Flan, Three Ways

Santa’s belly isn’t the only thing jiggling this season — holiday flan, the sweet, custardy, beloved Latin dessert, makes its traditional holiday appearance on tables around the world. 

Though flan actually has its roots in ancient Rome, where the egg-based dish was invented to use up a surplus of chicken eggs, the dessert is now popular in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Traditionally made with just a few ingredients and topped with a burnt caramel, now, there are as many variations of flan as there are taste buds. Craving chocolate? Try a chocoflan, flan with a chocholate cake bottom. Want a fruity treat? Infuse your flan with strawberry, lemon, or guava. Getting nutty? Throw in almonds and pistachios. If sweets aren’t your thing, go savory, mixing in sweet potatos, zuchhini, and squash.

Just in time for the holidays, TLK spoke with Patricio Sandoval, chef-owner of Mercadito, and Bren Herrera, chef and popular blogger of Flanboyant Eats, and asked for their favorite interpretations on the classic dessert.

“Growing up in Acapulco, flan was a staple at anything from holiday celebrations to family dinners. It truly is a dish near and dear to my heart,” says Sandoval. “For this holiday season, I wanted to revisit and reinvent the tradition with new flavor combinations.”

From vegetables to fruits to nuts, check out the many delicious possibilities of flan.

Bren Herrera’s Rum Raisin Flan 

• 1/2 cup raisin
• 1/2 cup Zacapa rum
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 3/4 cup milk, 2% or whole
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 3/4 cup sugar

Get the full recipe.

Flan de Cajeta (Goat’s Milk Caramel)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 14 ounces cajeta
• 5 whole eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Get the full recipe.

Mercadito’s Pumpkin Flan 

For the Flan

• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, Mexican if available
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 2 eggs

For the Cinnamon Whipped Topping

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, Mexican if available

Get the full recipe.