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Easy Passion Fruit Flan (Flan de Parcha)

Name: Easy Passion Fruit Flan (Flan de Parcha) Recipe Card
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: PT-480154H24M27S
Cuisine: Latin
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of Water; 1 cup of white granulated Sugar; 2 tablespoons of Passion Fruit concentrate (optional).; 1 can of Sweet Condensed Milk; 1 cup of fresh Whole milk; 5 Eggs; 1/4 cup of Passion Fruit concentrate (pulp) without seeds.

Print Recipe· 5 from 14 reviews

This Easy Passion Fruit Flan (Flan de Parcha recipe) is a tropical delight made with only 5 ingredients! Passion Fruit is combined with sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, eggs, and sugar creating a perfectly silky, creamy, and smooth texture. The tangy and tropical flavor balances flawlessly with the perfect amount of sweetness.
A creamy Latin Flan that melts in your mouth!

Pretty Passion Fruit Flan with flowers over a dark plate

Jump to:

What is Flan?
What is Passion Fruit?
Where can you buy Passion Fruit?
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for the perfect caramel
Final tips for the best Passion Fruit Flan
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Passion Fruit Flan frequently asked questions
Other Latin Inspired desserts you might like
📖 GET THE RECIPE! 🍽️

What is Flan?

Flan, also called Creme caramel or Caramel Custard is one of the most popular and traditional Latin desserts with many variations.

It consists of a custard cooked over a caramel sauce in a water bath called Bain Marie or Baño de Maria (in Spanish). This gentle cooking method allows this delicate dessert to cook more evenly and ensures the perfect consistency and the smooth texture of a perfect flan. After it's chilled, the flan is inverted onto a dish, unfolding into a beautifully shaped dessert dressed in an amber-rich caramel.

I grew up eating our Venezuelan version, Quesillo Casero, one of our country's most popular desserts. Flans are traditionally flavored with Vanilla but are versatile and easily adapted into other flavors like this Passion Fruit Flan. In my country, this would be called Quesillo de Parchita, and in other Latin American countries Flan de Maracuya or Flan de Parcha.

While you are here, check out this fantastic variation Coconut Flan (Flan de coco) recipe, another tropical delight you will enjoy!

And why not pair this flan with my amazing Puerto Rican Turkey (Pavochón)!

Craving other popular Latin dessert recipes? Try my Lemon Tres Leches Cake or my Coconut and Passion Fruit Curd Layer Cake.

What is Passion Fruit?

Passion Fruit is a tropical fruit that is becoming more popular in the U.S. It’s a lightly sweet yet tart, fragrant fruit with a heavenly tropical flavor.
An exotic fruit that is also named Maracuya or Parchita (Venezuela), among other names.

I love and miss eating fresh Parchita. Growing up in South America, we ate passion fruit all the time, and since we had a vine in our backyard, Passion Fruit was abundant in our home.

Where can you buy Passion Fruit?

While finding fresh fruit in the produce area can be challenging, you can find Passion Fruit concentrates in specialty and Latin foods stores. The frozen concentrate works perfectly for this recipe, and it is the easiest and quickest option for making many of the recipes calling for Passion Fruit.

I use these Passion Fruit ingredients interchangeably in recipes (Pitaya Foods Concentrate) or the Alpes Passion Fruit Pulp with seeds I bought online). However, the Goya Passion Fruit Pulp (not pictured but found in the freezer aisle of Latin Grocery stores) is also fantastic.

Other Passion Fruit recipes you may like: Passion Fruit Caipirinha and Passion Fruit Margarita.

Pitaya Passion Fruit concentrate in bag and glass

Alpes Passion fruit pulp with seeds in a bag and a bowl

Let’s go over the details of what’s in this homemade Passion Fruit Flan and why this recipe works so easily.

Equipment

Electric blender (or whisk)
9-inch wide by 2-inch deep cake pan
3-quart Saucepan
Fine-mesh strainer.

Ingredients

For the Caramel

Water
White Granulated Sugar
Passion Fruit concentrate (optional) – I used the seeded concentrate for the caramel for looks only; it’s not vital to the recipe.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Ingredients for the Passion Fruit Custard

Only four ingredients are needed to create this Flan de Parcha!

Sweet Condensed and Whole milk - I use a combination of canned condensed milk and fresh milk to produce a custard with a robust texture yet creamy and not too firm.
Eggs – Some recipes call for whole eggs plus egg yolks, which may make it too rich. I use only whole eggs, as that is how I learned to make it in Venezuela, and it works perfectly.
Passion Fruit concentrate (or pulp) without seeds.

Instructions

How to make this Easy Flan Recipe step-by-step.

Step 1 - Make the Caramel (15-20 minutes)

The Caramel is the first and essential step to a perfect Flan because it will be a critical factor in the taste and mouth feel. A flan without Caramel is not a flan!

However, cooking the caramel is the trickiest step. In this recipe, I will show you my tips for a perfect caramel.

I also added a couple of tablespoons of Passion Fruit Concentrate to the Caramel because I like its extra tanginess and tropical flavor, but this is optional.

