Any Puerto Rican holiday, be it our 45-day Christmas celebration or Easter, even birthdays, is not complete without that delicious flan.
Flan, a dessert with rich custard and caramel topping, holds centuries of history that resonate with resilience and transformation.
The sweet can refer to two different things: a baked custard dessert topped with caramel or a tart-like sweet pastry with a filling called fruit flan.
A dessert flan is made of eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream, or whole milk, and flavorings such as vanilla, orange, coconut, or coffee.
On the other hand, a fruit flan is usually baked in a special metal flan ring with straight sides. The baked pastry shell is then topped with pastry creams and fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, or combinations thereof.
Brief History Lesson on Flan
Contrary to the popular belief that the dessert’s origins are in Latin America, flan dates back to the Roman Empire. Flan began not as a dessert, but as a savory treat usually flavored with fish or meat. The practice was far from the dessert we know today. The Romans mixed eggs with milk and spices which made what was then called “flado,” in Old High German. However, eventually, a sweeter version flavored with honey was created.
After the Roman Empire fell, flan was far from forgotten. As it traveled across Europe, it took on new meanings in each culture that adopted it. In Spain, it became a dessert used in celebrations and a familiar taste on festival tables. The Spaniards then began to introduce caramelized sugar into the mix.
When Spaniards started colonizing the Americas, they brought flan along with them. Like any tradition uprooted and replanted, flan evolved. South, Central, and North Americans would adopt flan as the international dessert of the “La Raza” movement by Latinos.
Mexico, especially, turned flan into an everyday dish. In Latin America, it transformed with each region’s resources, such as vanilla, coconut, and coffee, and took on new flavors as communities put their unique mark on it.
One version of flan that carries this theme of transformation is “flan de coco,” or coconut flan. In Puerto Rico, adding coconut became the local twist on the original dessert with the infusion of the richness of my beautiful archipelago.
Each variation tells a story of adaptation, of holding on to tradition and resilience much like the people who reshaped it across generations and continents.
Today, flan remains a dish that is both beloved and deeply personal to many Latinos. For some, it’s a connection to their roots and a taste that reminds them of family gatherings and heritage. For others, it’s a familiar dessert with a comforting sweetness and texture.
Nahiomy’s Favorite Flan Recipe
Here is a recipe I always follow with my mom when we, and when I say “we” I mean “she” (I love you, mom), bake a “flan de queso,” or cheese flan. It may or may not be a recipe from the legendary Chef Piñeiro.
Here is the recipe translated to English:
Ingredients
- 1 block cream cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 capful vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place a deep baking pan with about half an inch of water in the oven (for a bain-marie).
For the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cooking for about 12 to 15 minutes until it caramelizes and turns a golden color.
When the caramel is ready, pour it into a flan mold.
For the flan mixture, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the mold and bake in the water bath for about one hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, invert onto a plate and refrigerate for 8 hours.
A tip: If you don’t have an oven, you can create a water bath by placing the same amount of water in a large saucepan. Place the flan mold, covered with aluminum foil, inside the saucepan, cover with a lid, and cook over low heat.
Honestly, I can’t wait until my mom makes her “flancocho” or “chocoflan,” a mix of flan with cake, the next holiday that rolls around. I hope you eat lots of desserts and get to spend time with family and friends!