Cuban Coffee Flan

The rich and bold flavor of Cuban coffee meets flan's silky vanilla custard and caramel. Cuban coffee is my blood type and flan is one of my favorite desserts, so combining the two seemed like the natural thing to do! The result is a delicious café con leche flavored Cuban dessert. 

Why you'll love it

• It is the ultimate dessert for coffee lovers — The bold, rich flavor of brewed Cuban coffee infused into a silky, creamy custard creates a café con leche flavored flan that is an absolute dream come true for anyone who loves their coffee.
• It combines two iconic Cuban favorites into one stunning dessert — Cuban coffee and flan are two of the most beloved staples of Cuban culture, and bringing them together in one recipe creates something truly special and uniquely irresistible.
• The texture is absolutely extraordinary — The silky, smooth, melt in your mouth custard paired with the rich golden caramel sauce creates a dessert experience that is so incredibly luxurious and satisfying that it is impossible to stop at just one slice.
• It is surprisingly easy to make — Despite looking and tasting like a showstopping restaurant quality dessert, this Cuban coffee flan comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients and straightforward steps that any home cook can master.
• It is the perfect make ahead dessert — Since this flan needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours before serving, it is the ideal dessert to prepare in advance, making it completely stress free and ready to impress whenever you need it.
• It is perfect for any occasion — Whether you are serving it at a holiday gathering, a dinner party, or simply treating yourself to something extraordinary on a weeknight, this Cuban coffee flan is guaranteed to steal the show every single time.

What is flan?

Flan, or creme caramel, is a creamy custard dessert topped with caramel. This delicious dessert originated from Europe and thanks to the process of colonization, flan is also popular all throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America and even the Philippines.

It's a simple custard made with milk, sugar and eggs and baked using a marie bath to ensure a cream consistency. Each region has its own way of making it and all result in a  rich this is my idea of dessert heaven.

What is Cuban coffee?

Cafe cubano also known as cafecito, is made up primarily of arabica coffee beans and robusta beans. This combination of beans is what gives the drink it's bold finish, full-bodied flavor and strong taste. The coffee is typically brewed in a moka pot and once brewed is combined with white sugar for a sweet yet bold flavor. 

Equipment needed for this flan Cubano 

For this recipe, you'll need a flanera also known as a flan pan. 

How to make sure your flan has no air bubbles

While your cafe con leche flan bakes, check on it every 30 minutes or so to make sure the water in your water bath doesn't boil or completely evaporate.

If you see the water is evaporating or you see bubbles in your water, add 1-2 cups warm water to the bain-marie. A boiling water bath will result in air bubbles/ air pockets in your flan. No one likes bubbles in their flan

Key ingredients needed for this flan de cafe

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, scroll down to the recipe card

• Brewed Cuban Coffee — The star ingredient that sets this flan apart, brewed Cuban coffee infuses the custard with a bold, rich, and deeply aromatic flavor that transforms a classic flan into an extraordinary café con leche inspired dessert.
• Condensed Milk — Condensed milk provides the luscious, concentrated sweetness and thick, creamy body that gives this flan its signature rich and indulgent texture in every single silky bite.
• Evaporated Milk — Evaporated milk adds a smooth, creamy depth to the custard base without making it overly heavy, creating the perfectly balanced and velvety texture that makes this flan so irresistible.
• Eggs and Egg Yolks — The combination of whole eggs and extra egg yolks is what sets the custard into that signature silky, smooth, and perfectly jiggly flan texture that melts beautifully in your mouth.
• Granulated Sugar — Sugar serves double duty in this recipe, creating the rich, deep amber caramel that coats the bottom of the flanera and cascades over the flan when unmolded, as well as sweetening the custard itself to perfection.

Instructions to make this coffee flan recipe

making the caramel

• Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Shake the pan first to half dissolve the sugar in the water. Then, over a medium-high heat, leave the caramelized sugar to form without stirring. Swirl the pan around a bit and wait until the golden caramel is medium to rich amber color, takes about 10-12 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it because it will burn very quickly.
• Pour the amber caramel sauce into your flanera or large ramekin. Swirl the flanera carefully to make sure the entire base of it is well coated with the caramel coating. Set aside to cool so that the caramel sets.

Making the Cuban coffee

For this recipe, you'll need one cup of brewed Cuban coffee. Once you've brewed your coffee, add to it one tablespoon of sugar. For a full how-to on how to make this coffee, check out this tutorial.

Making the custard

• In a large bowl combine the whole eggs and egg yolks. Mix vigorously until foamy and a light yellow color.
• Add to the eggs the evaporated milk and whisk to combine. 
• Whisk into the egg mixture the condensed milk, vanilla, salt and sugar.
• Slowly add the Cuban coffee into the custard mixture while whisking. 

• Place your flanera or large flan ramekin inside a 9x13 pan.
• Prepare to pour your flan mixture into the flanera. While pouring it into the ramekin, have the flan mixture go through a fine-mesh strainer to ensure any egg or coffee bits don't make their way into your flan.
• Place the top on your flanera and pour in warm-hot water around the ramekin so that it comes to about half of the way up to create a bain-marie water bath.
• Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until set around the edges, but still has a little bit of jiggle in the center. Remove from the oven carefully and allow to cool slightly on the counter. When cool, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours.
• To remove the custard from the flan mold, run a sharp thin knife along the sides of the pan.
• Flip the custard out of the ramekin and onto the serving platter. If your custard is being stubborn, simply flip it back over and run your knife along the edges again, then place the dish on top and try flipping again.

Variations

Mocha Flan: Add 2–3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder or 4 ounces of melted dark chocolate to the custard for a chocolate-coffee twist.

Rum-Spiked Flan: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of dark rum to the custard for a subtle Cuban-inspired flavor.

Cinnamon Coffee Flan: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or steep a cinnamon stick in the hot coffee before adding it to the custard.

Orange Espresso Flan: Mix in 1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest to brighten the rich coffee and caramel flavors.

Coffee Liqueur Flan: Replace 2–3 tablespoons of the brewed coffee with coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa, for an adult-friendly dessert.

Substitutions

Flanera: If you don't have a flanera, use a 7–8-inch round cake pan, deep pie dish, or individual ramekins. Be sure to cover tightly with foil before baking in the water bath.

Cuban Coffee: No cafetera? Strong espresso or very strong brewed coffee makes an excellent substitute.

Evaporated Milk: Whole milk or half-and-half can be used, though the flan will be slightly less rich and creamy.

Vanilla Extract: Substitute an equal amount of vanilla bean paste for an even deeper vanilla flavor.

Granulated Sugar: Light brown sugar can be used in the custard for subtle caramel notes. For the caramel topping, stick with granulated sugar for the smoothest results.

Storage

This flan must always be kept refrigerated in an airtight container after it has been made and chilled

It will stay fresh and delicious in the refrigerator for up to 3 days

Make sure it is well covered or stored in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing any odors from the refrigerator and to maintain its silky, creamy texture

Freezing

For the absolute best flavor and texture, this flan is best enjoyed fresh within the first 3 days of making it

Freezing is not recommended for this Cuban Coffee Flan as it can significantly alter the delicate, silky texture of the custard and affect the overall quality of the dessert

Check out these other Cuban recipes