heyyy internets. since its mothers day and my mama loves anything coconut, i decided to have a go at making coco-flan. she had seen a similar recipe done on the food network and asked for it for her mother's day lunch. my family couldn't get enough of it and especially loved the coconut topping. it was a hit! so here's my take on it!
ingredients:
- 1 can (14 oz) of unsweetened or sweetened condensed milk (its put to you and how sweet you like things, but since this recipe has a ton of sugar i tend to use unsweetened)
- 1 can (13.5 oz) of coconut milk (if you're wanting to make this a tad bit healthy you can use light)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
- 1 package (8 oz) of softened cream cheese (using reduced fat cream cheese is perfectly fine) ***this is my 'secret ingredient' when it comes to making flan. it makes flan skeptics change their opinion on the custard.***
- 1 cup of white sugar (you can get away with using 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tbsp of butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- pinch of sugar and cinnamon
how to:
- preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- in saucepan (i advise you use nonstick) heat butter at medium heat. once butter has melted add sugar. watch closely and stir so the sugar doesn't burn. once the sugar has liquefied and turns to a golden brown color, pour the sugar into a baking pan (i used two round 8 in dishes that were shallow). evenly coat the bottom of the dish and set aside.
- in a large bowl mix softened cream cheese until creamy and smooth. add egg one at a time and vanilla extract.
- slowly begin to add condensed milk and coconut milk. its advised to do this slowly so the wet ingredients mix well into the creamy mixture.
- pour mixture into baking dish(es) and cover with foil.
- bake for 60 minutes.
- let flan cool completely and refrigerate for at least an hour but preferably overnight. i tend to make my flan the day before i plan on serving it.
- before serving, toast coconut flakes with pinch of sugar and cinnamon in a nonstick pan. toast until they are a golden color. sprinkle toasted flakes over a slice.
- and viola, enjoy!
if you made this recipe, how did it turn out? did it convert flan skeptics in your family or group of friends? any suggestions on how to improve this recipe? leave your comments and questions below!
