Slow Cooker Flan

Updated May 30, 2026

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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!

up close image of flan with caramel on top

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!

6 ramekins full of flan mixture in slow cooker (with water surrounding them)

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

40 More Reviews

close up image of flan with whipped cream

Slow Cooker Flan

4.91 from 11 votes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 45

Total Time: 2

Servings:

By: Sarah Olson

Slow Cooker Flan is a creamy baked custard made with eggs, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and a rich caramel sauce, all done in the crockpot.

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How to Video

Equipment

Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger-oval
6 Ramekins

Ingredients

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

I find these ramekins at World Market, though you can find them in most cooking stores.

These flans last about a week in the fridge but taste best if you eat within 3 days.

Can I make one big flan instead of small ones?

Yes, you can! Make sure to use plenty of caramel and spread it right in the slow cooker, then pour in the flan mixture. No need to add water. The cooking time will remain the same. You will not be able to flip the entire large flan onto a plate; instead, scoop each serving out of the slow cooker.

Nutrition

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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.