Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (2024)

Central America | Desserts | Eggs | Europe | Fruits | Kid friendly | Mexico | South America

This is my recipe for pineapple flan, also known as flan de piña or queso de piña – a custard like dessert made with fresh pineapple juice, sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and rum.

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Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (1)

En español

I enjoy a good flan every now and then, but if it were up to Nicolas we would eat flan every day. I also like to have a change from the classic vanilla flan and add different flavors to the flans. In Ecuador, especially on the coast, it is very common to find flans made with pineapple, coconut, mango, or other fruit. I’ve mentioned before that when I’m cooking for friends I like to make desserts that are relatively low maintenance and that can be made ahead so that I can focus on the appetizers and main meal; flan definitely falls into this category.

Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (2)

I used freshly made pure pineapple juice for this flan, you have to strain it and then let the foam rise to the top and remove the foam, but if you are in a hurry you can substitute with a good quality store bought pineapple juice, though you might want to reduce the amount of sugar for the flan if the store bought juice already has sugar. I used whole milk for this pineapple flan because I was out of evaporated milk and it worked just fine.

Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (3)

Whenever we made any type of flan with my high school friends we always used evaporated milk or condensed milk or a mix of both, I’m not sure why but a lot of Latin American desserts use them. We were talking about this with some friends from Mexico the other day and our guess was that it has something to do with marketing by a certain large Swiss food product company combined with the fact that not even a decade ago refrigerators were luxury items in many places so many dairy products are sold in cans and sealed bags. This recipe makes about 10 small individual flans, you can also use a large flan mold as well, just increase the cooking time.

Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (4)

Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (5)

Flan de piña or pineapple flan

Pineapple flan, also known as flan de piña or queso de piña, is a custard like dessert made with fresh pineapple juice, sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and rum.

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Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Caribbean, Ecuadorian, Latin American, Mexican, South American

Keyword: Flan, Latin style custard, Pineapple, Pineapple flan, Queso de piña

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Refrigeration time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar 1 cup for caramel and 1 cup for the flan
  • ½ cup of water
  • 2 ½ cups pure fresh pineapple juice strained and foam removed, from 1 pineapple
  • 1 tbs tapioca starch – can also use corn starch
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 10 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbs rum
  • 10 buttered oven proof ramekins or flan molds
  • Large oven proof dish filled with water

Caramelized pineapple slices

  • Brown sugar
  • Fresh pineapple slices

Instructions

  • To make the caramel, bring 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water to a boil over medium heat and boil until it gets a deep amber color, about 8-10 minutes.

  • Pour the hot caramel into the previously buttered flan molds or ramekins and try to distribute it evenly on the bottom of the molds.

  • Combine the pineapple juice with the sugar and tapioca starch in a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil, keep an eye on it as it is prone to boil over, let simmer until it begins to thicken, about 5-8 minutes, remove and cool completely.

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 F

  • Beat the eggs on low speed; slowly mix in the pineapple mixture, the milk, the vanilla, and the rum until well combined

  • Strain the flan mixture and pour into the caramel coated molds.

  • Place the flan molds in the oven dish with water – the water should cover at least ½ of the height of the ramekins – and bake until the flans solidify, about 45-50 minutes.

  • Let the flans cool completely, then refrigerate for a couple of hour.

  • To help release the flans place the ramekins in a bowl with warm water before serving to melt the caramel and loosen the flan.

  • Serve alone or accompanied by fresh berries or with caramelized pineapple slices

Caramelized pineapple slices

  • Pour a spoonful of brown sugar over a pineapple slice and place under the broiler until the sugar begins to bubble and caramelize.

Step by step preparation photos for pineapple flan

Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (6)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (7)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (8)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (9)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (10)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (11)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (12)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (13)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (14)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (15)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (16)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (17)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (18)
Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (19)

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Pineapple flan {Flan de piña} - Laylita's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you make flan the night before? ›

Making Flan in Advance

After you've baked the flan, carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven, remove the flan to a wire rack, and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Once the flan has cooled, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.

