Easy La Lechera Flan Recipe (Condensed Milk Flan)
Mexican flan is so easy to make – specially if you make this easy La Lechera flan recipe. This is one of the traditional flan recipes popular throughout Mexico and made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla, and some variations. Go on and give it a try!
Mexican Flan
Flan is a very popular caramel custard dessert in Mexico and across Latin America. This sweet and creamy delicacy consists of a smooth egg custard with a luscious caramel sauce.
(Flan is similar but not exactly to jericalla custard dessert.)
This mouthwatering caramel custard dessert is a classic dessert that’s known for its creamy texture and rich caramel flavor.
Flan is a dessert made for a special occasion or celebrations, and it’s eaten all year long too.
The classic flan in Mexico is made using simple ingredients like whole eggs (sometimes egg yolks too), whole milk, sugar, and vanilla.
But of course, Mexican flan recipes can vary greatly from family to family – though there’s one way of making flan that has become quite popular.
This recipe is based on my mom’s flan recipe, I’ll share it another time. So I made a couple of changes to her recipe but the key ingredients remain the same.
Amigos, I’m working on a vegan flan recipe and I hope to perfect it and share it soon. In the meantime please enjoy this delicious, sweet, creamy, orange flavored flan recipe.
Ingredients
- eggs
- evaporated milk
- La Lechera
- a good quality vanilla extract
- freshly squeezed orange juice
- orange zest
- sugar
- salt, optional
To make your flan pretty for serving you can use some fresh mint leaves and some orange slices.
Variations
There are recipes that use more eggs or a mix of whole eggs and egg whites. Additionally, my mom also adds some regular milk to flan mixture of her flan.
In Mexico heavy cream is not a common ingredient so you’ll mostly see that ingredient included in flan recipes made outside of Mexico.
If you don’t like the taste of orange you can omit the zest and orange juice.
What is La Lechera
La Lechera is sweetened condensed milk made by Nestlé. It’s made with just milk and sugar. This sweetened condensed milk should not be confused with La Lechera dulce de leche which has additional ingredients and is actually more like cajeta or milk caramel.
This brand of sweetened condensed milk is very popular in Mexico – so much so that people don’t say “sweetened condensed milk”, they say “La Lechera”. It’s also a brand popular throughout Latin America and even the US.
Just like any other brand of sweetened condensed milk, this one too has a thick, sweet and creamy consistency. La Lechera is a popular ingredient in many desserts, such as flan, tres leches cake, and for making dulce de leche.
This velvety sweet and creamy milk is one of the main ingredients in making one popular version of a quick Mexican flan.
The La Lechera flan recipe puts a delightful twist on this traditional dessert by incorporating the creamy sweetness of condensed milk.
What Flan Mold to Use
You can make this flan recipe the traditional way in a flanera flan mold or a 9-inch-round cake pan or individual ramekins.
I went with individual ramekins to serve at a dinner party. Well, also it cuts down the risk of breaking the flan when you flip it over. (LOL)
It’s completely up to you and how you want to serve the flan.
You’ll also need a large roasting pan or large and deep baking dish since we’re going to be cooking the flan using the water bath or baño Maria method in the oven.
How to Make La Lechera Flan
As I mentioned before, this flan recipe is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make Mexican flan. Make sure to gather all of your ingredients and utensils because it comes together quite quickly.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F. Heat sugar in a heavy-duty saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. At first stirring now and then to help melt the sugar. Continue stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved into a golden brown caramel sauce.
Step 2: Very carefully but quickly pour the caramelized sugar into your flan mold or ramekins. Swirl around to coat the whole bottom of the mold or ramekins. Set aside.
Step 3: Pour the eggs into a large bowl whisk together until well combined.
Pour the milks, orange juice, vanilla extract, orange zest and salt into the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Let rest for 5 minutes (I always let it rest for at least 10-15 minutes) to help the orange zest flavor infuse into the ingredients.
Step 4: This step is completely optional, but I like to do it to create a smooth and creamy flan. Use a sieve to strain the custard mixtures into another bowl. Discard the thick egg white part left. A lot of the orange zest will also stay on the sieve.
