Vietnamese Crème Caramel Flan (Bánh Flan)

A slice of flan being drizzled with creme caramel on a small plate.

Vietnamese Crème Caramel Flan (Bánh Flan)

This silky, velvety smooth Vietnamese crème caramel flan or bánh flan is my family’s favorite dessert! It is delicate, creamy and has just the right amount of sweetness for an ultra-luxurious experience.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian Fusion, Vietnamese

Keyword authentic vietnamese recipe, Banh Flan, Cake recipe, Creme Caramel, Creme Caramel Flan, Flan, Vietnamese Flan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Chill Time 4

Total Time 5 35

Servings

Calories 237kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

1 Steamer
1 8 inch cake pan

Ingredients

Caramel Syrup

½ cup (105 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 g) water
1 tsp lemon juice

Flan

5 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup (370 g) evaporated milk
¾ cup (170 g) water
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the caramel syrup. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the sugar water and lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a small saucepan on medium low heat, until the sugar dissolves and melts into a golden amber about 10-12 minutes. Do not stir! You can pick up the saucepan and swirl it around 1-2 times to prevent it from burning. Pour the caramel into the 8-inch cake pan or ramekins and quickly swirl the brown sugar syrup to cover the entire bottom of the pan (Careful pan will get hot). The syrup will harden in a few seconds.
Mix the custard. Using a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs over the sieve and use a fork to break up the yolk to go through the sieve. Add the vanilla extract and gently whisk slowly until combined. Try not to whisk too quickly to create any air bubbles in the mixture. While slowly whisking, gradually pour in the evaporated milk, water, and sugar and continue whisking until the sugar dissolves and just combined.
Pour the flan through the sieve into the sugared pan. Slowly pour the flan mixture through the fine mesh sieve into the caramel cake pan or ramekins. Make sure to pop any air bubbles with a tooth pick.
Steam the flan. In your steamer, fill the water until the bottom pot is 3/4 full and heat you steamer on high heat until it reaches boil. Then when it reaches a boil, turn down the heat to low or a low simmer. Place the flan in the steamer and steam for 1 hour. Place the lid on the steamer with a chopstick in the lid so that the lid is slightly open. Every 10 minutes wipe down the condensation on the lid to prevent water from dripping into the flan. The flan is done when the outer rim is set and the center has a slight jiggle. If a toothpick comes out liquidy, then it will need to steam longer.
Cool and remove. When the flan is finished cooking, let the flan cool about 15 min until it reaches room temperature and then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. To remove, use a pairing knife to run it along the edge of the pan. Place the plate on top of the cake pan and flip the cake pan 180 degrees. Tap the top of the cake pan a few times to release the flan. Serve immediately.

Notes

Work fast with the caramel. You will need to carefully monitor the caramel. When it begins to turn amber it turns very quickly. Turn off the heat immediately once it turns a medium brown and immediately pour it into the cake pan. It will solidify almost immediately so be sure to cover the entire bottom of the cake pan.
Use room temperature eggs. For an evenly cooked flan, you will want to use room-temperature eggs.
Strain the eggs and the custard. For an extra silky custard, you must strain the eggs before you mix the ingredients. Then, after you have combined the mixture, you must strain the custard again to ensure you have a silky smooth custard.
The cook time will vary if you use different-sized pans. I have not tried to make it with other sized pans but you will know the flan is set when it has a subtle jiggle in the center and is not too liquidy.
Set the flan in the refrigerator. You must set the flan in the refrigerator to solidify the custard. You can remove it by running a small thin knife along the outer rim of the cake pan.

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