It has a hint of tang from vegan cream cheese which works perfectly alongside the sweet caramel. Plus, you can make it in a large fluted flanera mold for sharing or in individual servings depending on your preference!
As cream cheese flan needs to be refrigerated for at least 12-24 hours in advance, it's perfect the perfect make-ahead dessert for dinner parties and special occasions where you don't want to spend all your time in the kitchen while you have guests.
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This recipe is sponsored by Nature's Charm. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who sponsor my work!
🍮 What Is Flan?
Flan is a sweet custard dessert that is incredibly popular around the world, unfortunately, it is usually not vegan. Almost always containing egg yolks or whole eggs, and some form of dairy including condensed milk, evaporated milk, milk, or cream cheese.
There are different versions of traditional flan across Latin America, Spain, other parts of Europe, and Asia.
Some examples include Vietnamese Banh Flan, Mexican Flan, Puerto Rican Flan de Queso, Filipino Leche Flan, Japanese Purin, and Spanish Flan (which I have seen a lot since moving to Spain - I have yet to spot a "flan vegano" though!).
My version of eggless flan is far from authentic, and not based on one particular type of flan but rather my best interpretation of a creamy rich caramel custard pudding!
I've taken inspiration from many different cultures and after many recipe tests, have found a combination of plant-based ingredients that give the perfect flavor and consistency to this classic dessert.
Made without eggs, this version is also completely dairy-free, nut-free, and requires no baking! It's sort of like a hybrid between no-bake cheesecake and vegan creme caramel!
Note: Love custard-based desserts? Try my recipes for vegan banana pudding, vegan fruit tart, and pumpkin custard pie next.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to make this vegan flan recipe from scratch:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Evaporated Coconut Milk: Nature's Charm also does an evaporated oat milk if you don't like the taste of coconut.
- Vegan Condensed Milk: I use sweetened condensed coconut milk by Nature's Charm. Again if you limit the coconut flavor, their condensed oat milk also works perfectly.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: You can opt for homemade vegan cream cheese made with full-fat coconut milk, yogurt, and lemon juice or storebought, depending on what you can find.
- Vegan Butter: This is whisked into the custard after cooking, similar to pastry cream. It thickens, adds richness and flavor, and also gives it a beautiful sheen.
- Non-Dairy Milk: This can be oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk depending on your preference.
- Agar Agar Powder: This gelling agent made from seaweed is the perfect alternative to gelatin. Do not confuse this with agar agar flakes, as they do not have the setting power as the powder.
- Cornstarch: This is a great egg replacement for thickening vegan custard.
- Vanilla Extract: You can also use vanilla bean paste or the scraped-out seeds from a vanilla pod.
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🥣 How To Make Flan Vegan
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this easy vegan flan recipe. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar and water over medium heat until it caramelizes and turns a reddish-amber color.
Step 2: Pour the caramel into the bottom of the pan or flanera and set aside to harden.
Step 3: Blend vegan cream cheese, evaporated milk, condensed milk, dairy-free milk, vanilla, cornstarch, agar-agar powder, and sea salt until smooth.
Step 4: Cook the custard over medium-low heat for around 5 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and whisk in the cold cubed butter until smooth. Cool at room temperature.
Step 6: Pour the flan mixture on top of the set caramel and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Run a sharp knife about 1 inch deep around the inner edge of the pan to loosen the custard. Place a large serving plate on top of the pan and quickly turn it over. Very slowly start to lift the pan. The custard will unmold itself and the caramel sauce will pour down the sides of the flan.
💭 Recipe Tips
Use the correct caramel-to-custard ratio. Don't be tempted to add too much caramel sauce to the bottom of your ramekins. If the caramel layer is too thick, it won't melt properly and a lot of it will end up stuck to the mold.
Keep on eye on the custard. When cooking, make sure you whisk constantly to prevent burning. And again while cooling, whisk often to prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the custard. If you use a gas stove top, the mixture tends to cook faster.
Correct temperatures. Add custard to ramekin while lukewarm, if you add it while hot it won't give that nice clean finish.
Be patient. I know, it's difficult to resist the urge to de-mold and see your beautiful finish flan. But if you try to remove it too early, the caramel will not have time to melt!
Serve with fresh berries. The creaminess of the custard along with the sweet caramel pair so beautifully with fresh raspberries. The acidity of the fruit helps cut through the richness of the pudding as well.
💬 FAQs
For this recipe, I used a fluted flanera. Although it looks incredibly beautiful, you can also make small individual flans using porcelain ramekins and these are less likely to show up any cracks or imperfections on the surface of the flan!
Likewise, you can use an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan without a removable base.
It sounds like your flan was not ready to de-mold! Sugar is hygroscopic, which means it attracts moisture. This is why the hardened caramel becomes a liquid caramel sauce during refrigeration, but it takes time.
No, I don't recommend you freeze it as that will ruin the structure of the dessert. Instead, I recommend adjusting the ingredient quantities to make a smaller flan (you can use half the ingredients for a 6-inch cake pan).
