Keto Flan

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5 from 435 votes
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This keto flan is a low carb and sugar free take on the classic caramel custard dessert! 4 ingredients and minimal prep, it’s an elegant dessert sure to impress! 2 grams net carbs per serving. 

keto flan

Keto Flan

When it comes to simple, creamy keto desserts, my favorite recipes to make are panna cotta, creme brulee, and this homemade keto flan. 

Growing up, my mom was never one to make extravagant cakes or other baked goods. We weren’t the family who always had fresh muffins on the kitchen counter, nor the family who would bake cookies on the weekend. In fact, I think I can count on one hand how many times my mom actually made cookies! Instead, she preferred to make dairy based desserts. We’d always have heavy cream in our refrigerator, and I reckon it’s one of her favorite ingredients. While I love ANY of the desserts she’d make, my all time favorite will always be her flan. 

Flan, Leche Flan, or Creme Caramel? 

A flan is a simple and elegant caramel custard dessert, similar to a creme brulee. Unlike the creme brulee, the caramel topping is more like a thin sauce, with a less sweet flavor. Popular in Spain and other Latin countries, it’s now become quite a mainstream, dessert, albeit with slightly different names.

Depending on where in the world you are located, you may call flan something else. Other names for this dessert include Leche flan and creme caramel. Regardless of what you call it, they are ALL the same thing! 

I’ve been meaning to share a keto flan recipe for quite some time. It’s one of my mom’s favorite desserts ever, and she claims to have the best homemade version ever. I obviously had to recreate it…with a few twists. 

Now, this flan is made without sugar and without condensed milk (a common ingredient!), but you’d never tell. It has a thick, creamy, and rich texture. It’s sweet and full of caramel flavor, without being overpowering. It’s made with just 4 ingredients, and turns out perfect every time!

I served this to my mom the other day, and she could not believe that it was her own recipe, but made low carb- It tasted just like the original!

How do you make a keto flan? 

The Ingredients

  • Allulose– Allulose is the BEST and preferred sweetener to use, as it actually caramelizes. I haven’t tried other keto sweeteners for this. The sweetener will be divided, as some of it will be used to create a syrup on the bottom of each of the flan ramekins.
  • Eggs– Room temperature eggs. 
  • Milk of choice– I used unsweetened coconut milk, but any low carb milk can be used (like whole milk or almond milk).
  • Vanilla extract– A must for any good flan recipe!
  • Salt– Just a pinch, to bring out the sweetness.

The Instructions

Start by melting 1/2 cup amount of the allulose in a small saucepan, along with the water, and heat it on medium heat, until it melts and becomes golden. Moving quickly, distribute the melted sweetener amongst 6 ramekins and set them aside.

Now, in a small saucepan, add the milk and remaining sweetener to it and on medium heat, bring it to a boil. Once hot, reduce to a simmer for a further 2 minutes, before removing from the heat. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt, until smooth. Strain the mixture into the ramekins. 

Finally, place the four ramekins into a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake the flans for around 45 minutes, until set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once the flans are room temperature, place the ramekins in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight, until set.

keto creme caramel

Tips to make the best homemade flan

  • Do not overbake the flan, as they continue to cook as they are cooling down (and once again when refrigerated). 
  • For easy removal, use a knife to cut around the sides before flipping onto a plate. 
  • Serve flan with some whipped cream or extra caramel sauce, for the ultimate dessert.

Storing and freezing low carb flan

  • To store: This dessert must always be stored in the refrigerator, as it is dairy based and is served chilled. Cover the ramekins and they will keep well for up to 1 week. 
  • To freeze: Cover your ramekins with plastic wrap, ensuring there are no airy pockets. Store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. You MUST thaw them in the refrigerator completely. 

low carb flan

More elegant keto dessert recipes to try

keto flan

Easy Keto Flan Recipe

5 from 435 votes
This easy keto flan is a low carb and sugar free take on the classic caramel custard! 4 main ingredients and a simple prep needed!
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease six 3/4 cup ramekins and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the allulose with the water. On low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it beings to simmer, increase to medium heat. While stirring regularly, allow it to thicken and become an amber brown color. Remove from the heat and distribute amongst each of the ramekins, brushing around the sides to coat them in the warm sugar liquid.
  • In a separate saucepan, combine the milk with the remaining sweetener. On low heat, bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt, until smooth and combined. Strain the mixture into the ramekins.
  • Place the six ramekins in a large baking dish. Pour boiling water into the dish until halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until it is mostly set in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate the individual flans for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
  • Once the flans are set, use a slightly moist knife and cut around the ramekins and flip onto a plate.

