Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (2024)

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4.80 from 5 votes

2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

by Marly

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This easy vegan flan recipe creates a creamy, smooth flan that’s easier to make than a classic flan. If you’re looking for a smooth dessert with a creamy caramel topping, this will be your go-to favorite!

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (1)

Grab your forks (or spoons) and take a bite (or several) of this eggless Flan recipe. It’s made with dairy-free eggnog and made even creamier with cashews.

This vegan flan is a real show stopper!

Table of Contents show

What is Flan?

The classic flan recipe is not vegan because it’s usually made with both cream and eggs. However, it’s surprisingly easy to make flan vegan. In fact, I venture to say it’s actually EASIER to make vegan flan recipes than regular flan!

This simple flan recipe sets quickly and can be ready to serve within an hour. All you have to do is prepare the ingredients on the stove-top, pour them into your flan pans and refrigerate.

What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • Using soaked cashews creates a creamy base with a perfectly smooth mouthfeel
  • Coconut sugar adds a caramel flavor to the flan
  • Agar flakes make the perfect consistency without any added carbs.

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Raw cashew — You can find raw cashews at health food stores or online.
  • Plant-based milk — Use your favorite plant-based milk, like soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk. Use vegan eggnog to make it a seasonal holiday flan.
  • Coconut Sugar – Use coconut sugar or substitute brown sugar.
  • Agar flakes — You can find agar flakes at health food stores or online.
  • Nutritional yeast flakes — We’ll add a bit of flavor with these yeast flakes.
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Rum

How to Make Vegan Flan

  1. Place soaked cashews in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse for a few seconds. Add the plant-based milk and pulse until smooth.
  2. Add the brown sugar, agar flakes, nutritional yeast flakes, and ground nutmeg. Pulse for a second or two to combine.
  3. Pour this into a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, to allow it to cool slightly.
  5. Make the caramel topping by combining the ingredients in a separate saucepan and bringing it to a boil and reducing to a simmer. Cook until the sugar caramelizes and the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour this evenly in the bottom of two flan dishes.
  6. Pour the cooled flan mixture over the caramel.
  7. Place in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably two.
  8. To serve, use a butter knife to cut along the sides of the pan. Invert it over a serving dish. It may take a minute or so, but the flan will drop onto the plate. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg (freshly grated is a nice touch).

How To Soak Cashews

Slow Soak Cashews

  1. Place cashews in a glass bowl and cover with water.
  2. Refrigerate and soak them for a minimum of four hours or up to overnight.
  3. Drain the soaking liquid.

Fast Soak Cashews

  1. Fast soak cashews by placing them in a saucepan.
  2. Cover them with water and then place it over medium heat.
  3. Bring it to a simmer (low boil) and cook for around 10 minutes. The cashews will become plump.
  4. Remove from heat and allow them to cool.
  5. Drain the soaking liquid.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Is Flan Vegan?

The classic flan recipe is not vegan because it’s usually made with both cream and eggs. However, it’s surprisingly easy to make flan vegan. In fact, I venture to say it’s actually EASIER to make vegan flan recipes than regular flan!

What is Flan?

A flan is basically a creamy custard dish with a caramel topping. It is usually a bit firmer than a standard pudding and is served on a plate where it stands firm with the caramel sauce dripping over the edge.

Does Vegan Flan Taste Like Flan?

Of course, the big question is does the non-dairy flan taste like, you know, a regular flan dessert? Well, if flan is creamy, rich, with hints of nutmeg and caramel, then this vegan flan is spot on!

Marly’s Tips

Use these expert tips to make this homemade flan recipe perfect every time:

  • Experiment by adding a little more dried ginger to the mix. I love that stuff!
  • Serve with vegan coconut whipped cream
  • Sprinkle some crushed gingersnap cookies over the top
  • You don’t need traditional flan dishes for this recipe, but they look nice.

More Vegan Desserts

If you’re into delicious vegan desserts,you’ll love these:

Vegan Coconut Cake

55 mins total

Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Cake

50 mins total

Vegan Pecan Pie

95 mins total

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

380 mins total

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (6)

Have some fun! As long as you follow the basics of this easy flan recipe, you can adjust the spices and events sweetness level to meet your own tastes. That’s the best thing about making things from home — you know exactly what’s in your food and you get to adapt the flavors to meet your needs.

Because it’s made without dairy milk, this healthy flan recipe is delicious for people with allergies too.

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (7)

That’s it for this vegan flan.

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (8)

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Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (9)

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (10)

Vegan Flan

Grab your forks for this simple but elegant easy vegan flan recipe. It's made with only a few ingredients but lots of show-stopping flavor!

4.80 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Spanish

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

Eggnog Flan

  • ½ cup raw cashew pieces soaked or quick soak*
  • 1 ½ cups plant-based milk
  • 1 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons agar flakes ** not powder
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon rum

Caramel Topping

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup plant-based milk

Instructions

  • Drain the soaked cashews from their soaking liquid. Discard liquid. Place soaked cashews in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse for a few seconds. Add the plant-based milk and pulse until smooth.

  • Add the brown sugar, agar flakes, nutritional yeast flakes, and ground nutmeg. Pulse for a second or two to combine.

  • Pour this into a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, to allow it to cool slightly.

