This ube leche flan is a delicious dessert that combines the creamy richness of leche flan with the unique flavor of ube, a purple yam commonly used in Filipino cuisine. It adds a lovely twist to the classic leche flan recipe with its vibrant purple hue and deliciously nutty flavor. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make too.
This is a small batch ube flavored leche flan. It makes a 5 inches round flan. It has a deliciously smooth, thick and creamy texture with an almost melt in your mouth feel. The combination of the sweet custard with the slightly bitter caramel makes this a perfect dessert.
If you like light and creamy desserts similar to leche flan, you should also check out this Biscoff pudding, Mascarpone chocolate mousse and banh flan (Vietnamese crème caramel). And for more ube treats, do check out my ube brownies, ube halaya, ube latte, ube milk tea and ube ice cream.
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❓What is leche flan?
Leche flan is the Filipino version of creme caramel. It is typically made using egg yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk and a layer of caramel. It has a smooth and silky, melt in your mouth texture.
Leche flan looks very much like creme caramel but uses only egg yolks as compared to creme caramel which is often made using whole eggs. Creme caramel is also commonly made using fresh milk instead of condensed milk. The use of egg yolks, condensed milk and evaporated milk gives leche flan a much thick and fuller mouth feel as compared to creme caramel.
Leche flan is traditionally made in an oval shaped tin called Llanera. It is either baked in an oven or steamed over stove top and then allowed to set in the refrigerator before it is turned out onto a rimmed plate and served.
❤️Why you will love this recipe
- It is easy to make, and you only need simple & basic ingredients (eggs, sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk, salt and ube extract).
- The combination of the caramel layer of the leche flan with the earthy, slightly nutty taste of ube combines 2 great traditional flavor into a delectable dessert.
- It is a great make-ahead dessert and you can make it without an oven.
- It has a smooth and velvety texture that almost melts in the mouth.
📋Ingredients
- Egg yolks – use large eggs.
- Sweetened condensed milk – contributes to the sweetness and creaminess of the flan.
- Evaporated milk – sold in cans, similar to condensed milk.
- Ube extract – concentrated ube flavor (and coloring) that can be purchased from local or online stores. I used McCormick ube extract.
- Sugar – this is to make the caramel. White sugar is highly recommended as it is easier to see when the sugar caramelizes as compared to brown sugar. Both coarse sugar and granulated sugar will work, however granulated sugar will cook faster than coarse sugar.
- Salt - to enhance the taste. Use fine salt for easy dissolving.
- Vanilla extract - adds a lovely aroma to the flan.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and variations
- Condensed milk can be replaced with ube flavored condensed milk.
- Evaporated milk can be replaced with fresh milk, coconut milk or half and half.
- This is a small batch flan steamed in a 5 inch round tin. If you wish to make a larger flan, double the recipe and steam in a 7 inch round tin. You can also make the flan in individual ramekins.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🏻🍳How to make
Step 1: Prepare the mold and the steamer. Wash and pat the mold dry. Make sure it is large enough to hold the custard, but not overly large that the custard ends up in a thin layer. This recipe makes 450 ml custard, and I used a 5 inch metal tin. This tin size makes leche flan with a height of one and a quarter inch.
Prepare your steamer. Pour water into the base pot and set the steamer tray. Place a cloth on the steamer tray (image 1), but make sure to not cover all the holes entirely. The cloth will prevent the flan from getting overly heated from the steam.
Step 2: Make the caramel. Add sugar into the flan mold (image 2). Turn on the heat and let the sugar melt over low heat. Swirl the tin as the sugar start melting to distribute the heat. Avoid mixing with a spoon to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. Swirl the pan instead.
Note: You can also make the caramel in a separate saucepan and pour it into your mold once ready.
As soon as the sugar is completely melted and has achieved an amber hue throughout, turn off the heat. Swirl the tin so that the caramel is spread in an even layer. Place the tin on a level surface and let the caramel set (image 3).
Note: Keep close watch on the sugar when making the caramel as it tends to burn very quickly. Use low heat.
Step 3: Prepare the custard. Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth (with a hand whisk or a cake mixer) (image 4). Do not overmix as it should not be incorporating any air bubbles.
Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, salt and ube extract (image 5). Whisk again until all the ingredients are well combined.
Step 4: Cook the flan. Strain the custard with a fine mesh strainer onto the caramel layer in the prepared tin (image 6).
Use a large cloth to wrap the steamer pot lid. This will prevent water droplets from the steam that has accumulated on the lid from dropping into the leche flan (image 7).
Note: Another option is to cover the tin with foil instead of wrapping the steamer lid. However, this will make it difficult for you to test the doneness of the flan.
Place the tin in the steamer and steam for 35 to 40 minutes on lowest heat (image 8).
Note: Make sure there is sufficient water in the steamer to steam for the entire cook time.
Step 5: Chill the custard until set. Once cooked, let the custard rest at room temperature until it cools down. Place the cooled custard in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
Note: If you are in a hurry, you can try chilling the custard for at least 4 hours before consuming.
