Coffee flan is a classic dessert with a hint of coffee flavor from freshly brewed espresso.
Not many desserts have their own emoji, but flan does.? That’s when you know it’s a universal favorite.
Flan is a custard topped with a layer of caramel.
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It’s made with basic ingredients, including sugar, sweetened condensed milk, milk and eggs.
As a universal dessert, the ingredients vary slightly by country like some are made with evaporated milk, cream cheese, coconut milk or various flavorings.
And here I present my take on flan – with coffee!
Coffee Flan Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 eggs
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup espresso (I used Illy Intenso)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar and water
There are two parts to making flan – the caramel and the custard. The caramel is made with the ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup water.
You’ll combine the sugar and water over the stovetop to make the caramel. Just put both into a pot and set it over medium heat.
When the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble, do not stir it. Just swirl the pot to move the mixture around. Wait for the mixture to turn a golden/amber color, then turn off the heat.
Pour this caramel mixture into the pan you’re using to bake the flan. You can make the flan in one large baking dish, or make individual portions using ramekins.
Milk
It’s best to use whole milk, though I have made flan using milk alternatives like soy milk without an issue.
Just keep in mind if you use a flavored milk alternative like vanilla almond milk, the flan may taste a little extra vanilla-y and also may taste slightly like almonds. You can also use evaporated milk, which some variations use.
Espresso
I used Illy Intenso Whole Beans to make the espresso.
Adding a ½ cup of espresso gives the flan its subtle coffee flavor.
While you can use regular brewed coffee made with a drip coffee maker, I would recommend making espresso, as espresso is a concentrated coffee so you have a better chance of tasting it through the sweetened condensed milk and caramel.
Espresso is made by forcing water through tightly packed and finely ground coffee beans. This creates the concentrated coffee and is done using an espresso machine.
However, if you don’t have an espresso machine at home, don’t worry. I used my stovetop moka pot to make espresso for this coffee flan. For the coffee beans, I chose Illy Intenso whole beans, which has a bold flavor with hints of cocoa. I grind the beans right before brewing it using my Hario Skerton hand coffee grinder.
If you do not have either an espresso machine or moka pot, you can also attempt to make espresso with a French press. Read my guide to making espresso without an espresso machine.
I think a cold brew concentrate will also work if you have a batch of it already made in the fridge. If you make the concentrate very concentrated, it will work too. The goal is to use a concentrated coffee so you can taste it in the flan.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think instant coffee will also work. Instead of the ½ cup espresso (or in addition to for an even stronger coffee flavor), add in a few tablespoons of instant coffee (I would use Nescafe Clasico) to the custard mixture.
How to Make Coffee Flan
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, do not stir, just swirl the pot. Turn off the heat when the mixture turns into an amber shade.
Step 3
Pour the caramel into a round baking pan (or ramekins if making individual portions.)
Step 4
Whisk eggs, then combine it with sweetened condensed milk, milk, espresso and vanilla extract.
Step 5
Pour egg mixture into the baking dish, on top of the caramel.
Step 6
Place the baking dish in another larger baking dish. Add warm water halfway up the smaller baking dish.
Step 7
Bake for one hour.
Step 8
Remove the smaller baking dish from the water. Let it cool completely before placing it in the fridge overnight.
Step 9
After chilling, set a plate on top of the baking pan. Flip it over to remove the flan from the baking pan or ramekins.
Coffee Flan Recipe
Coffee Flan
Coffee flan is a classic dessert with a hint of coffee flavor from freshly brewed espresso.
Materials
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 eggs
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup espresso (I used Illy Intenso)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, do not stir, just swirl the pot. Turn off the heat when the mixture turns into an amber shade.
3. Pour the caramel into a round baking pan (or ramekins if making individual portions.)
4. Whisk eggs, then combine it with sweetened condensed milk, milk, espresso and vanilla extract.
5. Pour egg mixture into the baking dish, on top of the caramel.
6. Place the baking dish in another larger baking dish. Add warm water halfway up the smaller baking dish.
7. Bake for one hour.
8. Remove the smaller baking dish from the water. Let it cool completely before placing it in the fridge overnight.
9. After chilling, set a plate on top of the baking pan. Flip it over to remove the flan from the baking pan or ramekins.
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