Notes

* I used allulose. Monk fruit and erythritol don't caramelize well. 
TO STORE: This dessert must always be stored in the refrigerator, as it is dairy based and is served chilled. Cover the ramekins and they will keep well for up to 1 week. 
TO FREEZE: Cover your ramekins with plastic wrap, ensuring there are no airy pockets. Store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. You MUST thaw them in the refrigerator completely. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1flanCalories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSodium: 253mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 180IUCalcium: 119mgIron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made the recipe and it was good but I added a lot of monk fruit juice concentrate because the recipe as it was, not nearly sweet enough to taste like a real flan.

  2. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. The custard is delicious, much better strained (a step I skipped the first time…). I must say though, I’ve ended up with a burnt flavor in the caramel both times. Next time, I will not wait until it is amber in color – in my heavy bottom saucepan, I believe it just keeps cooking. I will be taking it off the heat when golden next time. Thanks again!

  3. 5 stars
    Wow, I really wasn’t sure what I’d think of this and I LOVED IT. I used a combination of milks I had in the fridge – coconut, almond, and fat-free cow’s milk. Also cooked it in a large round pyrex rather than individual ramekins, so it needed 60-70min. Followed directions otherwise and it was amazing! Will be making it again.

  4. 5 stars
    I’m not on keto but was looking for a healthier version of flan. I only had monkfruit sugar on hand and since it doesn’t caramelize, I used 1/2 sugar to caramelize, then used 1/4 cup of monkfruit sugar (instead of 1 full cup of sugars) in the milk mixture. I used a blender (next time will use immersion for easier clean up) to make it smooth and added a teeny dash of almond extract because I like the almond flavor. I used a mixture of coconut milk & almond milk to make it a little lighter. This was delicious!!

  5. 5 stars
    I’m baking now, I guess the clue for the milk and the eggs is incorporated little by little and mixing fast I didn’t have any scramble eggs lol the recep came fabulous! Thank you so much my family love the flan!

  6. 5 stars
    This turned out pretty good! I used a can of coconut milk + some heavy cream to get it to 2 cups, and the sweetness and consistency was just right! Straining it was important too ^^ Protip: if you’re a sucker for caramel like me, sub vanilla flavoring (which I was out of haha) for caramel extract instead, yum! Tbh could’ve done without the caramel topping as it unfortunately came out too bitter (used allulose but maybe I overcooked it?) and most of it stayed hardened at the bottom of the pans, but nonetheless I really enjoyed eating this sweet treat!

  7. I used monk fruit/erythitol and whole milk with some cream, maybe 80/20, since those were what I had. The sugar did carmelize a bit i added some vanilla for color and boiled it off. Crystalized in ramikens but worked after cooking. Tempering eggs with hot milk and straining into ramekins were keys to a smooth custard, imo. Great result, great recipe! Thanks for sharing and with the experimenting!

  8. Hi! I’m excited to make this. Question though- I know allulose is essential to make a successful caramel topping, but what about the custard? Can I use a different sweetener in it like erythritol or monkfruit? Thanks

      1. Hello!!! I just made this recipe yesterday but since i did not have granulated Allulose only liquid form, i decided to make with the liquid. And it came out amazing. My family absolutely loved it!!! Thank you for this recipe!!! I took pictures but I don’t thinki can share it on here

  9. These are amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe. My family loved them and they’re a hard bunch to please when it comes to sugar-free. I followed your recipe exactly using coconut cream and allulose.

  10. I loved this and so pleased with my first ever flan!

    I accidentally used five eggs and it was still perfect. Even though they were room temperature, I also tempered the eggs with some of the hot milk before whisking them in a thin stream to reduce any potential scrambling. And don’t skip the straining, people! It made it so silky!

    This was such a treat for my brother-in-law’s keto quarantine birthday—thank you!

  11. This one is surprisingly easy to make and taste good.

    I read the comments above and let the milk cool down a little (when sticking your finger in, you feel the milk is warm) before whisking eggs in.
    As for the caramel, at first I was really worried as when I poured it into the cups, it got hard like a candy. While after baking and putting into the fridge, it came out nicely as liquid form.

    Only got comments that it’s a bit eggy (will try to reduce the # of eggs next time). Love this recipe!

  12. 5 stars
    Sounds fantastic. I love flan so much that I usually screw myself and go off my keto around the holidays so I can have it. Would it be possible to make this as one large flan? Like in a pie dish ?

    1. Of course! 🙂 You’ll just need to adjust the baking time as you may need a little longer- Check the center of it 🙂

  13. Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been missing flan so much since I changed my lifestyle. I will be trying to make the flan very soon.

  14. How do you avoid this turning into scrambled eggs? Boiling hot milk + eggs = equals cooked eggs. Am I missing something?