Step 6: Unmold the ube leche flan and serve. To unmold, run a thin knife along the edges of the flan (image 9) and the tin to create air pockets on the sides. Make sure it touches the bottom of the tin as you run it around. Place a rimmed plate on the tin (image 10).
Hold it to the tin and turn the mold over to transfer the ube leche flan onto the plate (image 11).
Note: If the flan does not fall onto the plate, tap the tin lightly.
Lift the tin (image 12). Cut and serve the ube leche flan. The custard is best consumed chilled.
💡Expert tips
- Pay extremely close attention to the caramel when making it, especially once the sugar starts turning amber as it will burn very quickly. Swirl the pan to distribute the heat and remove the pan from the heat as soon as the sugar is completely melted and has reached a light amber color. The caramel will continue cooking even after the heat is turned off.
- Avoid mixing the caramel with a spoon. This will prevent crystallization of the caramel. Add a few drop of lemon juice will also prevent crystallization, however, it might leave your ube leche flan with a slightly tangy taste.
- Do not overcook the custard. Overcooking can result in a firm and eggy custard.
- Allow the custard sufficient time to set. Ideally, it should be overnight. This will allow sufficient time for the caramel to melt and when unmolded, it will not stick to the tin.
- The cooking time for the custard will vary depending on the thickness of the custard. This recipe uses a 5 inch round tin. If you use a large tin without scaling up the recipe, your custard will be thinner and the cooking time should be reduced. Vice versa if you use a smaller tin.
💭FAQs
Leche flan is a Filipino dessert that can be traced back to the Spanish colonization in the Philippines.
It looks similar to crème caramel and uses almost similar ingredients, however, there are a few differences. Leche flan is made using egg yolks while crème caramel uses both the yolks and whites. Crème caramel is also often made using fresh milk or cream while leche flan uses condensed milk and evaporated milk. Due to these differences in ingredients, leche flan has a much thicker texture while creme caramel is much lighter.
It is most likely because the caramel has burnt. If your caramel has turned into a dark amber color, it could make your custard bitter.
Overcooked custard can result in eggy tasting ube leche flan. Keep to the cooking time indicated in the recipe.
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📖Recipe
Ube Leche Flan
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
Caramel
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Custard
- 6 egg yolks
- 195 ml condensed milk (half a tin of a 14 oz can)
- 165 ml evaporated milk (half a tin of a 12 oz can)
- ½ teaspoon ube extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash and pat the flan mold or tin dry.
- Prepare your steamer. Pour water into the base pot and set the steamer tray. Place a cloth on the steamer tray but make sure to not cover all the holes entirely.
- Add sugar into the flan tin. Turn on the heat and let the sugar melt over low heat. Swirl the tin as the sugar start melting to distribute the heat. Avoid mixing with a spoon to prevent the sugar from crystalizing (see Note 1). Swirl the pan instead.
- Cook until the sugar turns amber (see Note 2). Swirl the tin so that the caramel covers the entire bottom of the tin. Place the tin on a level surface and let the caramel set.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth (with a hand whisk or a cake mixer) Do not overmix as it should not be incorporating any air bubbles.
- Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, salt and ube extract. Whisk again until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Strain the custard with a fine mesh strainer onto the caramel layer in the prepared tin.
- Use a large cloth to wrap the steamer pot lid. This will prevent water droplets from the steam that has accumulated on the lid from dropping into the leche flan (see Note 3).
- Place the tin in the steamer and steam for 35 to 40 minutes on lowest heat. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the flan is cooked (see Note 4).
- Remove the custard from the steamer and let it rest at room temperature until it cools down. Place the cooled custard in the refrigerator and chill overnight (see Note 5).
- To serve, run a thin knife along the edges of the flan in the tin to create air pockets on the sides. Make sure it touches the bottom of the mold as you run it around. Place a rimmed plate on the tin , hold it tight to the tin and turn the tin over to transfer the ube leche flan onto the plate (see Note 6).
- Lift the tin. Cut and serve the ube leche flan. The custard is best consumed chilled.
- This recipe makes 450 ml custard.
Notes
- You can also make the caramel in a separate saucepan and pour it into your mold or tin once ready. If the sugar crystalizes, continue cooking it over the heat. It will start to caramelize eventually.
- Keep close watch on the sugar when making the caramel as it tends to burn very quickly. Do not multi task and use low heat.
- Another option is to cover the tin with foil instead of wrapping the steam lid. However, this will make it difficult for you to test the doneness of the flan.
- Make sure there is sufficient water in the steamer to steam for the entire cook time. Do not over cook the custard. Overcooking can result in a firm and eggy custard. The cooking time for the custard will vary depending on the thickness of the custard. This recipe uses a 5 inch round tin. If you use a larger tin without scaling up the recipe, your custard will be thinner and the cooking time should be reduced. Vice versa if you use a smaller tin.
- If you are in a hurry, you can try chilling the custard for at least 4 hours before consuming but it is highly recommended to let it rest further to allow the caramel to soften and prevent it from sticking to the tin when overturning the flan.
- If the flan does not fall onto the plate, tap the tin lightly.
- To make a larger batch, double the recipe and steam in a 7 inches round tin.
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