Step 5: Pour the flan mix into your flan mold or into the individual ramekins. For the ramekins fill 3/4 ways up.
Step 6: Place the flan mold or ramekins into your roasting pan then pour in enough boiling hot water to go halfway up the mold.
Step 7: Place pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until set. The flan mold will take about 50 minutes and the individual ramekins will take about 20 to 25 minutes. Test by inserting a butter knife or toothpick into the center. It should come out clean and feel firm yet still a little jiggly. You can cover with aluminum foil if the top of the flan is turning dark.
Step 8: Once set remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. For best results you need to allow the flan to sit overnight.
Step 9: The next day run a small knife or small spatula along the ramekin edges or edge of pan, carefully place a large enough serving plate over the flan mold or ramekins, then invert serving plate or flip over and unmold. Watch the video for a visual.
Serve decorated with mint leaves and orange slices, or fresh berries or some of your favorite fruit.
Don’t Be Afraid of The Flip
One of the most common fears when making flan is when it’s time to invert or flip the flan pan onto the serving dish. Don’t be afraid, ask for help if you need to or just do it.
The first time I flipped a flan it broke in half. But you know what? It wasn’t the end of the world and it was still a delicious flan.
The only thing is to make sure you have the plate securely held because once you invert the melted caramel comes flowing out. This is another benefit of making individual flan, better control.
How to Store
Use plastic wrap to cover the flan and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Do not let your flan sit out and warm up on the counter. It’s best served cold.
Flan will keep fresh for about 3 days in the refrigerator and it will not freeze well.
La Lechera Flan Recipe
Ok amigos the printable recipe is below – remember that you can click the little heart to bookmark it if you’d like.
I truly hope you enjoy this delicious, creamy, citrusy and fruity flan. It’s one of my favorite best sweet treat to make. I think you’ll also enjoy the creamy flavor and orang-y twist on the traditional flan.
Let me know if you make it!
La Lechera Flan
Video
Equipment
- 10 ramekins 4 oz size
Ingredients
Flan Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 12 oz. evaporated milk
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk La Lechera brand
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup pure cane sugar
- pinch salt optional
To Serve
- 1 orange sliced
- 20 mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Heat a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add sugar, stirring now and then to help melt the sugar. Continue stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved into a golden brown caramel sauce.
- Carefully pour the caramelized sugar into your flan mold or ramekins. Swirl around to coat the whole bottom of the mold or ramekins. Set aside.
- Crack eggs into a large bowl, whisk together until well combined. Add all remaining flan ingredients into the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Let rest for 5 minutes (I always let it rest for at least 10-15 minutes) to help the orange zest flavor infuse into the ingredients.
- This step is completely optional: Use a sieve to strain the custard mixtures into another bowl. Discard the thick clear egg white part left. A lot of the orange zest will also stay on the sieve.
- Pour flan mix into your flan mold or into the individual ramekins. For the ramekins fill 3/4 ways up.
- Place into your roasting pan then pour in enough boiling hot water to go 3/4 ways up the mold.
- Place roasting pan in the center of oven and bake until set. The flan mold will take about 50 minutes and the individual ramekins will take about 20 to 25 minutes. Test by inserting a butter knife or toothpick into the center. It should come out clean and feel firm yet still a little jiggly. You can cover with aluminum foil if the top of the flan is turning dark.
- Once set remove from the oven and allow to come to cool on a wire rack and come to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day run a small knife or small spatula along the ramekin edges or edge of pan, carefully place a large enough serving plate over the flan mold or ramekins, then invert serving plate or flip over and unmold. Watch the video for a visual.
- Serve decorated with mint leaves and orange slices, or fresh berries or some of your favorite fruit.
Notes
Variations
There are recipes that use more eggs or a mix of whole eggs and egg whites. Additionally, my mom also adds some regular milk to flan mixture of her flan. Some people like to add a little bit of water to the sugar when making the caramel sauce. If you don’t like the taste of orange you can omit the zest and orange juice.Nutrition
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
Thank´s for sharing! It was truly yummy!!
Thank you so much Albert, I’m glad you enjoyed the flan. 🙂