Need a make ahead dessert? I’ve got a vanilla almond flan that will impress even the toughest critics. This rich and creamy flan is flavored with vanilla and almonds and is finished off with chopped honey roasted almonds and raspberries.
Flan is a classic dessert, and this dairy free version is so good you’ll never miss the milk!
This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible.
I grew up eating flan pretty regularly – my mom used to make it as a way to use up leftover eggs. This vanilla almond flan is a more modern take on the classic dessert. I’ve made a few changes that I think make it even better than the original!
I wanted to incorporate an almond flavor throughout the flan so I used Almond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend instead of cows milk.
The addition of the cashew makes the almondmilk extra creamy, this flan tastes as good or better than any dairy based custard that I’ve ever had.
How do you make almond flan?
This flan is quite simple to make, the hardest part is making the caramel which requires a pan, some sugar and a watchful eye. The caramel gets poured into a cake pan and a quick custard that’s whipped up in the blender goes on top. The beauty of this dessert is you can make it a day or two in advance and unmold it when you’re ready to eat.
While I love smooth and silky flan, I also love an interplay of flavors and textures, so I topped the flan with some coarsely chopped Blue Diamond Honey Roasted almonds and some fresh fruit. Dessert perfection if you ask me – and no one will believe that it’s dairy free!
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More great dessert recipes
Vanilla Almond Flan
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar divided use
- 2 cups Almond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend can use regular or unsweetened
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Blue Diamond Honey Roasted almonds coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup raspberries for garnish optional
- mint sprigs for garnish optional
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pour 3/4 cup of sugar into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and carefully move the pan frequently, without stirring, until it takes on a deep amber hue. Pour into the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside to cool.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, almond milk, egg yolks, eggs, vanilla and salt to a blender and mix on lowest setting until blended.
- Carefully pour the custard into the prepared pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the prepared mold in a larger rectangular pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean - flan may still jiggle a little which is fine.
- Allow to cool completely inside the water bath then refrigerate covered at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To unmold the flan, run a thin knife along the side of pan. Gently shake to loosen. Invert a large plate over the flan and quickly invert the mold in one motion. Top with chopped almonds and raspberries. Garnish with mint if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead: The flan can be made 2 days before you plan to serve it.
Christie says
I love flan but have never made it. I have to try yours.
Marye says
This is a gorgeous flan! It looks delicious!
Linda @ Food Huntress says
I would never thought of making flan with almond milk and coconut milk but it’s a great idea. My husband is lactose intolerant and he would love this. I love flan also, so this could become a very popular recipe at our house.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
Lovely recipe! Looks so god, thanks for sharing!
heather @french press says
my daughter loves flan, and I have never tried to make one, I think the unmolding part scares me a bit, but this flan is absolutely gorgeous! and I LOVE that cashew milk!!
Katerina @ Diethood says
This looks amazing!! I love a good flan and all those flavors, so I know this recipe would be a real winner! Can’t wait to try.
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says
You’ve done it again Sara – this looks AMAZING!
Michelle @ blackberry babe says
Love flan and this looks so yummy! Beautiful photos!
Susan | LunaCafe says
So pretty and such a great flavor twist. Yummo!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
This flan looks gorgeous and almost to pretty to eat. I did say almost right. What a great idea to put vanilla almond milk in the recipe too. Wish I could have a big slice right now.
Levan says
OMG this is fantastic! Love the colors and texture, and the instructions are crystal clear. Thank you for this recipe!
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
I starting to love this flan!!! Looks so tempting! I love those almonds and raspberries on top, too!
Kristyn says
This is such a beautiful dessert! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Holly @ 3 Yummy Tummies says
I just became a flan fan! Gorgeous pictures!
Maryanne @ the little epicurean says
This is quite possibly the prettiest flan I’ve ever seen. It’s beautiful! I love that you added almonds for that much needed crunch!
Kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox says
Your flan looks amazing, I love all the flavors! Such a great holiday dessert.
AH says
This looks amazing!
Looking at the recipe and steps, I don’t see where you would add the 1/2 cup of honey. Is this a substitute for sugar?
Sara says
It’s a half cup of honey roasted almonds that get sprinkled over the top, but you can omit that step and it’ll still be great!
Jennifer says
This flan came out perfectly. The texture is flawless and so was the flavor. I didn’t even add the fruit and nuts, just basic flan. I had tried another dairy free recipe using canned coconut milk and it was nowhere near as good as this. I used my kitchen aid mixer to blend instead of a blender and it was perfect. Good luck! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Sooooo happy to have found this. Whatever you do, do not invert onto a plate until thoroughly cooled, i kinda collapsed mine and it was still absolutely delicious 😋
Jennifer says
Perfect
Lily says
I loved this flan! Just like my mom used to make with milk! I think I will try mixing with a whisk next time and see how it turns out. I followed the directions exactly except for forgetting to cover with foil and only having a shallow baking tray to fill with water.
Lily says
Oh and I added a half teaspoon of cinnamon and it wasn’t too overpowering for the natural eggy flavor. I think I might try some Kalhua liquor next time 🙂
Cynthia says
This looks great! I need a non-dairy dessert for a Mexican-style dinner. If I would like to serve 12, can I multiply this recipe by 1.5? Should I then use a 9-in pie pan? I am nervous about making this change and still having the inversion work properly. I have never made flan before . . .
Sara says
I would make 2 separate flans, only because a larger amount would have to cook for longer and I’m not exactly sure how much time you’d have to add. Hope that helps!