So… Flan Parisien—Let Me Tell You About This One
Alright, before you scroll, a little confession: the first time I tried to bake Flan Parisien, I managed to glue the whole thing to my oven rack. Yep, direct contact, no pan under it. My mum laughed so hard she nearly dropped her cup of tea. Since then, though, I’ve got things down to a (mostly) smooth system and Flan Parisien is now my go-to when I want to impress but also eat half the custard filling straight from the bowl. If you’ve ever had it in a Paris bakery, you know it’s like the lovechild of a silky custard and a proper tart, only better and—if you ask me—best served a little uneven around the edges. Fancy isn’t my style; delicious is.
Why You’ll Actually Love Making This
I make this whenever I need to bribe my family into washing the car (don’t judge), or when it’s Sunday and I’m in a mood for something that feels French but can be eaten barefoot on the porch. My family goes wild for it because it’s basically dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus, if you’re like me and get a bit twitchy about using a whole vanilla bean (they’re expensive, mate!), you can cheat with extract and it’ll still taste like you spent all day baking. Sometimes I get a little grumpy at the part where you have to stir the custard forever, but honestly, it just gives me an excuse to eat more crusty bits off the spoon.
Here’s What You’ll Need (And What You Can Improvise)
- 1 sheet of puff pastry (store-bought is fine—no shame here. My grandma swears by Délifrance, but honestly, any brand works if you’re not feeling fancy)
- 1 liter whole milk (I’ve even used oat milk in a pinch, but it’s definitely a bit less rich)
- 200g sugar (about 1 cup, but I go scant sometimes because I don’t have a sweet tooth)
- 6 egg yolks (save the whites for an omelette or just toss ’em, I won’t tell)
- 60g cornstarch (a heaping 1/2 cup; or potato starch, if that’s what’s rattling around in your cupboard)
- 1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract; sometimes I use both if I’m feeling wild)
- 30g unsalted butter (about 2 tbsp; salted works in a pinch, just skip adding extra salt later)
- (Optional) A pinch of salt, especially if you skipped salted butter
What To Do (Don’t Overthink It)
- First up, preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a springform tin (about 9 inches/23cm is good) with baking parchment, otherwise you’ll be chiseling flan out of the corners like me that one time.
- Roll out your puff pastry and press it into the pan. If it tears, just patch it up with scraps. That’s how the pros do it, right? Pop it in the fridge while you start the custard.
- In a big saucepan, pour in most of your milk (save maybe a cup for later) and the split vanilla bean (or just dump in the extract). Bring it to a simmer, not a boil, or it’ll scorch. This is usually where my mind wanders and I forget the milk, so maybe don’t walk away.
- In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and the rest of the milk. Should look kind of gloopy. (Don’t worry if it seems weird. It always does.)
- Once the milk’s hot, fish out the vanilla pod (or don’t, if you forgot, someone will get a surprise). Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolky mixture, whisking so you don’t end up with scrambled egg bits.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan. Now cook it over medium-low heat, and stir. And stir. And stir some more. This is the gym session part. After a while, it thickens up, almost pudding-like. Don’t panic if it gets lumpy; just whisk harder. Or use an electric whisk if your arm threatens mutiny.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the butter. This is where I usually sneak a taste—so good.
- Pour the custard onto your pastry. Smooth it out. It’ll look super glossy and a little wobbly, which is exactly what you want.
- Bake about 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and starting to blister in spots. Sometimes it gets these little brown islands—don’t stress, that’s classic. Cool completely (seriously, don’t try to slice it hot, it’ll ooze everywhere. Ask me how I know).
- Toss it in the fridge for a few hours, overnight is even better. Actually, I think it tastes best the next day, but somehow it keeps getting eaten before then…
Notes I Learned the Hard Way
- If you use low-fat milk, the custard won’t set as nicely. I tried it. It was pudding soup.
- Puff pastry shrinks a bit, so don’t be shy about letting it crawl up the tin sides.
- I once tried dusting the top with icing sugar before baking. Looked cute, tasted burnt. Stick to plain.
- And just FYI: any leftovers make a killer breakfast with black coffee. Not that there are ever leftovers in my house.
Flan Parisien Experiments That (Mostly) Worked
- Swapped out a third of the milk for cream—rich, but a bit over the top (even for me).
- Baked in a tart pan instead of a springform. It leaked a bit but tasted exactly the same, so, fair trade.
- Once tried making it with coconut milk. Not my cup of tea, but if you’re into that sort of thing, give it a whirl.
What If I Don’t Have the Right Pan?
Honestly, I’ve used a cake tin lined with foil, and once I even used a deep pie dish. Just make sure you line it or you’ll be scraping caramelised custard off for days. If you want some inspiration for makeshift pans, check out this thread on Food52 Hotline.
Keeping It Fresh (But Not For Long!)
So technically, this flan will keep in the fridge for up to four days, tightly wrapped. But, and I say this from experience, it basically vanishes within 24 hours. If you do manage to save a slice, it’s even creamier after a night in the fridge. Magic? Maybe. Or just custard science. (I did once find a rogue slice hiding behind the lettuce after five days—still tasted great, just a bit dry around the edges.)
Here’s How I Like to Serve It
Cut into thick wedges (like you mean it), sometimes still a bit cold from the fridge. My mum likes hers with a dust of cinnamon, but I personally think it’s best solo, maybe with strong coffee. If you’re fancy, a handful of berries never hurt. Oh, and if you serve it to friends, don’t tell them how easy it is—they’ll be gobsmacked.
Stuff I Learned The Hard Way (Pro-ish Tips)
- Don’t rush chilling—if you slice it warm, it really does just puddle everywhere. I’ve made this mistake more than once. It’s not the end of the world; just a bit messy.
- Using cheap puff pastry? Just bake a few extra minutes. I once used a bargain brand and it needed longer to go golden.
- If you get lumps in your custard, strain it through a sieve before pouring into the pan. Or, just call it “rustic” and serve anyway.
Questions Folks Actually Ask Me
- Can I use ready-made pie crust instead of puff pastry? Sure, it’s a bit different, but honestly, it works fine. It’s not as flaky, but the custard’s the star anyway.
- Does it freeze? Well, you can freeze it, but it’s never quite the same after thawing. Gets a bit watery, if I’m honest. If you don’t mind that, go ahead.
- Why is my flan runny? Usually, it just needed another five minutes in the oven; or maybe it was sliced too soon (done that plenty of times myself!).
- Is it gluten-free? With regular puff pastry, nope. But you can totally use gluten-free pastry dough! No one will know unless you tell them.
- Could I add chocolate? You absolute legend, yes! Swirl some melted chocolate into the custard before baking and let me know how it turns out. I keep meaning to try this, but get distracted eating the plain version every time.
And if you want a deep dive into the history of this classic, or want to compare other custard tarts, I love the reviews at Serious Eats—they’ve saved me form many a kitchen mishap.
Anyway, give this a go and let me know how it fares in your kitchen. If it flops, you can always blame me in the group chat (I’ll survive). Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of shortcrust pastry
- 1 liter whole milk
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 120 g cornstarch
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 50 g unsalted butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 24 cm tart pan with the shortcrust pastry and prick the base with a fork.
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2In a large saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla extract until just simmering. Remove from heat.
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3In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, eggs, and salt until smooth. Gradually pour the hot milk into the mixture, whisking constantly.
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4Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and smooth.
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5Pour the custard into the prepared pastry shell. Smooth the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and set.
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6Allow the flan to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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