Instant Pot Flan Recipe
Now you can make a rich creamy dessert in your pressure cooker. Our Instant Pot flan tastes just like the original and comes topped with caramel sauce!
Lately, Kim and I have been craving a decadent dessert. However, we wanted to try and make it in the Instant Pot.
Since we already have an Instant Pot white chocolate raspberry cheesecake recipe, I didn’t want to make another cheesecake.
Kim did a little research and discovered you can make flan in a pressure cooker. Well, we had to try that!
How to make flan in the Instant Pot?
Since this is a longer recipe, we decided to separate it out into 3 parts. That way, if you need detailed instructions, everything will be nice and neat.
Part One:
First, you want to make the caramel sauce. So, grab a medium saucepan and add half (1/2) a cup of sugar to the pan.
Next, melt the sugar over low heat. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir it as the sugar melts. Otherwise, it will burn!
Then, once the sugar begins to caramelize and all the crystals have melted, add the water. But, be careful, this mixture is very, very hot!
Now, whisk the water and sugar together to create a sauce. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the sauce into a 7-inch baking dish.
Last, swirl the mixture around the baking dish a little to get it along the sides of the pan. Use the photo above as a reference.
Let your homemade caramel sauce cool for at least 10-minutes while you get the flan ready for the pressure cooker.
Part Two:
To begin, grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together 3 cracked whole eggs with 2 egg yolks (that’s a total of 5 eggs needed for the recipe).
Afterward, add the whole milk, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Go head and whisk these ingredients into the eggs.
At this point, the caramel sauce should have cooled. Pour the flan mixture into the baking dish (right on top of the sauce). See the photo above.
Then, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Place the stainless steel liner into the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water to it.
Now, you have 2 options here. You can place the trivet into the machine and then place the baking dish on it.
Or you can place the baking dish onto the trivet and use the trivet handles to move everything into the pot.
Either way, the trivet and dish need to go into the stainless steel liner. Now, place the lid on the appliance and make sure the valve is sealed.
Using the high pressure/manual cook button, set the cook time for 12 minutes.
When the timer goes off, allow for a 10 minute natural release before carefully opening the valve.
Remove the lid and take the baking dish out of the Instant Pot. Take off the foil and place the dish on cooling rack for at least 1 hour.
When the hour has passed, cover the flan with foil again and put it into your fridge to chill and set for at least 6 hours.
Part Three:
After the flan has set, it’s time to get it out of the baking dish. Take the foil off the dessert and run a knife along the edge of the flan to loosen it.
Place a large plate or pie/tart pan on top of the dish. Carefully, flip the baking dish over, releasing the flan onto the pie pan.
The sauce that started on the bottom should be on top! That’s it, slice the flan into pieces and serve.
Kim and I hope you enjoy this recipe and wish you all the best 🙂
More Instant Pot Recipes
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instant Pot Flan
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, swirling occasionally, until the sugar begins to turn amber in color and caramelize. After all the sugar granules have melted and turned brown, very carefully pour in the water. It may splash and steam, so make sure no children or pets are nearby.1/2 cup granulated sugar2 tablespoons water
- Whisk the sugar until the water is incorporated and the mixture is liquid and pour-able. Immediately pour the sauce into a 7-inch baking dish or pan and carefully swirl it around the bottom and sides. The liquid is extremely hot. Do this quickly because once it starts to cool, it hardens. Set the dish aside to cool for at least 10 minutes and make the flan.
Flan
- In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks (you’ll need 5 in total, 3 whole plus 2 yolks). Then add the milk, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. After the baking dish with the caramel topping has cooled for several minutes, carefully pour the flan filling through a mesh sieve into the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil.3 large eggs2 large egg yolks2 cups whole milk1/3 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour 1 cup of water into the stainless-steel insert of the Instant Pot. Place the baking dish onto a trivet with handles and carefully lower the trivet and the baking dish into the Instant Pot. Close the lid, set the valve to “sealing,” and press the manual (pressure cook) button. Adjust the time to 12 minutes (high pressure). After the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and carefully remove the baking dish. Remove the foil and allow the baking dish to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. The center will be jiggle like gelatin, but should not be liquidy. If it’s liquidy, it needs to cook longer. Otherwise, it won’t set up. After 1 hour, cover with foil and transfer the flan to the refrigerator to set for at least 6 hours.
- After the flan sets, run a knife around the edge of the dish. Place a large plate or serving dish over the top of the dish and flip it over to release the flan. The caramel sauce will also be released in a liquid form. Slice into pieces and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 piece. Actual calories will vary.
Hi, how can I cut this recipe to 6 servings? This size is too much for just 2 of us.
Hi EG!
We haven’t tested this recipe for more or less servings. When we developed it, we used a 7-inch dish and the ingredients were tested for that size. I’d be worried trying to half it may cause the custard not to set properly. One of our readers may have tried and been successful. If so, hopefully someone will chime in. Have a wonderful week! 🙂
Hi, can I use almond milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Rosa!
We haven’t tried this recipe with almond milk, but I have come across other Instant Pot Flan recipes that list almond milk as an alternative. I’m thinking it should be ok, but it may change the texture a bit. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to know how it turns out. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