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.
| Prep Time | 300 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 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
Ingredients
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- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- To serve, slice into wedges, and place each piece of flan upside down on a serving plate.
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!
[email protected] says
I love flan…. especially the texture. This looks wonderful! Pinned!
The Weary Chef says
Thank you, Deb!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
This looks insanely good! I love the idea of using coconut in here. Delicious!
The Weary Chef says
Thank you, Anne!
Cindra says
What a great site! All these recipes look great.
I’m following your link from Mom’s Monday Mingle and I’m definitely following you!
Thanks for sharing. :)
The Weary Chef says
You are so sweet, Cindra! Thank you for making my day :) I’ll be headed your way tonight after I get the kids to bed!
Liz says
coconut flan sounds good to me :-) Appreciate the “don’t do this” tips, too.
Speaking of pie cookbooks, have you seen Pie it Forward by Giselle Bullock Prado? Written by Sandra Bullock’s pastry queen sister and is a great read. All of Prado’s books are golden.
Sounds like your summer is going by swimmingly! I’m still checking the calendar everyday to see if school is starting soon.
The Weary Chef says
I have not seen that cookbook but will try to remember to check it out. I don’t make time for reading and mostly scour the Internet for recipes and ideas!
My oldest is in camp for the next 4 weeks, which is about the same as school. I think he’s as relieved as I am!
Lisa @ Cooking with Curls says
I tried making flan many, many years ago…total fail! I guess it’s time to try again, because this looks wonderful…and I love flan :)
The Weary Chef says
Thanks so much, Lisa! I was intimidated to try making it, but it is actually pretty easy. How will you make a non-dairy version?
Tanya Schroeder says
Wow! I love this pie! I have never tried making a flan! I am going to get all the ingredients ASAP!
The Weary Chef says
Thanks, Tanya! It was really good, and I hope you like it too. My oldest was very sad to know it was gone, so I might be making it again soon!