Coconut Flan Recipe

Looking for a dessert that is as pretty as it is delicious, then this coconut flan recipe is just for you!

Hi there, friends. How was your weekend? Ours was filled with swim lessons, zoo trips, playground visits, and of course plenty of good food. One of the highlights was this coconut flan. I made this recipe once a long time ago and kind of forgot about it. The first time, I bought a coconut and had to figure out how to open it and remove the flesh. I remember it being a huge ordeal, so I think I wiped the recipe from my memory. This time around, I used unsweetened flaked coconut that I found at Target a while back. Without the coconut wrangling, the recipe could have been pretty easy. Because I apparently didn’t want it to be TOO easy, I first tried to use turbinado sugar for the caramel layer. This stuff did not melt like regular sugar! After cooking it for quite some time, it eventually kind of started melting into a very, very thick sludge. I tried adding a couple tablespoons of water, which seemed to help at first, but the crystals never did completely dissolve. What I’m trying to tell you is this: Don’t use raw sugar in this recipe. The original calls for granulated sugar for a reason! The next batch of normal sugar caramelized beautifully, as seen here: The rest of the recipe really is easy. Except don’t overfill your pie pan with the coconut mixture and then try to carry it to the oven. If you do, it might spill all over the hot oven, and then your kitchen will smell like burnt flan during baking. This is just a guess because I would never do something so foolish. (I totally did this.) If you do have more filling than your pie dish can hold, just pour the extra into ramekins or other small, oven-safe bowls. The custard is still delicious even without the caramel, and you wouldn’t want to waste it! Recipe adapted from Flan de Coco from AllRecipes.com.

Coconut Flan

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This sweet, smooth coconut custard topped with caramel is a perfect end to any meal!

• Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces evaporated milk I used 2%
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

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Instructions

1. Place 1 c. sugar in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Gently shake the pan occasionally. It may take 10-15 minutes before you see the sugar melt. Once it does, keep shaking and swirling the pan often to avoid scorching.
2. When the sugar is completely melted into caramel, pour it into a 9″ pie pan. Swirl the caramel or spread it with a silicone spatula to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Work fast because it hardens quickly. Set pan aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
3. While caramel cools, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 c. sugar and remaining ingredients. Using a wire whisk or stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat milk mixture for 3 minutes until well combined.
4. Pour filling into pie pan. If caramel is not completely cooled, it might make cracking noises when the filling is added. This is not something to worry about.
5. Carefully place the flan in the preheated oven and bake approximately 40 minutes, or until center is set. After baking, allow to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before moving to refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
6. To serve, slice into wedges, and place each piece of flan upside down on a serving plate.

Notes

Sometimes, the caramel can bubble up through a portion of the custard. This won’t look great when you take it out of the oven, but you can’t really tell when you serve it upside down. It doesn’t affect the flavor at all!

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 300
• Cook Time: 40
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Mexican