Coconut Leche Flan
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A make-ahead dessert like Coconut Leche Flan is what you need for Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday parties and family gatherings.
What is a Filipino party without flan? My Coconut Leche Flan recipe is from my cookbook My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. This type of custard is richer, thicker, and more decadent, which makes it ideal as party fare. What I like best about this much-loved dessert is that I can make it ahead. And that’s a huge help especially when you’re preparing a full spread of dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and even the New Year’s.
Making this dessert ahead clears up your time in the kitchen, too, giving you room to enjoy the fun and merriment with friends and family.
What is Coconut Leche Flan?
The Filipino Leche Flan is a creamy custard which has a rich caramel topping. A small slice is so decadent, that one only needs a small portion for dessert. The Leche Flan has been around Filipino dinner tables for centuries. Some of its origins in the Philippines can be traced back to Spain, during its colonial rule for over 300 years of the islands. At a Filipino party, one finds the classic oval-shaped llanera of the flan, on a dessert table, ready to be turned over.
When I was growing up, my mother had numerous recipes, from soup to dessert that used coconut. We had an abundance of coconuts from the trees that lined our backyard. Mom only needed to say the word, and a coconut would be harvested for her. She had as many as she needed any time and thus, her constant use of coconut taught me to use it in my recipes, as well.
What Ingredients Do I Need?
This flan recipe contains most of the basic ingredients for a regular Filipino Leche Flan, but instead of regular milk, there’s the addition of coconut milk and the sweet macapuno strings for topping.
Basically, here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
- Granulated sugar, for the caramel topping
- Egg yolks
- Condensed milk
- Coconut milk (canned)
- Coconut cream (canned)
- Vanilla extract
- Sweet Macapuno Strings (bottled), for topping
How to make Coconut Leche Flan
Making a flan is one of the easiest desserts to make, if you’re learning about Filipino cooking. The process consists of mixing together the eggs, milk, sugar, and flavoring, then pouring it into a caramel-lined container, traditionally an oval-shaped llanera (say ‘lee-ya-ne-ra’). You can also use a regular, deep baking or cake pan.
Once the flan mixture is ready, I cook it in a water bath or Bain Marie. My mom used to call it ‘bano Maria’ . The flan container, now covered with foil, is placed inside a deep, larger pan filled with water, then baked in a moderate oven for around 50 minutes.
The hardest part about making the flan is waiting for the custard to set. Once the flan is cooked completely and cooled down, it is best to keep it refrigerated, at least overnight.
To serve the flan the next day, simply turn over the custard dessert on a rimmed serving platter. Watch the caramel syrup glide down on its sides. The holidays are a good time to enjoy this easy, yet divine dessert, with friends, family and all those you hold dear.
Coconut Leche Flan
Equipment
- 1 large oval-shaped LLanera or any shaped deep baking pan; An 8 x 5 inches llanera; or a 9-inch round cake pan, metal is preferable
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium-sized stockpot, to make caramel syrup
- Medium-sized strainer
- aluminum foil, enough to cover the baking pan or llanera
Ingredients
For Caramel topping:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Flan custard:
- 10 pieces egg yolks
- 1 can (300 ml) condensed milk
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup bottled Sweet Macapuno strings, for garnish
Instructions
To make the caramel topping:
- Have on hand a 9-inch round cake pan, preferably metal. You can also use a classic Filipino oval llanera.
- Pour the sugar into a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat. Tilt the pan every now and then as the white sugar turns amber-colored, and transforms into a thick, syrupy mixture. It should take about 5 minutes for the sugar to start bubbling, starting at the edges, and moving towards the center.Keep a watchful eye on the heat, making sure it is on low-medium or else the sugar will burn.Once the sugar turns to a golden syrup, immediately pour the scalding-hot caramel into the cake pan or llanera. Be careful not to dip your fingers into the hot syrup or you'll get burned.Tilt the pan around for the syrup to spread evenly on all sides and corners. Set aside to cool, while you make the custard.
To make the custard:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until well blended.Pour the condensed milk, coconut milk and cream over the yolks. Add the vanilla extract.Blend the ingredients with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth.
- Using a strainer, pour the flan custard mixture into the caramel-lined pan. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil and seal tightly around the edges.
- Place the foil-covered flan pan in the center of a larger roasting pan.Pour hot water into the large roasting pan, to surround the flan. The water should reach halfway up the sides of the custard pan.Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Test if the Coconut Leche Flan is done by inserting the tip of a sharp knife into the center; if knife comes clean, the flan is done.Be careful not to let water droplets from the steam (of the foil) fall onto the flan).When done, and the flan container's sides are not too hot to handle, remove the flan from the water bath. Let the flan cool on the counter.Replace the cover of the flan with clean foil, and seal the edges tightly.Refrigerate at least overnight till the flan is completely firmed up.
To serve the Coconut Leche Flan:
- The next day, when ready to serve the flan, run a small, sharp knife around the inside edges of the pan to loosen it up.Put a dessert platter over the flan, and holding the bottom of the pan and the platter well, with both hands, turn over the flan.Tap your fingers on the bottom of the flan's pan, to loosen it up and help it glide gently and slowly on the platter.
- Serve individual slices of flan on dessert plates. Top each serving with a tablespoon of Sweet Macapuno strings. Serve and enjoy.
Cook's comment:
- To store: Keep Coconut Flan leftovers covered with the foil, and refrigerated. This should last about 1 week in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing this custard dessert, it does not retain its firmness once it thaws at room temperature.Availability of equipment: The oval-shaped traditional Filipino llanera can be purchased at Filipino or Asian groceries here in America. Online sources for Filipino ingredients, as well as Amazon, also sell the llanera.Macapuno : This is also known as coconut sport. They are mutant coconut fruit, containing jelly-like nuts filling most of the space inside the coconut shell. Macapuno is the processed version. The bottled macapuno is either in the form of strings or balls, preserved in heavy syrup. The bottled macapuno are sold in Asian and Filipino stores here in the USA, or online sources. Keep bottled leftovers refrigerated and use for ice cream toppings or other desserts.
Nutrition
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