When I was a kid, flan was the go-to dessert after almost every meal. It’s such a classic that you can find it in pretty much any restaurant. But chocolate flan? Now that’s something special! It’s not as common, but it’s such a brilliant twist on the traditional flan. I never thought Flan could get any better, but adding chocolate takes it to another level.
Chocolate Flan Recipe
Once I tried this recipe, I was hooked! If you haven’t had Flan before, it is a delicious, eggy custard that’s popular in Spanish kitchens. But this time, I tried a chocolate version, and let me tell you, Chocolate Flan came out surprisingly good.
Chocolate Flan is one of those desserts you can pull off pretty easily, with just a few basic ingredients, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and eggs. You can whip up a creamy, sliceable custard without much fuss.
When it comes to caramel, it can be a little tricky, but if you follow the steps correctly, you will be able to achieve a dark brown rich, deep flavor.
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⭐Why You'll Love Chocolate Flan
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe requires basic ingredients that are easy to find, making it a convenient dessert option.
- Rich and Creamy Texture: The combination of chocolate and flan results in a dessert with a luxurious, silky texture that melts in your mouth.
- Make-Ahead Convenience: Chocolate Flan is often prepared in advance, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your meal or event.
- Satisfies Chocolate Cravings: If you're a chocolate lover, the combination of a creamy flan with a chocolatey twist can be a delightful way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Traditional with a Twist: For those who enjoy putting a creative spin on classic recipes, a chocolate flan offers a modern and delicious variation on the traditional flan.
🧾Chocolate Flan Ingredients
Here is a list of everything you need:
Ingredients for the Caramel:
- Sugar: Is used to make the caramel sauce.
- Water: Is often added to the sugar when making caramel to help dissolve and melt the sugar evenly.
- Lemon Juice: This is sometimes added to caramel to prevent crystallization.
For the Chocolate Flan:
- Eggs: Are a key component in flan, providing structure, richness, and a smooth texture to the custard.
- Sugar: Is used both in the caramel sauce and in the flan custard. In the custard, sugar adds sweetness to balance the richness of the eggs and milk.
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is added to give the flan a chocolate flavor. It contributes to the rich, chocolaty taste and also affects the color of the flan.
- Milk: Milk is the liquid base for the flan custard. It combines with the eggs and sugar to create a smooth and creamy texture.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Chocolate Flan
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
How to Prepare the Caramel:
1. In a saucepan, mix sugar, water, and lemon juice. Heat over medium, and stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Let it boil without stirring until deep amber but don't burn.
3. When it's the right color, take it off heat, and pour it into flan glasses. Cool until hardened.
How to Make the Chocolate Flan Cake:
1. Using a blender, mix eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, and milk.
2. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
3. Strain the flan blend through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl for a silky texture.
4. Pour the chocolate flan mix into the molds with the firm caramel layer.
5. Place a saucepan with hot water and a steaming rack. Cover flan molds with foil to keep water out. Place the molds in the steamer, and steam for about 15 minutes.
6. Once done, remove from the steamer and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the flan for at least 4 hours or overnight to set completely.
7. Flip the flan onto a serving plate, letting the caramel flow over the top.
8. Serve chilled and savor your delightful chocolate flan!
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Quality Chocolate: Choose high-quality chocolate with a good cocoa content. Dark chocolate or a combination of dark and semi-sweet chocolates can provide a rich flavor.
Cocoa Powder: Enhance the chocolate flavor by adding a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder to the flan mixture.
Caramelization: Pay close attention when making the caramel. Allow it to reach a deep amber color for a robust flavor that complements the chocolate.
Chill Thoroughly: Allow the Chocolate Flan to cool completely before refrigerating. This helps it set properly and allows the flavors to meld.
Covering: Cover the flan with cling film or aluminum foil while refrigerating to prevent it from absorbing any odors from the refrigerator.
❓Commonly Asked Questions
French flan is a baked custard tart with a shortcrust pastry, while Spanish flan is a caramel custard dessert set in a mold. French flan is often associated with a pie-like structure, whereas Spanish flan has a smooth, creamy texture.
In English, flan refers to a caramel custard dessert, typically made with eggs, sugar, and milk, and often flavored with vanilla.
Flan and Flan Napolitano are similar caramel custard desserts, but Flan Napolitano, associated with Mexican cuisine, often includes cream cheese, giving it a richer and creamier texture compared to the traditional flan.
🍮More Custard and Pudding Recipes
I have also made a few custard and pudding recipes like:
🍰More Dessert Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite dessert recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Flan
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Caramel:
- 150 g Sugar
- 40 ml Water
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Ingredients for the Chocolate Flan:
- 4 Eggs
- 100 g Sugar
- 60 g Cocoa Powder
- 500 ml Milk
Instructions
How to Prepare the Caramel:
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, and lemon juice.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Allow the mixture to boil without stirring until it turns into a deep amber color. Be careful not to burn it.
- Once the caramel reaches the desired color, remove it from the heat and immediately pour it into the bottom of your individual flan glasses. Allow it to cool and harden.
How to Make the Chocolate Flan:
- In a blender, combine eggs, sugar, cocoa powder and milk.
- Blend until the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Strain the flan mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl to ensure a smooth texture.
- Pour the chocolate flan mixture into the flan mold with the hardened caramel layer.
- Add hot water to a saucepan and place on a steaming rack.
- Cover the flan molds with aluminum foil to prevent water from getting into the flan.
- Place the flan molds in the steamer, cover with a lid, and steam for about 15 minutes or until the flan is set. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean when the flan is done.
- Once done, remove them from the steamer and let it cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the flan for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow it to fully set.
- Invert the flan onto a serving plate, allowing the caramel to flow over the top.
- Serve chilled. Enjoy your delicious chocolate flan!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
This looks like a very easy recipe and best thing about it that it do not require oven nice.