Filipino leche flan made with egg yolks, condensed and evaporated milk, and amber caramel — denser and silkier than a classic crème caramel.
Leche Flan is the Philippines' most cherished dessert — an ultra-rich, silky crème caramel made with egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, topped with amber caramel sauce. Steamed (not baked) for the smoothest possible texture, it's served at Christmas, fiestas, weddings, and family celebrations. Each grandmother claims theirs has the perfect texture.
Serves 8
Combine sugar and water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring (swirl pan) until deep amber, 7-9 minutes.
Immediately pour caramel into 8 individual llanera (oval flan molds) or one large mold. Tilt to coat bottom and partway up sides. Cool.
Whisk egg yolks gently in bowl — don't whip air in. Add condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and lime zest. Whisk until smooth.
Strain custard through fine sieve to remove any lumps and excess foam.
Pour custard into prepared caramel-coated molds.
Cover each mold tightly with foil.
Place molds in steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam 45-50 minutes for individual molds (60 for large) until set with slight wobble.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 4 hours minimum (overnight ideal).
Run knife around edges. Place plate over mold and flip. Tap to release. Caramel sauce will pool around flan. Serve cold.
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Steam, don't bake — Filipino tradition. Steaming gives smoothest texture without bubbles.
Strain custard for silkiest result.
Add 1 tsp cinnamon to custard.
Replace lime with orange zest for citrus flan.
Refrigerate up to 5 days, in mold. Unmold just before serving.
Leche Flan was brought to the Philippines by Spanish colonizers, but Filipinos perfected it with double-rich condensed and evaporated milks.
Oval aluminum flan molds traditional to Filipino leche flan. Find at Asian or Filipino markets. Substitute: ramekins or small loaf pan.
Steaming is the traditional method and gives a denser, silkier texture than baking, since the gentler, more even heat is less likely to overcook the yolk-rich custard. If you only have an oven, a bain-marie at a low temperature (around 160°C) works as a substitute — just watch it closely.
Traditional leche flan uses only yolks, which is what gives it that dense, rich, almost fudgy texture rather than the lighter wobble of a Western crème caramel. Substituting whole eggs will still set the custard, but it comes out noticeably lighter and less silky.
Per serving (130g / 4.6 oz) · 8 servings total
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