Flan is one of my favourite desserts. Anything containing custard is. This homemade no-dough flan recipe is simple to make and it is delicious too, but you can only tell this to a custard lover ;-). It is best served cold!

If you're seeking a delightful dessert that's both simple to prepare and gluten-free, this crust-free flan is an exceptional recipe. It is a custard-based treat that omits the traditional pastry crust, resulting in a lighter yet indulgent dessert.
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🍮Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Gluten-Free Delight: By eliminating the dough, this flan caters to gluten-sensitive individuals without compromising on taste.
- It is Custard Perfection: The combination of eggs, milk, and vanilla custard powder yields a silky, rich texture that's hard to resist.
- Versatility: Whether served as a standalone dessert or paired with fruits, this flan adapts to various serving styles.
- Easy to Prepare: With straightforward steps and common ingredients, it's accessible even for novice bakers.
📝Ingredients
- Eggs: you will need whole eggs and yolks only
- Milk: preferably use a full-fat version milk.
- Vanilla Custard Powder: added for flavor and consistency.
- Sugar: added to sweeten the flan.
- Cornstarch: will provide extra help for thickening, but also for a perfect consistency.
- Vanilla: for extra aromatic flavor.
- Prunes (Optional): Prunes can be added for a fruity twist, but in this recipe, I did not add them.
👩🍳 How to make no-dough flan recipe
- Preheat Oven: Set to 180°C (350°F) and grease a deeper 12-14 inch oven dish
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Beat eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix custard powder, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.
- Integrate Mixtures: Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring continuously.
- Add Milk: Pour in milk and mix until smooth.
- Cook Custard -Stage 1 - Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened.
- Bake - Stage 2: Place in the oven and bake until a golden skin is formed.
- Cool and Serve: Allow to cool completely before refrigerating. Serve chilled.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Fruit Garnish: Top with fresh berries or a fruit compote for added freshness.
- Whipped Cream: A dollop of whipped cream can enhance the creamy texture.
- Caramel Drizzle: Drizzle with caramel sauce for extra sweetness.
- Coffee Pairing: Serve alongside a cup of coffee for a delightful contrast - this is exactly how I like it.
🔄 Variations
- Fruit Infusion: Incorporate dried fruits like prunes, apricots, or raisins for different flavors.
- Spice It Up: Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the custard mixture for a warm spice note.
- Coconut Twist: Replace some of the milk with coconut milk for a tropical flavor. See a similar recipe, just like my delicious Crème Coconut recipe.
- Chocolate Delight: Mix in cocoa powder or chocolate chips for a chocolaty version.
- Make It Vegan:
- Ingredients
- Silken tofu – 1½ cups (blended smooth)
- Cornstarch – 5 tbsp
- Custard powder (vegan, vanilla-flavored) – 4 tbsp
- Sugar – 180 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
- Full-fat plant milk (oat, soy, or almond) – 400 ml (1⅔ cups)
- Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoon (or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped)
- Prunes or dried fruits (optional) – 15–20
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: ⅛ teaspoon turmeric for color
- Here's how:
- Blend tofu base: In a blender, combine silken tofu, sugar, vanilla, and half the plant milk. Blend until silky smooth.
- Make thickener mix: In a small bowl, whisk together custard powder, cornstarch, turmeric (if using), salt, and the remaining plant milk until lump-free.
- Combine and cook: Pour everything into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or spatula until it thickens (5–7 minutes). It should resemble thick pudding.
- Assemble: Pour into your greased dish. Press in the prunes if using.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 1 hour. It should get a golden, slightly firm surface.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Oh yes, absolutely! Prepare it a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Keep any remaining flan covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I do not recommend freezing the flan as its texture upon thawing will be altered.
You can try and experiment with plant-based milk alternatives, but the results will vary in texture and taste.
Yes, please see my recommendation above under variations, but again, the texture and flavor will be different.
🥄You may also like:
- Crème brûlée -the best and the simplest dessert
- 17 Ultimate Chocolate Desserts for All Tastes
- 10 Super Easy Dessert Recipes to Wow Your Friends and Family
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
🍮 Homemade no dough flan
Equipment
- ovenproof dish
- bowl
- hand electric mixer
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 6 egg yolks
- 750 ml milk (27.3 floz)
- 180 g vanilla custard powder (8 tablespoons)
- 150 g sugar ( approx. 1 cup)
- 1 pinch Celtic salt
- 2 sachets vanilla sugar (or vanilla beans)
- 35 g corn starch (4 tablespoons)
- 15-20 medium prunes (5.29 oz) (optional) I did not add those this time
- 200 ml double cream/heavy cream lighter version will work as well
Instructions
Preparations
- Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F. Grease an ovenproof dish and put it aside.
- In a bowl place the egg yolks, the whole eggs, the sugar, salt, vanilla, and mix very well with a mixer.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the vanilla custard powder and the cornstarch. Stir until well mixed/combined.
- Add the liquid mix over the dry ones, mixing well until all is well incorporated.
- Add the milk and give it all a good whizz.
Cooking the flan
Stage 1 - on the stove
- Put the mix into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts bubbling and until the custard begins to thicken. Put the heat on low and continue to mix until the custard is thick enough that you can see whisking trails in it. Turn off the heat.
Stage 2 - in the oven
- Transfer the custard into the ovenproof dish, scatter the prunes around if you choose to put any in and put in the oven.
- Bake for about 1 h 20' or slightly more until it is nice and has formed a nice brown skin.
Serving it
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
- Once completely cooled, you can place it in the fridge for an hour or longer to make it ready to be served.
Notes
- Please note that the prunes are not included in the nutritional facts in this recipe!
- The vast majority of the time, I add the dried prunes as I really love this addition - it is the way I have had this beautiful flan in France, and I love it. This time, in this recipe, I did not add the prunes, as I did not have any, but if you do and would like to try it that way, simply add the prunes on top (scattered around or arranged in a circular way) just before transferring the flan to the oven.
Carl E Racine says
There's no way 180 grams of custard powder is equal to 8 1/2 cups.
Ramona says
Hey Carl,
Thanks for your patience, no, it is not it's definitely a typo, thank you fop flagging this up - I will amend the recipe super soon - I will just need to make it again and see what is appropriate. Please bear with me for a little longer.
Many thanks,
Ramona