Easy Orange Flan
Enjou this tasty variation on the Classic Flan! This recipe combined the creamy taste of a Classic Flan with the citrusy flavor of fresh orange, making it the perfect dessert to end a meal!🍊
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Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup fresh orange juice or water room temperature
For the Orange Flan:
- (1) 14-ounce canned sweetened condensed milk
- 354 ml fresh orange juice
- 5 large egg yolk , room temperature
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese , room temperature
- 3 teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur , such as Grand Marnier
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 354 ml full-fat evaporated milk or whole milk
- 1 strip orange peel (¼” wide)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
How to Scald Milk:
- Place the evaporated milk and the strip of orange peel in a medium saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the orange zest and allow it to cool. Strain into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout and discard the orange peel; set aside.
How to Make Orange Caramel
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup of sugar. Cook the sugar, stirring occasionally until it begins to melt and turns brown around the edges. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to pull the melted sugar around the edges toward the center of the unmelted sugar; this will help the sugar melt evenly.
- Continue cooking and pulling the melted sugar until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is uniformly dark amber (it should smell caramelly but not burnt), about 10 to 12 minutes total. (If you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir it off the heat until melted.)
- Next, carefully pour the room-temperature orange juice into the melted sugar while continuously stirring the mixture with a heatproof rubber spatula tilted slightly to prevent hot steam from burning you. The mixture will bubble and steam vigorously, and some of the sugar may harden up and crystallize, but don’t worry; just keep stirring the mixture over medium heat for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sugar re-melts completely and the caramel is smooth.
- Be careful not to overcook the caramel, as it can burn quickly and become bitter. Pour the caramel into the bottom of (8) 9oz Ramekins; quickly swirl around to coat all bottom and sides. Lay a dishtowel on the bottom of a roasting pan, place the ramekins on top of the towel, and set aside to cool completely.
- Pour the caramel into the bottom of (8) 9oz Ramekins; quickly swirl around to coat all bottom and sides. Lay a dishtowel on the bottom of a roasting pan, place the ramekins on top of the towel and set aside to cool completely.
How to Make Orange Custard
- Place the cream cheese, egg yolks, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer while adding the condensed milk until smooth and well integrated. Add the cooled steeped orange flavored milk, orange liqueur, orange zest, and the vanilla extract and stir gently until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pass the mixture through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth. Slowly pour into the caramel-coated ramekins to avoid air bubbles.
How to Bake Flan
- Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Bring water to a boil in a kettle. Transfer the flan to the oven, and fill the roasting pan with water to the halfway point. Bake until just set, about 35 to 45 minutes; the finished flan should have a slight jiggle in the center. Don't worry if it seems undercooked; it will continue to cook as it cools.
- Next, remove from the oven and allow the ramekins to cool in the water bath for 1 hour. Then, remove from the water bath and let the flan cool completely before serving, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, for about 4 hours.
How to unmold the Flan:
- When ready to serve, remove the flan from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10 minutes. Next, fill a shallow pan with hot water. Dip the bottom of the ramekin in hot water for a minute before inverting it so the caramel loosens from the bottom of the ramekin.
- Run a knife around the ramekin's rim, and be sure to reach the caramel on the bottom; tilt the ramekin slightly to allow a bit of the caramel into the gap.
- Carefully invert a rimmed round platter over the ramekin. Grabbing both, carefully invert the orange flan onto the individual platters, scraping out any loose caramel, and serve. Enjoy!😋
Notes
How to Store & Re-Heat
To store: Allow it to cool completely, then cover the individual ramekins tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Next, place the covered ramekins in the refrigerator, where they can be stored for 3-4 days.
To reheat: Remove the desired number of ramekins from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
You have two options to reheat: using a water bath or the microwave. For the water bath method, place the ramekins in a larger baking dish with hot water, ensuring it comes halfway up the sides. Reheat in a preheated oven at a low temperature (around 300°F or 150°C) for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, for the microwave method, remove the plastic wrap or foil from the ramekin and heat on low or medium power in short intervals, stirring gently in between, until warmed to your liking.
Once reheated, the Orange Flan is ready to be enjoyed, but remember that reheating may slightly alter the texture, so it's best to consume the fresh flan if possible.
Make-Ahead
To make the Orange Flan ahead of time, follow these steps. After baking and cooling the flan completely, cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the covered ramekins in the refrigerator and store them for up to 24 hours before serving. When you're ready to serve, remove the flan from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to remove the chill.
Proceed with the unmolding steps by running a knife around the edges, inverting the ramekin onto a serving plate, and allowing the caramel to drizzle over the flan. Garnish as desired and serve. Making the Orange Flan ahead of time will enable you to save preparation time on the day you plan to serve it while enjoying a delicious and beautifully presented dessert.
How to freeze
It's not advisable to freeze Orange Flan; many blogs claim that it can be frozen, but in my opinion, it does not freeze well and loses its delicious flavor and texture. Therefore, I do not recommend freezing it.
Notes:
- Never melt your caramel on your stove’s highest setting; it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burned.
- The purpose of the water bath (bain-marie; baño de María) is to provide an even, moderate temperature and ensure that the orange flan mixture cooks evenly.
Soften cream cheese well: bring it to room temperature or use a microwave so it blends better. - It's important not to overcook the eggs, as they'll become rubbery.
Don’t skip chill time! It is crucial when inverting the flan so it can hold up.
Use Fresh Orange Juice.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Orange Flan
Amount per Serving
Calories
294
% Daily Value*
Fat
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
209
mg
70
%
Sodium
120
mg
5
%
Potassium
297
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
37
g
12
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
35
g
39
%
Protein
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
650
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
30
mg
36
%
Calcium
180
mg
18
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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