Traditionally, the flan recipe uses a special pan called Flanera (Mexico) or Quesillera (Venezuela), which you can buy here. Since I do not have a Quesillera, I use a 9-inch wide by 2-inch-high cake pan that works perfectly. You can also use a loaf pan or ten 4-inch ramekins for individual flans.

Passion Fruit Flan caramel ingredients in a saucepan

Add the sugar, passion fruit concentrate (if using), and water to a small saucepan.

Cook over low to medium heat swirling the pan in a circular motion until the sugar melts and thickens into a beautiful golden-brown caramel.

Tips for the perfect caramel

This process requires your attention because the caramel will cook and darken quickly.
Be careful not to let the caramel overcook to a dark brown as it will turn bitter.
Remove the pan from the heat when it turns dark amber and begins to smell like burnt sugar.
Do not stir the caramel if you can avoid it. If you use the Passion Fruit concentrate, you may need to gently whisk to keep the passion fruit homogenized as it tends to stick to the edges.

Carefully pour the caramel onto the bottom of the pan (wear mittens as the pan will become very hot) and turn the pan around to coat the bottom and sides as evenly as possible. Work carefully to avoid spilling but quickly because the caramel will start to harden.
If the caramel hardens and you haven’t covered the entire pan, set the pan directly over the stove burner for a few seconds at low heat. This will loosen up the caramel allowing you to work it again quickly to finish coating the pan.
Set the pan aside to let it cool completely. The caramel will cool to a hard surface.

Step 2 - Make the Passion Fruit Custard (2-3 minutes)

Passion Fruit Flan ingredients in a blender

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

While the caramel is cooling, add the Condensed milk, whole milk, eggs, and passion fruit concentrate in a blender.

Blend on high for 10-15 seconds until everything combines well. Do not over-blend to avoid creating bubbles and a foamy mixture. The idea is to get the ingredients to just mix well and evenly.
If you want to ensure the flan is the silkiest, you can pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer so that no small particles get into the flan.

Final tips for the best Passion Fruit Flan

If you use a concentrate with seeds, remove them by passing them through a fine-mesh strainer before adding them to the blender.
If you use the Pitaya concentrate (no seeds), you only need to thaw 5 cubes to make 1/4 cup of concentrate for this recipe.
If you don’t have a blender, you can quickly whisk the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. But make sure to pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any small particles before pouring it onto the caramel.
Try not to over-whisk it so you don’t get too many air bubbles in the mixture.

Pouring Passion Fruit Flan mixture in cake pan

Pour the mixture on top of the caramel.

I used a 9x2 inch cake pan filled to the top, but it reduced as it cooked.

Step 3 - Bake in the water bath (60-75 minutes)

Passion Fruit Flan in cake pan in water bath

Cover the pan with foil to keep any skin from forming, and place in a larger pan where the flan can fit comfortably. Add enough hot water to cover up half of the cake pan.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out completely clean. If the flan still looks soft in the center after the knife test and has a bit of a jiggle, it’s ok. It will firm up during refrigeration.
Let the flan cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate covered with foil for at least 8 hours or overnight. This ensures the flan will have firmed up nicely and the flavors have intensified. It will also deliver a flan that is firm enough for unmolding.

Why do you need a water bath for flan?

The key is to bake the flan gently in a hot water bath to keep the temperature steady and evenly throughout the custard and to ensure the eggs don't curdle. This method also prevents the top from drying and cracking before the inside is cooked. You will have a creamy and soft flan texture (not rubbery or grainy). So, don't skip the water bath!

Best baking time and temperature for flan

Many recipes will advise baking at 300 F (150 C) or 325 (160 C) degrees which can take a long time to cook.
I have found that 350 F (180 C) degrees has worked well for me, and it takes between 60 to 75 minutes on average. It has the perfect creamy texture!

Step 4 - Unmold the Flan

After the overnight rest, the next step is unmolding the flan.

Take the flan out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving time. This allows the caramel to soften.
Using a paring knife, pass along the edges to loosen and help it come out effortlessly.
Place a serving plate on top and invert quickly. Wait a few seconds until you feel (and hear) the flan come down onto the plate.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape any residual caramel onto the flan, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Leftover flan may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

There you have it!
A beautiful, silky, creamy, and indulging tropical Flan!

Pretty Passion Fruit Flan with flowers over a dark plate side view

Life is too short… eat more Flan!

Pretty Passion Fruit Flan with flowers and piece served

Substitutions

Don’t have Sweet Condensed Milk? Substitute with one can of evaporated milk plus 1 cup of white sugar.
If using Ramekins instead of a cake pan – bake for 45 minutes.

Variations

Try this delicious Coconut Flan Recipe!

Storage

Refrigeration - Leftover flan may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Passion Fruit Flan frequently asked questions

What if I don’t have an oven?

Flan can be made on the stovetop by placing the pan inside a large pot with a water bath and cooking it covered at medium heat for about 45 minutes.
Make sure to seal the foil edges well to keep water and steam from getting inside the flan.

Can flan be frozen?

You may freeze flan in an air-tight container for up to 3 months, then thaw it in the refrigerator. You may have some extra water, and the texture may not be as creamy, but it will still be tasty.

Piece of Passion Fruit Flan with flowers served over a plate

Other Latin Inspired desserts you might like

See more Desserts →

📖 GET THE RECIPE! 🍽️