Brazil's beloved condensed-milk flan: a dense, silky baked custard with a deep amber caramel that pools over the top when unmoulded. Unlike airy French crème caramel, the Brazilian version is firm, glossy and often shot through with tiny bubble-holes (the famous 'olhos') from baking a touch too hot or using boiling water in the bain-marie.
A Brazilian icon thought to descend from the Portuguese 'pudim de priscos', popularised nationwide once canned condensed milk became widely available in the 20th century.
Cool, dense and impossibly smooth, like the firmest custard you have ever had. The bittersweet caramel cuts the sweet milkiness so each spoonful balances rich and clean. It practically dissolves on the tongue.
Blending evenly distributes egg proteins so they coagulate into a firm gel, while the gentle bain-marie prevents curdling. Condensed milk's high sugar content keeps the set tender rather than rubbery; the signature tiny holes come not from the blender but from an over-hot oven or a boiling bain-marie trapping steam and air in the custard.
Variations
coconut pudim with shredded coconut, coffee pudim, prune-filled pudim, individual ramekin portions
On the Palate
Where Pudim de Leite Condensado sits in the Brazilian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 110 min
Make a dry caramel: melt sugar in a ring mould or pan over medium heat until deep amber, then swirl to coat and let it set.
Watch outMelt the sugar to a deep amber and stop — go one shade lighter and it's cloyingly sweet, one shade darker and it's acrid burnt.
- 25 min
Blend sweetened condensed milk, an equal can of whole milk, and 3 whole eggs until completely smooth.
Watch outBlend just until smooth — over-beating whips in air bubbles that bake into holes instead of a silky custard.
- 33 min
Strain the custard to remove foam and pour it over the hardened caramel.
- 42 min
Cover the mould tightly with foil and place it in a larger roasting pan.
- 52 min
Pour boiling water into the outer pan to create a bain-marie reaching halfway up the mould.
Watch outKeep the bain-marie water at a whisper, never bubbling — a boiling water bath traps steam and riddles the custard with holes.
- 660 min
Bake at 180C until the centre is just set with a slight wobble, about 60 minutes.
Watch outPull it when the center still jiggles like set jelly — a firm, cracked top means it's overbaked and will turn rubbery.
- 7240 min
Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours so the custard firms.
- 83 min
Run a knife around the edge and invert onto a rimmed plate so the caramel flows over.
