How to Make Flan de Café (BEST Coffee Flan Recipe)

Flan de café is a spin on traditional flan casero, infused with subtle coffee flavor and the most delicious caramel topping. It’s the perfect dessert for your next fiesta – coffee lovers, this one’s for you!

My father loved flan, but as a child I only remember my mother making it from a box. Every Day of the Dead, I honor my father’s memory with his favorite dessert, which also happens to be one of my specialties: flan. This homemade flan is flavored with coffee, another one of my father’s faves, and is made in small ramekins, perfect for individual servings.

WHAT IS FLAN DE CAFÉ?

Flan is a traditional dessert well-known throughout Mexico and Latin America. It is typically made with eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and spices. I bake my flan in a baño María (waterbath) until the mixture solidifies into a smooth, creamy texture somewhere in between jello and cheesecake. In Mexico, I’ve seen it made in a flan pan that seals shut, which is placed into a larger pot with water and slowly cooked over the stove. After being chilled, flan is inverted onto a dish and the sweet caramel layer drips down the sides, adding rich flavor to the dreamy dessert.

Flavored with instant espresso, this homemade coffee flan has a light cheesecake-like texture that is both creamy and firm, without the “eggy” flavor that can turn people off. A note from Lola:

• Flan de café has subtle coffee notes and the sweet caramel sauce brings all of the flavors together, without being overly rich.
• I love topping my flan with a dollop of whipped cream, tart berries, and coarse turbinado sugar or a homemade crunchy caramel garnish made from the leftover flan caramel.
• The key to any good flan is using high-quality eggs like Nellie’s Free Range, which come from happy hens living on Certified Humane Free Range Farms.

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Perfect balance of sweet and bitter: The sweet creamy flan infused with coffee pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter coffee notes. It’s the perfect treat for coffee lovers looking for a unique twist on a traditional Mexican dessert. And guess what? It’s delicious with coffee, too!
• Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples like eggs, sugar, instant espresso, and different types of milk (that you can keep in the pantry!), this coffee flan is easy to whip up at home.
• Perfect for any occasion: Whether for a family meal or a special event, flan always impresses with its elegance and simplicity. It’s also a great gluten-free dessert option!

If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my Flan Casero (Classic Flan Topped with Fresh Berries), Pumpkin Cream Cheese Flan, Chocolate Flan (Flan de Chocolate), Passion Fruit and Coconut Flan, and Flan de Rompope (Eggnog and Rum Flan)

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

• Sugar: for caramel;  I prefer to use pure cane sugar in recipes.
• Instant espresso: Instant espresso dissolves quickly and smoothly into the flan mixture without adding extra liquid, allowing for a perfectly balanced, creamy texture and concentrated coffee flavor.
• Milks: I use a combination of evaporated milk and condensed milk for this recipe.
• Cream cheese: This helps neutralize the egg flavor that can turn some people off about flan and also creates the creamy texture in this recipe.
• Vanilla extract: Good quality vanilla extract is key when making desserts as simple as this one! You can also make it yourself.
• Cinnamon (optional): Cinnamon is optional, but pairs well with the flavors in both flan and coffee.
• Salt: Brings out the natural sweetness in ingredients.
• Nellie’s Free Range Eggs: Remember to take out your eggs at least 30 minutes ahead of time, so they’re at room temperature.
• Optional garnishes: Whipped cream, fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), coarse turbinado sugar, homemade crunchy caramel garnish.*

RECOMMENDED BY LOLA FOR THIS RECIPE

CERAMIC RAMEKINS

Flan comes in all shapes and sizes. While I usually make flan in an 8 or 9-inch round metal cake pan, this time I opted for 4-ounce ramekins and love how they turned out. They’re perfect for individual servings, much easier to store, and absolutely adorable. VIEW PRODUCT

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. Prepare caramel 

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Prepare caramel by dissolving sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. 
• Once sugar begins to liquify, stir it frequently with a wooden spatula until it is dissolved and completely smooth. Be sure to break up any lumps with a spatula.

PRO TIPS

• Once you start your caramel, do not walk away from the stove until it is ready. It can burn in seconds and if it does, you’ll have to start the process all over again.
• You will notice that the sugar will start to transform into an amber color sauce.
• If your sugar is cooking too quickly, reduce stove to low heat and gradually increase to create the caramel.
• Once your caramel topping is a deep golden brown, smooth, and no longer has lumps of sugar, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Pour caramel into ramekins

• Working quickly and carefully, pour caramelized sugar mixture into ramekins (or flan pan) and swirl to coat the bottom and sides.
• Do not touch or attempt to taste caramel – it is extremely hot!