🥮 More Vegan Desserts
📖 Recipe
Vegan Flan
Ingredients
Caramel
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) water
Custard
- 360 ml (1 ½ cups) evaporated coconut milk I use Nature's Charm *see note 1
- 250 g (¾ cup + 1 tsp) sweetened condensed coconut milk I use Nature's Charm *see note 2
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 4 tsp) non-dairy milk oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk
- 200 g (7 oz) vegan cream cheese
- 40 g (4 tbsp) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons agar-agar powder NOT agar flakes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 60 g (7 ½ tbsp) vegan butter cold and cubed, *see note 3
Instructions
- Place a 21cm/8-inch flanera or similar-sized cake pan on a tray and set aside. If using a cake pan, make sure that it does NOT have a removable base.
- Caramel: Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and place it over low heat. Stir the mixture with a spoon for several minutes until all of the sugar has dissolved.Turn up the heat to medium-high and DO NOT TOUCH OR STIR IT from this point on. Keep a very close eye on the saucepan, the mixture will start to boil and bubble. After several minutes it will start to turn a light caramel color in places. Very gently swirl the pan so that it caramelizes evenly. Once the caramel turns a deep amber color, remove it from the heat.
- Pour the caramel into the flanera or cake pan, working quickly as it will set very fast. Allow the caramel to come to room temperature and harden (about 30 minutes).
- Custard: Add the evaporated coconut milk, condensed coconut milk, non-dairy milk, cream cheese, cornstarch, agar-agar, vanilla, and salt to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the custard mixture into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, while continuously whisking. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, the custard will start to thicken. Make sure you are constantly stirring the custard to avoid it burning to the bottom of the pan. I recommend alternating between a whisk and a rubber spatula. Remove from the heat.
- Place the cubed butter into a large mixing bowl and sit a fine-mesh sieve on top of the bowl. Pass the custard through the sieve into the bowl with the butter and whisk the butter through until smooth and creamy. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes, whisk the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top of it.
- Pour the custard on top of the set caramel and smooth out the top using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Let it continue to cool to room temperature, then cover with clingfilm before placing them in the fridge. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
- Serving: Just before serving, *very carefully* run a sharp knife about 1 inch deep around the inner edge of the pan to loosen the custard. Be careful not to go deeper as this can ruin the smooth appearance of the flan.
- Place a large serving plate on top of the pan and quickly turn it over. Very slowly start to lift the pan. The custard will unmold itself and the caramel sauce will pour down the sides of the flan.
- Storage: This flan is best served within the first 1-2 days once it has set. Do not remove it from the mold until just before serving. I recommend making it one day ahead of serving.
Notes
- Evaporated Coconut Milk: Use evaporated oat milk if preferred.
- Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk: Use sweetened condensed oat milk if preferred.
- Vegan Butter: Use vegan block-style butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub.
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I want to make a chocoflan recipe. Can I bake this flan recipe instead of warming up on the stovetop?
Hi Cecilia,
Unfortunately no, this recipe is designed to be no-bake, so the instructions need to be followed as written for it to work properly. If you’d like to give it a chocolate flavour, you could try adding a little cocoa powder, but I haven’t tested that myself so I can’t guarantee the results, I'm sorry!
Do you think a bundt cake pan is ok? I want to make this flan this weekend for friends!
The best vegan flan!!!!
Hi Debbie,
Ahh thank you so much! I’m so happy you loved it, that means a lot!
I have a silicone mold, sunflower form, instead of metal flanera pan. Do you think that will work?
Hi Debbie,
I think that should work!
Hello! Is there any substitute for the evaporated milk? Thank you.
Hi Maria,
You could try a mix of more plant-based milk and soy or oat cream. I would do a 1:1 ratio to mimic the thicker consistency of evaporated milk. I hope this helps!
Hi hi Christina, I would like to know if I can substitute agar-agar with unflavoured gelatin?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Gabs,
I wouldn't say so, the recipe is specifically designed for agar-agar, the cooking method and strength of gelatin would be different.
Ok ok, then agar-agar will be 🙂 Thank you so much!
Very excited to try it today, looks amazing 🤩
Hope you enjoy it Lara 🙂
Hi, do you need to use both corn starch and agar agar? Are they not both thickeners? Just wondering Thank You. I'd like to make this for my vegan daughter for thanksgiving.
I don't have any and I'm wondering if I have to buy it. Thanks
Hi Michelle,
Yes both are needed, the cornstarch thickens the custard and the agar helps it to set
Hi, I would like to know if you can remove the vegan cream cheese from the mixture? I would like to make it completely vanilla flavored.
Hello Nixalee,
I would replace it with coconut cream, as it adds structure and creaminess as well as flavor 🙂
Hi, I would like to know if it can be removed from vegan cream cheese?
Can you sub the cornstarch with arrowroot or tapioca powder?
Hi Kris,
Yes, you can use arrowroot starch in place of it 🙂
I read that citrus can affect agar agar’s ability to thicken. The lemon juice in the cream cheese isn’t an issue?
Hi Vanessa,
No, the acid in the vegan cream cheese does not affect it
Lord! Let me tell you about this flan. It’s a love story with your taste buds. I’m Caribbean and grew up eating flan. We call it kesio/quesillo. My mom’s kesio is amazing and i’ve been missing it since I went vegan. Well, no more! This flan comes so close to it. It’s honestly the best vegan one i’ve made and I’ve made a few. I’ll never make
Anothe recipe for as long as I live.
Hi Raisa,
This has made my day! I love that it reminds you of your Mom's flan and you're able to enjoy it again! Thank you so much for your lovely review 🙂
Recipe
Hi Dora, the recipe card is just above your comment