This Brazilian Flan is so creamy and so smooth that it melts in your mouth. It’s super easy to make and so delicious!
Brazilian Flan, or ‘Pudim’, as we call it in Brazil, is one of the most traditional desserts in the country.
Its velvety, creamy texture and sweet taste makes it one of the most sold desserts in the bakeries in Brazil. I just can’t imagine a potluck without Brazilian Flan.
It’s basically just 4 ingredients, and your hands-on time shouldn’t pass 15 minutes. It’s the perfect dessert when you have other things that need to get done.
Tips for a Creamy and Smooth Brazilian Flan
Although it’s super easy to make, there are a few things that need to be done in order to get this velvety texture. So let’s check a few tips…
- Eliminate bubbles from the mixture: When you mix the ingredients in the blender, several air bubbles will form, making the baked flan to have tiny little holes in it. This is not bad, but if you want a silky texture, sieve the liquid before pouring it into the pan (discard any foam left in the sieve). You could also wait about 15 minutes for all the bubbles to burst.
- Bake it at a low temperature: When the flan is baked at a high temperature, the eggs end up coagulating more quickly. This causes the air bubbles that are formed to get trapped inside, causing holes in the baked flan and a slightly harder consistency. Therefore, the ideal is to cook your flan slowly, at low temperature.
- Bake in a water bath (bain-marie): This will help to control the custard temperature and ensure an even bake. For this you will pour hot water in a baking dish that the tube pan can fit in. The water should reach about half the tube pan. Using hot water will help to reduce the oven time a little.
- Use evaporated milk for a richer flavor: The traditional condensed milk pudim asks for regular milk, however, because I love the flavor of evaporated milk, I decided to use it and… Oh my!!! It is so good !!! The flavor gets richer, and the texture even creamier! So, if you have evaporated milk, use it! But if you don’t have it, don’t worry, you can use regular whole milk, and it will be delicious anyway.
- Slightly heat the pan to unmold: Some people consider unmolding the most difficult part of making a flan, because they fear to break it. Don’t worry, though! All you need to do is heat the bottom of the pan a little bit, to melt the caramel again, and run a knife around the flan to help loosing the sides. Then you place a large rimmed plate on top of the pan and turn it upside down. To heat the pan you can pass it over the burner flame on your stove or place it in a pan with a little of hot water.
Ways to make the caramel syrup
In the recipe card I’ll be featuring the first option, but here are two ways to make the caramel syrup, in case you prefer a thinner syrup.
1st option – Sugar only: Place 3/4 cup of sugar in a wide bottom pan. Cook it over low heat until the sugar has melted. As soon as it melts and is golden in color, it can be carefully poured into the tube pan. Rotate the pan so that the syrup spreads over the entire bottom e a little of the sides. Hold the form with gloves, as it will get very hot.
2nd option – Sugar and water: Place 1 cup of sugar in a wide-bottomed pan and cook over low heat until the sugar has melted. Once it’s melted add 1/2 cup of water (very carefully as the water will splash. Use gloves). Simmer until all sugar lumps have dissolved and the syrup thickens. Apply the syrup in the tube pan, holding it with a glove to avoid being burned. This option makes a thinner syrup, that is easier to spread, however, it takes longer to make.
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Brazilian Flan
Ingredients
- 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk (397 grams)
- 350 ml Evaporated milk or regular whole milk
- 3 eggs
For the caramel syrup
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC).
- Heat approximately 1 quart (1 liter) of water in a kettle or pan.
- Meanwhile, in a blender, blend the condensed milk with the milk and eggs, for approximately one minute. Reserve.
- Follow the instructions below to make the syrup. After the tube pan is already caramelized, hold a sieve over it and slowly pour the custard inside. Discard any foam left in the sieve.
- Cover the tube pan with aluminum foil and place it inside a baking pan to make the water bath (bain-marie). Place pans inside the oven and carefully pour the hot water in the baking pan. Add water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour. Time varies between ovens, but you can tell it's ready when you touch it and it's firm like gelatin. If you stick a toothpick it will come out clean or almost clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool. Then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- To unmold, heat the bottom of the pan on the burner flame of the stove or place the pan inside another pan with an inch of hot water. This will help to melt the caramel and unmold the flan. Carefully, run a thin knife around the edges and place a large rimmed plate on top of the pan. Quickly flip it over, and voila! Your Brazilian Flan is ready to be eaten!
For the Caramel Syrup
- Get an 8-inch tube pan, like an Angel Food Cake pan, and set it aside. (Don't use a springform pan, as the custard will probably leak).
- Spread sugar evenly in a wide pan (I like to use nonstick for the syrup to slide easily), and turn on the medium heat. As soon as there are signs that the sugar is melting, lower the heat and let it melt, swirling it around as needed. The syrup will be ready when the sugar is completely melted, with golden caramel color. Be careful not to let it burn. If your syrup is already getting dark and you still have some sugar that hasn't melted, you can remove this part, to prevent the rest of the syrup from burning.
- As soon as the syrup is done, pour it carefully into the tube pan (hold it with gloves as it will get very hot), and rotate the pan, so that the syrup spreads over the bottom and a little on the sides.
Notes
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc…
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