, it will seem that the color does not change. But after about 8-10 minutes, the caramel will begin to take on a golden color. It is crucial to pay close attention to the caramel in the last few minutes because it can go from having the perfect color to being burnt in just seconds!

• Pour into Mold(s): Remove the pot with the caramel from the heat and quickly distribute it into a large flan mold or the smaller individual molds. If the molds are made of metal, they will heat up quickly when they come into contact with the caramel, so use gloves to hold them.

To Make the Coffee Flan:

• Measure Ingredients: Put the whole milk, condensed milk, whole eggs, egg yolks, instant coffee and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
• Whisk: Mix all the ingredients using a whisk or electric mixer until well combined. Another alternative is to mix the ingredients in a blender.

• Place into Baking Mold(s) or ramekins: Distribute the flan mixture in the flan molds that you previously coated with caramel.

• Make Water Bath: Fill a large baking pan with warm water up to the halfway point. Carefully place the mold(s) with the coffee flan inside the pan of water.

• Bake: Bake the coffee flan, inside the bain-marie or water bath, in the oven for about 35-40 minutes for small individual flans and 55-65 minutes if using a single large mold. You can test that the flans are ready by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, it indicates that the flan is done. If not, let it cook for 5 more minutes and try again. It is important that the water in the water bath does not boil; if it seems like it is going to boil, reduce the temperature of the oven a little.
• Remove: Remove the flan(s) from the oven, let them cool at room temperature for an hour, and then refrigerate them for a couple hours before serving.

• Serve: When ready to serve, carefully unmold them onto a plate, and let the caramel sauce drizzle on top. You can serve the coffee flan alone or garnished with whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings.

Coffee flan – Flan de café

Recipe for coffee flan or flan de café, this delicious dessert combines the creamy richness of traditional flan with the bold flavor of coffee.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Your Questions and Comments

Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Latin American, Spanish

Keyword: Coffee, Creamy, Crème caramel, Custard, Flan

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Time in the refrigerator: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the caramel:

• ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup =170 grams
• 6 tablespoons of water or 90 ml – optional

For the coffee flan:

• 2 cups of whole milk 2 cups = ~ 500 ml
• 1 can of condensed milk – 370 grams
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
• The first step is to coat the flan molds with caramel. There are different methods for preparing the caramel for flan. Below are the two options that have worked best for us and are the most failproof. Choose the one you prefer.

Option 1: Waterless caramel method

• Put the sugar directly into a large heatproof flan mold; there is no need to add any water. This works great if you are using a metallic round flan mold or baking pan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and caramelizes; it should be a golden amber color.
  
• If you are using a flan mold that can’t be directly heated on the stove or several small molds (ramekins), you can make the caramel without adding water using a small saucepan.
  
• When the caramel is ready, distribute it into the molds or ramekins. Then, carefully hold each mold one at a time with a potholder or tongs and rotate them gently until the caramel coats the bottom and sides of the mold. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the flan.
  

Options 2: Method with water (uses a ratio of 1 volume of water for every 2 volumes of sugar)

• In a medium pot or saucepan, add ¾ cup of sugar and 6 tablespoons (90 m)l of water. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved, and bring to a boil over high heat.
  
• The key here is to let it boil without stirring. At first, it will seem that the color does not change, but after 8 to 10 minutes, the caramel will begin to take on that golden color.
  
• It is crucial to pay close attention to the caramel in these last minutes because it can go from having the perfect color to being burnt in a matter of seconds.
  
• Remove the pot with the caramel from the heat and quickly distribute it into a large flan mold or the smaller individual molds. If the molds are made of metal, they will heat up quickly when they come into contact with the candy, so it is recommended that you use gloves to hold them.
  

Coffee flan preparation:

• Put the whole milk, the condensed milk, the whole eggs, the egg yolks, the instant coffee, and the vanilla in a mixing bowl.
  
• Mix all the ingredients using a whisk or an electric mixer until well combined.
  
• Another alternative is to mix the ingredients for the mixture using a blender.
• Distribute the flan mixture in the flan molds that you previously coated with caramel.
  
• Fill a large baking pan with warm water up to the halfway point. Carefully place the baking mold (or ramekins) with the coffee flan inside the pan with water.
  
• Bake the coffee flans, in bain-marie or water bath, in the oven for about 35-40 minutes for the smaller individual molds and for 55-65 minutes if using a single large mold. You can test that the flans are ready by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, it indicates that the flan is done. If not, let it cook for 5 more minutes and try again. It is important that the water in the bain-marie does not boil; if it seems like it is going to boil, reduce the temperature of the oven a little.
  
• Remove the flan(s) from the oven, let them cool at room temperature for an hour, and then refrigerate them for a couple more hours before serving.
• When ready to serve, carefully unmold them onto a plate, and let the caramel drizzle on top. You can serve the coffee flan alone or garnished with whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings.
  

Notes

You can adjust the ratio of whole eggs to egg yolks according to the texture or consistency that you prefer in a flan. Read the tips above for more details.

Step-by-step photos of preparing coffee flan or flan de cafe:

More Dessert Recipes to Try

1

Dark chocolate panna cotta

Easy recipe for a decadent and creamy dark chocolate panna cotta. This creamy custard like dessert is made with dark chocolate, cream, milk, cocoa powder, sugar, gelatin and vanilla.

Check out this recipe

2

Raspberry creme brulee

Easy and delicious raspberry creme brulee recipe, this fruity twist on the classic
French dessert is made with heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and fresh
raspberries – or raspberry jam.

Check out this recipe

3

Classic passion fruit mousse {Mousse de maracuya}

Recipe for a classic style mousse de maracuya or passion fruit mousse, a delicious and easy to make South American dessert. This tropical mousse is made with passion fruit pulp, whipping cream or condensed milk, egg whites and sugar.

Check out this recipe

4

Berries broiled with cream {Cheater berry crème brulee}

Mixed berries broiled with cream, also known as cheater berry crème brulee, made with assorted mixed berries and covered with a sweet cream sauce, topped with brown sugar and broiled until the sugar caramelizes.

Check out this recipe

5

Passion fruit tiramisu

Passion fruit tiramisu recipe made with mascarpone, ladyfingers, eggs, sugar, rum and passion fruit.

Check out this recipe