Instant Pot Flan

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 06/14/22
Instant Pot creme caramel (flan).
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 13 mins
Total: 28 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
360 Calories
20g Fat
40g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 360
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 11g 56%
Cholesterol 204mg 68%
Sodium 175mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 39g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 95mg 7%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 143mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Flan, also known as créme caramel, is a rich custard dessert cooked with a layer of caramel on the bottom of the baking dish or ramekins. When the custard is chilled, then flipped onto a plate, the caramel forms a sweet liquid topping.

You don't need an oven to bake this silky, creamy flan as the scrumptious dessert cooks in an Instant Pot, which takes less than 10 minutes. Make the flan at least four hours before you plan to serve it; the flan should be cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated for at least three to four hours.

Ingredients

For the Caramel: 

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

For the Custard:

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • Dash kosher salt

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 cup whipping cream

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Instant Pot flan.
    Diana Rattray

  2. Arrange 6 (5- or 6-ounce) ramekins on your work surface. To make the caramel, add the sugar and water to a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook, gently swirling pan, until sugar is melted and golden brown.

    Make the caramel for the flan.
    Diana Rattray

  3. Working quickly while syrup is still liquid, add about 1 tablespoon to each ramekin, swirling to coat the bottom. Repeat with remaining sugar syrup and ramekins. Set ramekins aside while you prepare custard mixture.

    Add the caramel to the ramekins and swirl to coat.
    Diana Rattray

  4. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolk with 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and a dash of salt.

    Instant Pot pressure cooker flan preparation.
    Diana Rattray

  5. Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook until milk mixture begins to bubble around the edge. Gradually whisk hot milk and cream mixture into egg mixture. Add vanilla extract and whisk to blend thoroughly.

    Heat the milk and cream.
    Diana Rattray

  6. Divide custard among ramekins. Cover each ramekin tightly with foil.

    Divide the custard among the ramekins.
    Diana Rattray

  7. Place a trivet in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Arrange ramekins in the pot, stacking as necessary.

    Stack the flans in the Instant Pot.
    Diana Rattray

  8. Lock Instant Pot lid in place and turn steam vent to sealing position. Set pot to manual or "pressure cook" setting, high pressure, for 9 minutes. When time is up, let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.

    Set the vent to sealing.
    Diana Rattray

  9. Carefully turn steam release vent to venting position to release remaining pressure. Remove ramekins to a rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate individual flan desserts for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.

    Set the steam release vent to venting.
    Diana Rattray

  10. Remove foil from ramekins and let them stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Carefully run a thin butter knife around the edge to loosen custard. Unmold onto rimmed dessert plates. If flan doesn't unmold immediately, tilt ramekin from side to side to break the vacuum.

    Instant Pot flan with berries.
    Diana Rattray

  11. After flans are unmolded, set ramekins in a pan with about 1/2 inch of hot water to melt some of the remaining hard caramel in the bottom; spoon or drizzle extra caramel over the flans.

    Instant Pot flan plated.
    Diana Rattray

Tips

  • Before you begin to prepare the flan, make sure your ramekins will fit on the trivet in the Instant Pot. If they are larger, it might be possible to place another trivet on the first layer of ramekins and set the remaining ramekins on that trivet. Just make sure they don't interfere with the lid.
  • If a baking dish, ramekin, or even teacup is oven-safe, it can be used in the Instant Pot.
  • Try more dessert recipes in the Instant Pot.

Recipe Variations

  • Flan for eight: Divide the caramel and custard among eight 4-ounce ramekins.
  • One Pan Flan: Pour all of the caramel into a 6-inch soufflé dish or 7-inch round pan. Add the custard and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes; carefully move the steam release vent to the venting position to release the remaining pressure, and follow remaining steps.

Can I Use Silicone Cups?

The flan can be made in silicone cups instead of the ceramic ramekins, but they will take longer to cook, about double the amount of time.