Coconut Flan (Banh Flan Dua)

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This jiggly, wiggly custard of silky, sweet deliciousness was adopted by the Vietnamese during the French colonization of Vietnam in the 19th century and is a common dessert. In northern Vietnam, it is known as bánh caramel, kem caramel or caramen and in southern Vietnam, it is known as bánh flan or kem flan. The difference between Vietnamese flan and European flan is Vietnamese flan is usually smaller and steamed rather than baked. Vietnamese flan also uses coconut as an ingredient and is drizzled with black coffee when served.

SERVES: 24
PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 40 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 3 whole eggs

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk

  • 7 ounces coconut cream

  • 14 ounces milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • PAM cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Lightly spray your molds with PAM cooking spray. This will make removing the flan from the molds easier later on.

  2. In a small saucepan, add sugar and 1/3 cup water. Stir gently to mix. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Carefully watch the sugar caramelize. Remove from heat when the color turns a golden amber. Quickly stir in lime juice.

  3. Quickly and carefully pour the caramel into molds, coating the bottom of each mold with a thin layer of caramel. Keep in mind that the caramel will be extremely hot and will harden very fast. Set molds aside.

  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks.

  5. Add condensed milk, coconut cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine.

  6. Pour the mixture through a sieve.

  7. Divide the mixture evenly into molds. Cover molds with aluminum foil.

  8. Fill the base of your steamer with 2 cups of water. Arrange your molds in the steamer compartment. Bring the water to a boil. Steam on high for 5 minutes, then steam on low for another 5-10 minutes. The flan will be done when you stick a toothpick into the center of it and the toothpick comes out clean. The center of the flan should still jiggle when moved.

  9. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

  10. To serve, place mold upside down onto a plate and let the flan slide out. Drizzle with black coffee.

Notes

  • You can substitute coconut cream with coconut milk if not available.

  • You can substitute coconut cream with heavy cream if you'd prefer regular flan.