Why does flan taste so good? ›

The science of perfect flan lies in the fact that, unlike most custard-based dishes, it contains both egg yolks and egg whites. Egg yolks are made up of fat, protein and about 50% water. The fat in the yolk gives desserts like crème brûlée, crème caramel and flan their creamy and smooth texture.

What is Filipino flan made of? ›

The world calls this dessert Spanish flan but in the Philippines, it's called leche flan. Leche, Spanish for milk, is one of the dessert's two main ingredients. Made with egg yolks, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk, Filipino leche flan is a rich, steamed custard topped with a syrupy caramel sauce.

How many hours should flan be in the fridge? ›

Cook for 40 to 45 minutes, until slightly jiggly but still firm. Carefully remove it (it'll be hot!) from the oven and set aside. Allow to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes and then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Can I eat week old flan? ›

Your flan will stay fresh for up to two weeks. How do I store my Gringa Flan? Keep your flan refrigerated in its original container or on your serving plate once flipped.

Why is flan unhealthy? ›

Flan does contain high amount of calcium but the cholesterol and amount of sugar over powers the calcium benefits. One serving (3.5 oz / 100g) of flan has close to 36 grams sugar. It is and seem quite high until you compare it with a can of soda which contains about 44g of sugar.

Is flan a Mexican or Spanish dessert? ›

The flan's history is traced back to ancient Rome when egg surpluses were transformed into custards to produce both sweet and savory tastes. The Spaniards took it to America, where it became a delicacy. Due to the Mexican's heavy influence on the recipe evolved there and became today's sweet staple.

What is the difference between French and Mexican flan? ›

The main difference is that the French version is baked inside a tart crust while the Spanish version is a pudding-like baked custard, usually baked in a water bath. The ingredients are pretty close, but the Spanish version usually does not have Cornstarch in it and is made with Milk only.

What country eats flan the most? ›

Spaniards brought flan to Mexico during Spanish conquest and occupation. Since then it's become a truly beloved dish among Mexicans in all regions of the country. Most people consider flan a dessert, but more and more people are finding excuses to eat it at all times of the day.

Why is my flan so jiggly? ›

and if your oven isn't calibrated correctly. it'll end up either under baked or over baked. a perfectly cooked flan should be firm around the edge. and still have a little bit of a jiggle to it in the center, it'll finish setting as it cools.

How to tell if flan is done? ›

After 1 hour, check with a knife inserted just off-center into one of the servings: If the knife comes out clean, the flan is ready. If not, leave it in the oven for 15 more minutes. If baking a whole flan, thump the side of the dish after 1 hour, and if it wobbles as one, the flan is ready.

What is the difference between Mexican and Filipino flan? ›

Leche Flan is a Filipino creme caramel, and very very similar to the Mexican flan. One of the main differences is the sole use of egg yolks for the Filipino version, which gives the flan a rich and velvety mouth feel.

Why do Filipinos call it leche flan? ›

The name "Leche Flan" itself is derived from the Spanish word "flan," meaning custard, combined with the term "leche," which refers to milk. The dessert was introduced to the Philippines by the Spaniards and quickly became a hit among the locals.

What is a flan in English? ›

A flan is a custard dessert with a caramel sauce. A flan is a food that has a base and sides of pastry or sponge cake.

Can you leave flan overnight? ›

Cool fully in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, run a paring knife or offset spatula along the edge to loosen the flan from the dish and flip over onto a rimmed plate to catch the caramel sauce. Sprinkle with Maldon salt to taste. Keep in the fridge covered for 3 to 5 days.

What time of day is flan eaten? ›

Even though it is most popularly eaten as a dessert, many Mexicans eat flan any time of day, most notably as part of comida corrida, which is a late afternoon meal that consists of a number of small plates.

Why did my flan fall apart? ›

The eggs are what help the custard set, and without them, the flan would fall apart.

Can you reheat flan? ›

Leftover flan can be enjoyed warm or cold based on personal preference. If one opts for a warm dessert, the flan can be gently reheated.

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