Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Flan Is Just As Creamy and Delicious

Most Americans are big fans of Mexican food. That’s not an exaggeration—in 2018, research by Statista revealed that around 86 percent of people in the US rated the cuisine highly. Of course, some of the most popular Mexican staples in the country are dishes like tacos, nachos, and enchiladas—but flan, a beloved Mexican dessert, is also a favorite with many.

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Also called crème caramel, flan is a custard-based dessert with a layer of caramel. It’s creamy, sweet, and indulgent, and it’s usually made with eggs and milk, as well as sugar and vanilla. But this tasty after-dinner treat can also be made vegan with a few simple swaps. 

What is flan traditionally made of?

Flan has its roots in ancient Rome. According to Socorrat, a Spanish restaurant in New York, ancient Romans created the dish as a way to use up extra eggs. It was the Spanish, however, that added the layer of caramel and helped make the dish what it is today. Colonizers eventually took it to the Americas, where it became popular in present-day Mexico and throughout the rest of Latin America. 

RELATED: 8 Vegan Filipinx Recipes, From Adobo to Sigig to Leche Flan

Traditionally, flan is made with milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and caramel sauce. It can also be made with other ingredients for extra flavor, like fruits and chocolate. But to get that signature texture without eggs or milk, plant-based ingredients like agar agar, oat milk, and coconut cream work beautifully. Find out more about how to make delicious vegan flan below.

How to make vegan flan: 5 recipes to try

Make caramelly, melt-in-your-mouth flan with these five egg-free, dairy-free recipes.

Bailey Ruskus

1 Caramelly 5-Ingredient Vegan Flan

In this simple recipe from the Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! cookbook, cashew milk, coconut cream, coconut sugar, tapioca flour, and agar agar combine to create a smooth and creamy delicious vegan flan with just the right amount of sweet caramel flavor. It’s a great dinner party dessert—just make sure you leave enough time for refrigeration (overnight is ideal).
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RG Enriquez-Diez

2 Eggy Vegan Leche Flan

As well as the US and Latin America, flan is also a favorite dessert in the Philippines. Learn how to make an egg-free version with this recipe from the Filipino Vegan cookbook. It combines ingredients like turmeric, calamansi juice, lime zest, and soy milk to make an ultra-flavorful fruity treat.
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Salima’s Kitchen

3 Puerto Rican Style Vegan Flan 

This tasty Puerto Rican-style flan pulls together ingredients like oat milk, coconut cream, and agar agar to get that signature creamy, velvety texture. “Making this recipe is actually easier and faster than a traditional flan recipe,” says Salima Benkhalti of Salima’s Kitchen. “Because the ingredients are all plant based, they don’t need to be baked.” She adds: “It’s a luscious and creamy vegan version of the popular Puerto Rican dessert I grew up with.”
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Vegan Richa

4 Vegan Lemon Flan

Add a little fruity zest to your dessert by following this recipe for a vegan lemon flan from Vegan Richa. Chickpea flour serves as the base, while kala namak adds a pop of that signature eggy flavor. Lemon keeps this dessert refreshing and tangy, too. It’s “smooth, eggy, lemony, and amazing,” says recipe developer Richa Hingle.
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Forks Over Knives

5 Chocolate Vegan Flan

Chocolate lovers will adore this super creamy vegan flan recipe from Forks Over Knives. The delicious texture comes from sweet potato puree, while agar agar brings the egg-like consistency, and, of course, cocoa powder is the secret to the chocolatey goodness. “Top each adorable flan with a drizzle of date syrup (or maple syrup) and fresh berries to wrap up your evening with a scrumptious sweet treat,” notes the recipe blog.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.