Vietnam's beloved take on French creme caramel: a silky steamed egg-and-milk custard set over a dark caramel that becomes a glossy sauce when turned out. Often made richer with condensed milk, it is famously served over crushed ice and sometimes drizzled with strong black coffee.
Adapted by the Vietnamese during 19th-century French colonization; called banh flan or kem flan in the south and kem caramel or caramen in the north. The Vietnamese version is typically small and steamed rather than baked.
It quivers on the spoon, then melts into cool, eggy silk. The bittersweet caramel pools around it like a sauce, and a drizzle of black coffee turns the whole thing into a grown-up affogato.
Egg proteins coagulate gently during low, steady steaming to set the custard without curdling, while straining removes lumps. The caramel, denser than the custard, releases as a liquid sauce when inverted.
Variations
Banh flan dua (coconut), banh flan ca phe (coffee), banh flan bong lan (with sponge cake)
On the Palate
Where Banh Flan sits in the Vietnamese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 18 min
Melt sugar with a splash of water into a dark amber caramel and pour it into ramekins.
Watch outPull the caramel the second it turns deep amber and smells nutty — a shade darker and it goes bitter, and it keeps cooking off the heat.
- 22 min
Swirl the caramel to coat the bottoms, then let it set.
- 35 min
Whisk eggs gently with condensed milk, fresh milk and vanilla without creating foam.
Watch outStir gently and low — you want no foam on top, since air bubbles set into little holes that ruin the silky texture.
- 42 min
Strain the custard mixture to remove any threads for a smooth texture.
- 52 min
Pour the custard into the caramel-lined ramekins.
- 625 min
Steam the ramekins over low, gentle heat with a covered lid to prevent bubbles.
Watch outKeep the steam low and lazy — if the surface trembles hard the custard bubbles and turns spongy instead of glass-smooth.
- 7240 min
Chill the set custards thoroughly for several hours.
- 82 min
Run a knife around the edge and invert onto a plate so the caramel flows over.
Watch outOnly invert once it's fully cold and set — jiggles like firm jelly, not liquid in the middle — or it slumps off the plate.