  • In a separate saucepan add the caramel topping ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook until the sugar caramelizes and the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour this evenly in the bottom of two flan dishes.***

  • Pour equal amounts of the slightly cooled flan mixture over the caramel.

  • Place in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably two.

  • To serve, use a butter knife to cut along the sides of the pan. Invert it over a serving dish. It may take a minute or so, but the flan will drop onto the plate. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg (freshly grated is a nice touch).

Recommended Equipment

Food Processor

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

* Long soak: Place raw cashew pieces in 1 cup water and soak overnight in the fridge.

Quick soak: Place raw cashew pieces in 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook until the cashews are tender about 5 minutes. Drain excess water.

I buy agar flakes at our local health food store or online.

You can use muffin tins for this, mini pie pans, or even any small bowls that have a gently outward slope.

For regular flan, I recommend using creamy plant-based milk, such as cashew milk or soy milk. SoDelicious Cashew Milk would be perfect.

Use all the ingredients above but substitute vanilla plant-based milk (see notes for suggestions on the best brands/varieties). Also, increase sugar to 1/3 cup in the flan.

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 3.5mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a rating below then tag @namelymarly on Instagram and hashtag it #namelymarly. I love seeing your creations!

This was a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. See our full disclosure for more information.

This post was originally published in 2016 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.

Easy Vegan Flan Recipe with Caramel Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between caramel flan and flan? ›

Flan can be sweet or savory in taste and be found on breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables, while sweet crème caramel is served primarily for dessert or enjoyed as an afternoon treat. Savory flan recipes can be enveloped in a pastry-like crust, and many dairy products are used to make versions of creamy, sweet flan.

How does the caramel in flan stay liquid? ›

Sugar is hydophilic - it absorbs moisture. Some of the moisture in the custard is absorbed by the hard caramel, eventually dissolving it to the point it becomes a liquid. The process takes a while - it doesn't just happen when the flan is being baked - most of it happens during the cooling period, in the refrigerator.

What is vegan flan made of? ›

Of course, flan is not very vegan-friendly. However, creating a delicious vegan flan with the same rich and creamy textures is possible with plant-based ingredients. The combination of oat milk, cornstarch, and vegan butter emulates the egg-based custard that everyone loves.

Why did my flan caramel get hard? ›

It's normal. Caramel hardens when you pour it into a ramekin but gradually melts into syrup during cooking. If the layer of caramel poured into a ramekin is too thick, it will not have time to completely melt during cooking. This is why caramel will stick to the bottom.

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 the caramel in flan supposed to harden? ›

(The caramel will harden against the bottom of the ramekin almost immediately – this is normal, so don't worry about it!) Tilt the ramekins slightly to ensure the caramel covers the entire bottom. 4. In a bowl, gently mix all of the custard ingredients with a wire whisk.

Should flan be cooked covered or uncovered? ›

The water bath will give you more even cooking. Covering the flan with foil will also help with cooking. Put your dish on the center rack and let bake for 30-40 minutes, and then check every 10 minutes until the flan has a gentle jello-like movement in the center and the sides are set.

Do you flip the flan when it's hot or cold? ›

Once baked, allow the dish to cool for an hour before refrigerating overnight. The next day, run a knife around the entire edge of the baking dish to free the flan. Carefully flip the baking dish upside down onto a platter.

What thickens homemade caramel? ›

Add heavy cream.

Some caramel sauce recipes call for milk, but if you find this still produces a thin sauce, you can add room-temperature heavy cream and return the caramel sauce to the stove for another few minutes.

What is the brown stuff on flan? ›

The consistency of flan is very smooth and creamy with a sweet, milky flavor. It's also topped with a thin caramel sauce, made by carefully melting granulated sugar until golden brown. Flan is cooked upside down, with the caramel sauce going into the baking dish first, then the custard mixture on top.

Is egg custard and flan the same? ›

Custard is a sweet sauce for serving with hot desserts, made from eggs, milk, sugar & cornflour, flavoured usually with vanilla. A flan is an open topped pastry case usually filled with fruit and usually some form of jelly (Jello) or sweet aspic.

What culture eats flan? ›

Flan is a popular dessert in Spain and Latin America, also known as creme caramel due to its indulgent custard base topped with delicious caramel. It's one of those delicacies that are irresistible and once you try it, you can't stop eating it.

When should I flip the flan? ›

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.

Why is my flan caramel bitter? ›

The most intimidating part of the recipe is to successfully caramelize the sugar. Not dark enough, and the caramel isn't flavorful enough. Too dark, and the caramel is bitter. It can be tricky to get the right color, so it's important you stay at the stove and monitor the sugar once it starts to turn amber in color.

Why aren't you supposed to stir caramel? ›

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

What is a caramel flan called? ›

Crème caramel (French: [kʁɛm kaʁamɛl]), flan, caramel pudding, condensed milk pudding or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce.

What's the difference between Spanish flan and crème caramel? ›

Flavor: Flan recipes usually call for multiple types of dairy products, such as cream cheese, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. This gives a flan a tangier and sweeter flavor than that of a crème caramel, which uses only whole milk or cream, eggs, and sugar.

Is caramel flan like crème brûlée? ›

When it comes to crème brûlée and flan, it's mostly the toppings that distinguishes the two, as well as the presentation. The former has that signature crackly sugar crust on top, and the latter has the gooey, soft caramel top.

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