Recipe
🍰 DESSERT
Leche Flan
A dense, silky egg-yolk custard under a dark caramel, steamed in a tin mold, the Philippines' richest celebration dessert.
Filipino · medium · serves 8
prep 20 min · cook 45 min
~390 cal · 14g protein · 56g carbs · 13g fat · 0g fiber · 56g sugars · 6g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Leche flan is the Philippines' beloved take on caramel custard, a legacy of Spanish colonial rule made distinctly Filipino by its richness. Denser and more intensely eggy than most flans, it is the star dessert of fiestas, holidays, and family celebrations.
It is made almost entirely from egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk, which give it a heavy, satiny texture quite unlike a light custard. Traditionally it is steamed rather than baked, in an oval tin mould called a llanera lined with dark caramel. Turned out so the amber caramel flows over its glossy surface, it is decadently sweet, and a little goes a long way.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 8
10 egg yolks
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar for the caramel
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp calamansi or lemon zest
Instructions
1
Melt the sugar to a dark caramel and pour into moulds, swirling to coat the base.
2
Gently whisk the yolks into the condensed milk first, then the evaporated milk, the vanilla, and the zest, without frothing, and strain twice.
✎ Chef’s note
Stir the yolks into the thick condensed milk before the thin evaporated milk goes in; breaking them up in watery liquid is what leaves streaks. Straining twice removes stray white and gives leche flan its silky, dense set, and a little citrus zest is the standard trick for cutting the richness.
3
Pour into the caramel-lined moulds (llaneras, traditionally), cover tightly with foil, and steam until just set, 35 to 40 minutes.
4
Chill fully, then invert onto a plate so the caramel flows over.
Filipino fiesta tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Central Luzon. Central Luzon is the Philippines' rice bowl, cooking sisig, longganisa sausage, and the sweet-savory dishes of Pampanga, the country's 'culinary capital.' Fertile plains feed a rich Filipino table.
🗺️
Philippines. Eating with the hands has a technique and a name. In pagkakamay a small mound of rice is pressed together with a piece of the ulam using the fingers of one hand, lifted in four cupped fingers and pushed in with the thumb, and the fingers never go into the mouth. At a salu-salo the table is lined with banana leaves wilted over a flame first to bring up their sheen.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Philippines
Chicken AdoboChicken braised glossy in vinegar, soy, garlic, and black pepper, the Philippines’ definitive dish.
ChamporadoA sweet Filipino chocolate rice porridge, traditionally eaten with salty dried fish on the side.
Sinigang na BaboyThe Philippines’ beloved sour soup: pork simmered tender in a clear tamarind broth, unapologetically tart, loaded with vegetables added in stages.
Browse all Philippines recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Steamer, Whisk.
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
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Cuisine
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Frequently asked questions
What is Leche Flan?
A dense, silky egg-yolk custard under a dark caramel, steamed in a tin mold, the Philippines' richest celebration dessert.
Where does Leche Flan come from?
Leche Flan is a Filipino dish from Central Luzon, Philippines.
Can Leche Flan be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Leche Flan recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Leche Flan safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Leche Flan take to make?
About 65 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 8.
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