Most Flan recipes use only the egg yolks, but this Leche Flan recipe uses egg whites as well! Instead of white sugar and canned condensed milk, this recipe uses maple syrup and coconut sugar – making it a healthier version of Filipino Leche Flan.
What is Flan?
Flan is a type of custard that is baked until it sets, much like a Panna Cotta or Crème Brûlée. Instead of relying on gelatin to thicken like Panna Cotta, the key component for thickening in Flan is eggs.
It differs from other baked custards in that it is made using sweetened condensed milk, which gives it a deep, delicious caramel flavor.
Traditional Leche Flan uses egg yolks, which makes a rich and creamy dessert. Using whole eggs also makes a creamy dessert that is zero-waste, lighter, and higher in protein!
History of Flan
Flan was originally of Roman origins, where it was made with honey, eggs and milk. The Spanish developed a version of this ancient dessert that is most similar to the way it is served today, with its golden caramel flavors. Spain has had a great influence on cuisine in places like Mexico and the Philippines, where Leche Flan is a common dessert.
In the Philippines, Leche Flan is often made using whole eggs instead of only egg yolks like in Mexico and Spain. So this recipe is a naturally sweetened version of Filipino Leche Flan!
Flan is Usually Unhealthy
Most Flan recipes use canned sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. I ditched canned foods a few years ago, which means I make items that are often sold in cans from scratch. In this recipe we make sweetened condensed milk as well as evaporated milk from fresh milk.
It takes a while for these to cook down, but it’s so worth it! I recommend making a big batch of sweetened condensed milk and storing it in the freezer so it’s ready to use whenever you want for a dessert recipe. The easiest way to make sweetened condensed milk is to throw the ingredients into a slow cooker and forget about it while it cooks down for a few hours. Sweetened condensed milk is delicious in recipes like cheesecake, coconut macaroons, and even ice cream!
Not only does this recipe use fresh ingredients instead of canned, but we are using natural sweeteners instead of processed cane sugar. Using natural sweeteners gives this Flan the right amount of sweetness: not to sweet, and not too bland.
This Recipe Might Not Make Perfect Looking Flan
When making desserts with alternative sweeteners, oftentimes we sacrifice the prettiness of the dessert. According to other Flan recipes I was reading, perfect Flan does not have small holes or air pockets in it. Well, I’ll be honest, this one turned out with a few air pockets. It may not look perfect, but it sure tasted amazing, and I felt great after eating it.
I would rather have a less-pretty dessert than one that is bad for me!
When to Serve Whole Egg Leche Flan
In the Philippines, Leche Flan is enjoyed at many Holidays and special occasions. While it’s a great dessert for any occasion, you don’t have to wait for a special event to enjoy this Flan recipe. Using healthier ingredients, this Flan can be enjoyed as a snack or sweet treat any time of day.
What Containers to Bake Whole Egg Leche Flan In
In the Philippines, Leche Flan is steamed in aluminum containers, but I don’t recommend cooking with aluminum for health reasons. In this recipe, we are using the water bath method to bake the custard. You can use small custard ramekins, or any small oven-safe glass dish.
I recommend using the custard dishes linked below, or something similar for this recipe.
How to Make Healthy Whole Egg Leche Flan
To begin, we first need to make sweetened condensed milk. It takes a while for the milk to cook down, so allow for plenty of time before you plan to have your Flan ready to serve. Like I said earlier, I like to make sweetened condensed milk in big batches and store it in the freezer.
How to Make Naturally Sweetened Condensed Milk
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pasture raised high quality milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Combine ingredients in a small pot and turn stove to medium heat until it begins to steam.
Turn heat down to low, and stir occasionally to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom.
Continue cooking for about 2-3 hours or until it is creamy and thick enough to coat a spoon. it will have turned a golden color.
*Alternatively, you can place in ingredients in a slow cooker and slow cook on high for about 8 hours.
Cool until room temperature, then strain through a sieve to remove milk solids, if needed.
How to Make Homemade Evaporated Milk
Using homemade evaporated milk will add another depth of flavor that is unmatched! I tried making Flan with heavy cream instead of evaporated milk and it was not the same. I highly recommend using homemade evaporated milk for this recipe.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pasture raised high quality milk
Directions
Add milk to a small pot and turn stove to medium heat until it begins to steam.
Turn heat down to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the milk has reduced and thickened.
Cool until room temperature, then strain through a sieve to remove milk solids.
How to Make Creamy Whole Egg Flan
Ingredients
1 cup homemade naturally sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup homemade evaporated milk
5 medium eggs (pasture raised is ideal)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Extra maple syrup for baking and serving
Enough boiling water to fill a large pot up to 2 inches
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare boiling water
Combine eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt with a hand mixer in a mixing bowl.
Pour 1 tablespoon maple syrup into each small ramekin or oven proof glass dish.
Pour custard mixture over maple syrup.
Place ramekins or glass containers in a large pot or pan.
Pour boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the ramekins.
Bake, uncovered for 1 hour
Remove small ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for a colder version.
Turn upside down onto a serving plate or eat straight out of the custard ramekin. The tops will be brownish and form somewhat of a thin crust.
If using larger oven save glass containers, you could also serve in triangle slices, although it may fall apart easily.
*It may be difficult to keep this dessert in its form, so the most fail-proof way to serve is straight out of the ramekins.
Add more maple syrup or homemade coconut sugar caramel on top if desired!
Naturally Sweetened Creamy Flan Using Whole Eggs
Equipment
- 1 small pot (for cooking down condensed milk, you could use a slow cooker or instant pot with slow cooker setting instead)
- 1 stirring utensil
- 1 large pot or deep oven safe pan (large enough to fit your custard ramekins)
- 4 custard ramekins or oven safe dish of choice (see recommended ramekins below)
Ingredients
Naturally Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 1/2 cups pasture raised high quality milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Homemade Evaporated Milk
- 1 1/2 cups pasture raised high quality milk
Whole Egg Flan
- 1 cup homemade naturally sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup homemade evaporated milk
- 5 medium eggs (pasture raised is ideal)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Extra maple syrup for baking and serving
- Enough boiling water to fill a large pot up to 2 inches
Instructions
Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Combine ingredients in a small pot and turn stove to medium heat until it begins to steam.
- Turn heat down to low, and stir occasionally to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom.
- Continue cooking for about 2-3 hours or until it is thick and creamy enough to coat a spoon and has turned a golden color.
- *Alternatively, you can place in ingredients in a slow cooker and slow cook on high for about 8 hours.
- Cool until room temperature, then strain through a sieve to remove milk solids.
Evaporated Milk
- Add milk to a small pot and turn heat to medium until it begins to steam.
- Turn heat down to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes or until the milk has reduced and thickened.
- Cool until room temperature, then strain through a sieve to remove milk solids.
Whole Egg Flan
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Prepare boiling water
- Combine eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt with a hand mixer in a mixing bowl.
- Pour 1 tablespoon maple syrup into each small ramekin or oven proof glass dish.
- Pour custard mixture over maple syrup, ensuring not to fill ramekins above 3/4 full
- Place ramekins or glass containers in a large pot or pan.
- Pour boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake, uncovered for 1 hour
- Remove small ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for a colder version.
- Turn upside down onto a serving plate or eat straight out of the custard ramekin. The tops will be brownish and form somewhat of a thin crust.
- If using larger oven save glass containers, you could also serve in triangle slices. It may be difficult to prevent this dessert from keeping its form, so the most fail-proof way is to serve straight out of the ramekins.
- Add more maple syrup or homemade caramel on top if desired.
- Enjoy!
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Glass custard ramekins
Organic coconut sugar
