Coconut Flan Recipe

Skip the cans! This creamy coconut flan recipe skips condensed and evaporated milk and sticks to real ingredients for a delicious, rich coconut taste.

This dessert, called flan de coco here in Spain, is one of those creamy desserts that looks elegant but is surprisingly simple to make. It’s a baked custard dessert with a silky texture, a caramelized top, and a perfect blend of sweetness and coconut flavor. Whether you’re serving it after dinner or preparing it ahead for the holidays, it’s always a crowd-pleaser.

Why make this coconut flan?

Most coconut flan recipes rely on cans of sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. While convenient, they’re highly processed, overly sweet, and normally packaged in cans lined with plastics like BPA or BPS, which can disrupt hormones.

This version keeps things simple and real. By making it with fresh ingredients and no cans, you get a naturally rich and creamy texture without the heavy sweetness of condensed milk. It’s the kind of coconut custard that always impresses but couldn’t be easier to make at home. This flan is also naturally gluten-free and the perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays or special occasions.

Choosing ingredients

For the custard, I like to use a mix of coconut milk, whole milk, and heavy cream. The coconut milk adds a delicate tropical flavor, while the dairy keeps the texture creamy and rich. The balance of the three makes for a custard that sets beautifully but still has that soft, delicate jiggle.

To boost the coconut flavor, I also add coconut butter. I usually make my own, but store-bought works just as well. It blends smoothly into the custard and gives the flan a deeper coconut taste without changing the texture.

I also like to add a bit of vanilla for warmth and aroma. I make my own vanilla extract, but store-bought works fine too.

This recipe doesn’t call for cans of sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk, which are common in flan recipes. I prefer to avoid them because they’re highly processed and often come in cans lined with plastics like BPA or BPS, which can affect our health. By using fresh milk, cream, and coconut milk, you can control the sweetness and quality of the custard without relying on processed, canned ingredients.

I also make my own coconut milk instead of using canned versions whenever possible. Even when labeled BPA free, many cans still use alternative linings that aren’t necessarily better. Using homemade coconut milk makes the recipe fresher and more natural, and lets me control the flavor. (That said, if you prefer, you can absolutely use store-bought coconut milk too.)

When it comes to sweeteners, I normally use honey for the flan itself because I try to stick with more natural sugars whenever possible. For the caramel, though, I haven’t been able to find a way to make it work with honey. It just doesn’t behave the same way. I use regular sugar (white or demerara) for that part. It melts evenly and gives you the glossy syrup needed for flan. If you’re okay with using refined sugar, you can use that in your custard. Or, you can get creative with other sweeteners, like erythritol, like I did in my keto custard recipe.

And finally, the eggs. I use six for three cups of liquid, which gives the custard enough structure to hold together while staying silky and smooth.

Materials

This recipe doesn’t require any fancy tools: just a flan pan or a few ramekins, and a baking dish to create a simple water bath. You’ll also need a small saucepan to cook the caramel, and a large mixing bowl for whisking the egg mixture.

For best results, let the flan cool on a wire cooling rack before transferring it to the refrigerator.

How to make it

The first step is to make the caramel. Heat the sugar until it melts into a golden syrup. Then, pour it into the pan and swirl it to coat the bottom. Work quickly, as it hardens fast!

For the custard, whisk the eggs and honey (or sugar) gently, just until combined. The idea is to mix everything together without incorporating any air, because those tiny bubbles can make your custard spongy rather than smooth and creamy. Stir in the coconut milk, whole milk, cream, and vanilla until blended.

Pour the mixture over the hardened caramel. Then place the filled flan mold or ramekins in a larger baking dish to create a bain-marie. Carefully pour hot water into the larger dish until it reaches about halfway up the sides of your mold. This helps the custard bake slowly and evenly, so it stays creamy instead of curdling or forming bubbles.

If using a large pan, first place the baking pan with flan mold(s) on the oven rack. Then, pour in the hot water with a kettle or measuring cup. That way, you don’t have to lift a heavy pan filled with hot water and flan molds across the kitchen. For smaller ramekins in a smaller pan, you can add the water before placing them in the oven. Make sure to use hot water to keep the baking temperature steady.

Bake the custard until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when gently moved. You can also test it by inserting a toothpick or the tip of a knife into the center. It should come out mostly clean, with just a thin layer of creamy custard clinging to it. If it’s still very liquid, give it a few more minutes and check again. The flan will continue to firm up as it cools. So, it’s better to take it out a little early than to overbake it.

Cool the flan completely, then refrigerate for at least four hours (or overnight). To serve, invert the flan onto a plate so the caramel sauce flows over the top. Optionally, give it a sprinkling of toasted coconut flakes or cinnamon.

Expert tips

Choosing a pan

You can use almost any oven-safe pan for flan: round, loaf, or individual custard cups (ramekins). For everyday baking, I often use a round pan, which makes a thinner flan with more caramel per bite. My husband actually prefers it that way because it gives him more syrup to soak into each spoonful.

A loaf pan makes thicker slices and looks nice when cut, but because the caramel is more concentrated on the bottom, it may not all dissolve right away. The first day or two, you might notice a layer of hardened sugar that slowly melts as the flan sits in the fridge. If you find yourself with that problem, you can add a few drops of water to the pan before refrigerating to help it dissolve evenly.

If you want to unmold your flan and serve it whole, use just enough caramel to lightly coat the bottom and sides of the pan. A thick layer of hardened caramel can make unmolding tricky. To make it easier to serve, use less sugar syrup or serve the flan straight from the pan.

For a dinner party, individual custard cups are also a beautiful option. They bake a little faster and make serving simpler.

Caramel notes

White sugar or demerara sugar both work well for the caramel coating. They melt evenly and give that golden, glossy syrup that makes flan irresistible. I’ve tried using darker unrefined sugars like panela, but they tend to burn before melting smoothly enough to pour.

If you prefer less sweetness overall, you can reduce the amount of caramel you make. Keep in mind that the caramel syrup continues to sweeten the custard over time. I don’t sweeten the custard much because the flan gets sweeter over the next days as it sits in the caramel syrup.

Avoiding bubbles

A smooth, creamy flan comes down to two things: gentle mixing and gentle baking. When you whisk the eggs and liquids, stir just until blended instead of whipping air into the mixture. Tiny bubbles can lead to a grainy or spongy texture once baked.

Baking in a bain-marie (a hot-water bath) is also important. The steam and even heat prevent the edges from overcooking and help the custard set without boiling or forming bubbles. You’ll know your flan is ready when the center still has a soft wobble. It will firm up as it cools.

FAQs

This post was first shared on June 24, 2013, and completely updated on October 6, 2025, with new photos, clearer step-by-step instructions, and plenty of extra tips.