Slow Cooker Flan
40 Comments Jul 26, 2021
Updated May 22, 2025
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This flan recipe is so easy to make and only requires 5 ingredients. The best part about this dish is how it tastes. It will leave your guests asking for more!
You can make fabulous chilled desserts that are made in your slow cooker! Also, try my Slow Cooker Banana Nut Cake and Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters!
Flan is rich, creamy, and feels like a fancy dessert—but it’s surprisingly easy to make in the slow cooker with just a few ingredients. The crockpot creates the perfect moist environment for tender, silky flan, and it’s also great for making baked custard style desserts. This recipe looks impressive, tastes incredible, and is guaranteed to wow your family and dinner guests without the fuss.
Ingredients for Flan
Just a few ingredients and you will have a fridge full of flan. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
Sweetened condensed milk – This is what sweetens the recipe. Be sure to find sweetened condensed milk not evaporated milk, for evaporated milk will not work in this recipe.
Milk – Use 2% or whole milk for the best results.
Eggs – This is what thickens the flan.
Vanilla – Adds great flavor the flan.
Caramel Sauce– I use Smucker’s Caramel Sundae Syrup
Ramekins – I got my six ounce ramekins from World Market. I only fill them up to the inner lip of the ramekin.
How to make Flan in the Slow Cooker
These come together in two easy steps!
Step One – In a bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Pour caramel sauce into each ramekin, swirl to coat, then fill with the custard mixture.
Step Two – Place the ramekins in the slow cooker with water halfway up the sides. Cover and cook on high for 2–3 hours, or until set. Chill before serving with whipped cream.
How to remove flan for serving
After the custard cools to room temperature, you can carefully remove the flan from the ramekin. The best way to do this is to run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and invert the ramekin onto your serving plate.
Expert Tips
Here is how to make the BEST flan.
- Flan is a chilled dessert, not as good eaten warm. Wonderful served with whipped cream and a cup of coffee.
- Butterscotch ice cream topper is a great choice instead of caramel.
- Before you flip the flan onto a plate, briefly set the bottom of the ramekin in hot water. The caramel will melt slightly and have a silkier appearance.
- Make these individual flans the day before for stress-free entertaining.
Featured Comment
“These turned out perfectly! I followed the recipe exactly & they were a huge hit. Definitely making these again.”
– Laura
Slow Cooker Flan
How to Video
Equipment
- 6 Ramekins
Ingredients
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 12 Tbsp. Caramel Sauce
- Whipped Cream for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk, the regular milk, vanilla, and eggs with a whisk until smooth. Keep whisking until you can not feel the heaviness of the sweetened condensed milk on the bottom of the bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the Caramel Sauce to each ramekin, swirl around with a back of a spoon, to coat all sides.
- Add the milk mixture to the ramekins, I only filled them up to the inner lip, so it would be easier to remove later. Depending on the size of your ramekins you may have extra flan mixture.
- Add the ramekins to the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your ramekins, you will have to stack (balance) these carefully. I usually do 4 at the bottom then stack the remaining two on top.
- VERY IMPORTANT! Add about an inch of water to the slow cooker around the bottom layer of ramekins.
- Cover, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 45 minutes, this is when I check on the flans. The flans are ready when they begin to puff slightly on the edges. The center will be jiggly but not liquidy.
- Remove the flans carefully with a pot holder . Put the flans of a wire rack to cool in the fridge for 3 or more hours.
- After the flans have chilled completley, take a knife and swirl around the edge of the ramekin, and flip over on a serving plate.
- Top each serving of flan with whipped cream. The spray can of whipped cream is actually really good on these, this is what restaurants do. Do this right before serving for this type of whipped cream melts within a few minutes.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More easy slow cooker desserts:
Treat yourself to a lineup of irresistible slow cooker desserts—start with creamy slow cooker caramel dip and slow cooker rice pudding, both warm and comforting with minimal effort.
For something richer, try the decadent slow cooker caramel cake or a bubbling slow cooker blackberry cobbler bursting with sweet fruit.
And if you’re in the mood for chocolate, the chocolate cherry dump cake is an easy crowd-pleaser you’ll want to make again and again.
These turned out perfectly! I followed the recipe exactly & they were a huge hit. Definitely making these again.
So glad to hear! I love opening my fridge and having these as a snack option!
Can’t wait to try this looks awesome.
I loved this recipe. I used fat free condensed milk, fat free half and half (for the milk) and sugar free caramel sauce. Delicious!!! Cooked it about a little under 2 hrs and it was perfect.
Great to hear that it works with those ingredients.
My husband used to make this on special occasions but he never knew that you could cook it in the crock pot. Now that I know it I will try making it myself, thank you.
Hi again,
1);At what point do I start the time of 1hr and 45 min on high?
After I pour the water or when I see it bubbling?
2) What would happen if I left it on high for more than 1:45?
3) Can I do this on low for a longer time? If so, how long?
You start the time when you add the water in and the ramekins. That’s how slow cooker recipes work. No warming up necessary. I would not cook any longer.
I have a family flan recipe which my aunt bakes in a water bath in an oven. I’m loving this method as it mimics a bain-marie (waterbath), instead of an oven. Some countries do not have the luxery of an oven, so I have seen recioes where it is steamed or a make shift bain-marie. Almost all recipes place a foil (aluminum or tin) sheet on top of flanera or llanera. Can I place a foil over my ramekins? I’m just worried about the condensation dripping on the flan mixture. What’s your thoughts?
Btw i have a 6 quart oval shaped crockpot (the kind that wider left to right) and 4 ramekins fit on the bottom and 2 on top) Just like your pictures
You sure can do the foil if you want. Or you can put a dishtowel or paper towel under your slow cooker lid. But honestly I never have it to drippy with how fast this cooks.
I have one of the CAsserole Crocks and can’t wait to give it a try in it.
I think it would do great in there!
The whole family loves it! Easy, simple and looks “professional” lol. Thank You!
I love this recipe! I have made it several times and it is so perfect. I do have to stack the ramekins in my crockpot but it turns out perfect! Thank you for this recipe! My favorite next to creme brulee!
Ok mine is a 7 quart. I got the ramekins at World Market. 6 oz of liquid goes to that line below the lip. Hmmmmmm wonder why mine don’t fit? There is a smaller size at World Market that are 3 oz. Are you talking about the 3 oz ramekins for this recipe rather than the 6 oz?
Hi Karen, I went measured water in mine. 6-ounces of water goes all the way to the top on mine. I wonder if we have different ramekins?
Ok, that makes sense…..yours are the 3oz size! Thx Sarah for solving my question 🙂