Labneh Flan (creamy flan with labneh)featured
Guys. Check this out, labneh and flan, together!
I’ve spent the better part of the last year making and tasting a LOT of flan, all in the name of science of course. I tried recipes that used all canned milks, all fresh milks, I tried different amounts of eggs and played with yolk to white ratios. I learned every technique known to master a smooth, silky, bubble-free flan.
Along the way, I’ve learned that there are three essential keys to success. First, always mix your custard by hand to create as few bubbles as possible. If you’ve got bubbles, let your custard mix stand until they dissipate. Second, always, always strain your custard. A sieve will catch any clumps and pop any bubbles. Third, always bake your flan in a bain marie (water bath) to protect it from cooking too quickly and curdling or turning rubbery. This means putting your flan pan into a larger pan with high sides, ideally on top of a dish towel, and adding hot (but not boiling) water to surround and insulate your flan for gentle cooking.
Those are your keys to achieving the smoothest, most bubble-free flan, with the glassiest caramel top.
I have been loving my basic flan recipe, and I even turned it into this delicious passion fruit flan. But still, I wanted to keep experimenting. I’m glad I did, because I think I’ve discovered the lightest, smoothest flan you’ll ever try. The magic ingredient is labneh, a thick and creamy Middle Eastern yogurt, that lends a heavenly airiness.
Labneh flan
I thought back to the flan that made me want to learn how to make and master this delicious dessert. A friend, Chris, baked a flan for his daughter’s fourth birthday, almost exactly one year ago (happy fifth birthday, Z!). I had like four or five pieces. It was so good. I interrogated Chris on how he made it and was surprised that making flan seemed pretty simply.
Chris’s version was a flan de queso, a flan popular in Cuba and Puerto Rico that includes the addition of cream cheese, which lends a smoothness, and makes the flan dense and creamy like a really good NY-style cheesecake. It’s so delicious.
That’s a version I haven’t tried making yet. But, it got me thinking of another route to go.
If you are familiar with labneh (aka labne, labna), a thick and tangy Middle Eastern strained yogurt, you know it makes a great substitution for cream cheese. Lox and labneh bagels anyone? I have seen people make labneh cheesecake before, but I scoured the net and didn’t find a single labneh flan.
So, I made one.
And holy moly guys, I’m honestly ECSTATIC with the results. It is sooooo perfectly smooth and creamy, but has a lightness that I haven’t experienced with any other flan I’ve made or eaten. It is so light. It’s super smooth, with an airy texture reminiscent of a mousse.
And to top it all off, this flan’s caramel is dark and complex, cooked until it reaches a deep amber colour and a toffee-like flavour.
This isn’t your one note, too-sweet flan.
So, if you love a light and smooth dessert, you really gotta try this one.
Check out the recipe below and let me know what you think!
Labneh flan (Flan de labneh)
Equipment
- bundt pan, pie pan, or loaf pan
- larger cooking vessel for water bath
- dish towel (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 8 oz labneh full fat
- 6 eggs whole
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz
- 1 cup heavy cream aka whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt sea salt preferred
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
For the caramel
- Put sugar in a shallow pan over med-high heat. After a couple of minutes, the sugar will begin to liquify. Continue to heat, it will begin to darken. I recommend allowing it to reach a dark amber colour, as it will have a more complex flavour that way. (The lighter the caramel, the sweeter it will be, the darker, the more bitter or toffee-like). I like to remove it once it starts to get foamy. Once it reaches desired shade, quickly pour into baking vessel and swirl around to coat bottom and a bit of the sides of pan.
For the custard
- Gently mix remaining ingredients in medium bowl by hand. Begin by adding labneh and whisking until it is light and smooth. Next add eggs and whisk. Add condensed milk and mix well until fully incorporated. Then add remaining milks, vanilla and salt. Mix gently until combined, so as to create as few bubbles as possible.
- Pour custard mixture through a sieve into your flan pan and onto the caramel. The sieve will catch any chunks and burst any bubbles in the mixture, ensuring a smooth flan.
- Place pan into your larger vessel to create a water bath. You may place a dish towel under the flan pan to provide additional insulation.
- Place larger vessel onto a rack in the middle of the oven and carefully pour your hottest tap water into the larger pan to surround your flan. This will ensure that the custard cooks gently and will not curdle or get rubbery, do NOT skip this step!
To bake
- Bake for approximately an hour. It will be done when it is mostly set and is not wet to the touch, but is still jiggly. It will continue to set as it cools. Remove from oven and let cool in the water bath. Once at room temperature cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).
To serve
- Run a sharp knife along the edges to loosen flan and turn out onto a plate with enough of a rim to hold the caramel that will pour out. Enjoy!
