A silky caramel flan made with condensed milk, the most-loved dessert on Brazilian family tables.
This recipe started life pointing at paprika, but paprika has no real place in a Brazilian pudding — sweet spice in Brazilian desserts means cinnamon and citrus zest, not smoked or sweet paprika, which belongs in savory cooking. So this is rewritten honestly as pudim de leite, the condensed-milk flan that's arguably Brazil's most iconic homemade dessert, found at nearly every Sunday lunch and birthday party in the country. The method has two non-negotiable steps: making a dry caramel that goes deep amber (not pale, or the pudim will taste flat) and baking the custard in a water bath so it sets silky rather than pocked with air bubbles. The custard itself is just condensed milk, whole milk and eggs blended smooth, no sugar needed since the condensed milk and caramel provide all the sweetness. Unmolded onto a plate, the caramel runs down the sides in a dark amber pool, and the texture should be dense but trembling, closer to a creme caramel than an American baked custard.
Serves 8
Heat sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns deep amber, about 8-10 minutes.
Stop the caramel as soon as it smells nutty and turns the color of an old penny — a shade darker and it turns bitter.
Immediately pour the caramel into a 9-inch round metal pan or flan mold, tilting quickly to coat the bottom and slightly up the sides before it hardens.
Blend condensed milk, whole milk, eggs, vanilla and salt in a blender for 20-30 seconds until fully smooth and slightly foamy.
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into the caramel-coated pan to catch any egg strands, then cover tightly with foil.
Set the pan in a larger roasting dish, add hot water halfway up the sides, and bake at 160C/325F for 50-60 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly but isn't liquid.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge, invert onto a rimmed plate, and let the caramel sauce pour over the top.
Use a metal pan, not glass, for the caramel step — glass doesn't conduct heat evenly and the caramel can scorch unevenly.
Strain the blended custard even if it looks smooth; it catches the chalazae (egg white strands) that cause tiny bubbles in the finished flan.
Chill the flan overnight if you can — it unmolds much more cleanly cold than after only a few hours.
Coconut pudim: replace the whole milk with coconut milk for pudim de coco, a coastal Brazilian favorite.
Add 2 tablespoons of strong brewed coffee to the custard for a mocha-tinged version.
Individual ramekins: divide caramel and custard among 6-8 ramekins and reduce the water-bath baking time to about 35 minutes.
Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; the caramel sauce actually deepens in flavor overnight. Do not freeze, as the texture turns grainy and weeps liquid when thawed.
Pudim de leite descends from Portuguese caramel custards brought to Brazil during the colonial era, and it became a distinctly Brazilian dessert once sweetened condensed milk, first produced commercially in the country in the 1920s and 30s, made the custard easier and more reliable for home cooks to make.
The oven was too hot or the custard wasn't strained; keep the water bath at a gentle simmer, not a boil, and always pass the custard through a sieve before baking.
Yes, whisk the eggs first until smooth, then whisk in the milks and vanilla until fully combined, though a blender gives a silkier result.
It needs to be fully chilled — at least 4 hours — before unmolding; run a thin knife around the edge and dip the pan bottom briefly in hot water if it still resists.
Per serving (140g / 4.9 oz) · 8 servings total
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