If using a large aluminum baking pan in place of ramekins for, follow the instructions in this recipe.

3. Blend ingredients

• First, combine instant coffee with 2 tablespoons of hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside.
• Next, combine coffee mixture, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a blender and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add whole eggs to the blender and quickly process for another 10 seconds.

3. Pour mixture into ramekins and bake

• Pour mixture into ramekins
• Prepare baño María (aka: water bath or bain Marie) by arranging the ramekins into a larger oven-proof baking dish and carefully add enough hot water into the larger baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until the center of the flan is almost set. It is okay if the flan looks slightly jiggly, not wet, because it will continue to cook as it cools and sets. Total bake time varies by oven.
• Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly open, and once completely cool, remove the flan dishes from the water bath.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve

4. Demold and invert flan

• To de-mold flan, carefully run a sharp knife around the edges without cutting into the flan.
• Place a plate over the ramekin. Moving carefully and quickly, invert flan onto the plate. Flan should come out easily with caramel sauce. If it sticks, simply set it aside, upside-down, until it releases the suction and falls onto the plate.

5. Garnish and serve

• Garnish with a dollop of whipping cream, fresh berries, and coarse turbinado sugar or crunchy caramel (or both!).

WHAT TO SERVE WITH FLAN DE CAFÉ

If you’re hosting a special occasion or just want to create a memorable Mexican fiesta menu, here are a few ideas from appetizers and drinks, to main dishes and salsas. Of course, I’d end it on a sweet note with my sweet creamy coffee flan!

• Appetizers: Nopales Asados, Cebollitas Asadas, Chiles Toreados, Jalapeño Deviled Eggs, Totopos Caseros (Easy Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips), Guacamole Salsa (Guacasalsa)
• Main dishes: Easy Breakfast Tostadas, Turkey Picadillo Tostadas, Tacos Dorados, Tacos de Papa, Tacos de Huevos a la Mexicana, Milanesa de Pollo, Mole Negro, Tacos de Barbacoa
• Sides: Ensalada de Lentejas, Ensalada de Nopales, Arroz Rojo, Arroz a la Primavera,  Arroz Verde con Cilantro, Tijuana Caesar Salad
• Aguas frescas: Agua de Piña, Agua de Papaya, Agua de Naranja, Agua de Tamarindo, Mexican Limonada, Agua de Limón con Chía, Agua de Tuna, Agua de Melón, Agua de Piña, Agua de Tuna.

HOW TO STORE FLAN

Flan is best eaten within 3 days to enjoy the best texture and flavor. If using ramekins, cover and store individual dishes before inverting them onto a dish. If storing a large flan, be sure to cover it in an airtight container before refrigerating.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is Mexican flan the same as creme caramel?

Yes, Mexican flan and crème caramel are essentially the same dessert. Both are rich custards with a caramel sauce. The main difference lies in the ingredients – Mexican flan often uses condensed milk for sweetness while the French crème caramel incorporates sugar.

Can I use regular coffee instead of instant espresso?

Yes, but instant espresso provides a more concentrated flavor. I would recommend using instant coffee instead of brewed coffee, which might make the flan too watery.

Do I need a water bath (bain-marie)?

Yes, a water bath ensures even cooking and prevents the flan from cracking or becoming too firm.

How long should the flan cool before serving?

Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for the best texture.

Why is my flan runny?

Undercooking or not allowing enough cooling time can result in a runny texture. Make sure the flan is set in the center before removing from the oven.

How do I know when the flan is done?

The flan should be set but slightly jiggly in the center. A knife inserted should come out mostly clean.

LOOKING FOR MORE SWEET INSPIRATION?

Be sure to check out more of my paletas, sweets and desserts!

This recipe was originally published on October 28, 2022 and updated with more clear instructions and photos on October 23, 2024.

Lola’s Cocina is a small business that earns various revenue streams. This includes sponsored posts and affiliate commissions from linked products, which I use and love. This commission is an agreement between Lola’s Cocina and retailers, with no extra cost to readers. This income helps sustains the site.

Many thanks to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this post. As always, the recipe and opinions shared about these products are my own.

Photography + Styling (except first 2 process steps): Cacey McReavy