Keto Flan (Creme Caramel)

Satisfy your sweet cravings with our Keto Flan Creme Caramel, a velvety, caramel-infused dessert that's low on carbs but high on flavor. The rich custard melts in your mouth, while the luscious caramel sauce provides a delightful contrast. This low-carb twist on a classic treat is a true crowd-pleaser, perfect for anyone watching their sugar intake or following a keto lifestyle.

Table of Contents

• Keto Creme Caramel Ingredients
• How To Make Keto Flan (Creme Caramel)
• Tips And Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Creme caramel is a classic custard dessert with velvety smooth caramel, and we’ve created a melt-in-the-mouth keto-friendly version. Our keto flan hits the sweet spot by utilizing ingredients such as Erythritol and vanilla extract instead of sugar or syrups. The two layers of our keto creme caramel are rich and decadent, with bouncy custard providing structure and delicious texture and caramel awakening the taste buds with a hit of elegant vanilla.

The process of making a keto flan has a couple of stages since there are two distinct layers that together create this heavenly dessert. Only around 15 minutes are needed to prepare everything for the flan, but you’ll need an hour or so to cook the creme caramel and additional time for the dessert to fully set in the fridge.

It’s hard to believe this creme caramel recipe is keto-friendly as it tastes so gorgeously silky and sweet, but it contains 3.1g of carbs per serving! This means you can serve this dessert to friends and family this holiday season and join in on the fun too. Sweet cravings can be conquered by our keto flan recipe, making it ideal for those following a keto lifestyle or anyone watching their sugar and calorie intake.

Keto Creme Caramel Ingredients

For the Caramel Sauce

• Erythritol: One of the key reasons this keto flan is so low in carbohydrates is the use of Erythritol in place of sugar. By using a sugar substitute, keeping carbs low is effortless, and Erythritol doesn’t have a strong aftertaste either, so it doesn’t mask any of the flavors in the flan. 
• Water: Water is calorie and carb-free, so it’s the perfect addition to our recipe to make a rich, thick caramel. Only a couple of tablespoons of water are needed for the caramel, and it acts initially as an ingredient to dissolve the Erythritol but quickly becomes the base of the caramel sauce once heated slowly.
• Vanilla Extract: Caramel has such a sweet taste and sticky, familiar texture that it would be lost without a dash of vanilla extract. Vanilla is a fundamental part of making caramel as it ensures the flavor profile is sweet and almost buttery.

For the Custard

• Eggs: Eggs are a vital part of traditional custard, and to make our keto flan, four large eggs are needed. Both the white and yolk of the eggs are used to make the custard, and together, they help create a thick structure that’s smooth and silky. Be sure to thoroughly whisk the eggs into the custard to avoid any lumps forming and ruining the satin texture of the creme caramel.
• Heavy Cream: Any recipe using heavy cream as an ingredient will be rich and luscious as it adds lightness to dishes, especially when whisked and whipped a little. Heavy cream thins the eggs in the custard, but once warmed, it begins to thicken the mixture and transform it into a golden custard.
• Almond Milk: Along with heavy cream, almond milk is also needed to improve the texture of the custard to ensure it cooks perfectly in the oven and sets well in the refrigerator. Unsweetened almond milk is best to use as it typically doesn’t contain any added sugars or syrups to increase the overall carbs of the recipe.
• Erythritol: Erythritol is used both in the caramel and the custard of our keto flan as it’s a star ingredient for keto bakes and treats that traditionally contain large quantities of sugar. Erythritol adds sweetness to the custard, bringing out the notes of vanilla extract that provide the classic custard taste.
• Vanilla Extract: High-quality, pure vanilla extract is best to go for both in the caramel and the custard of our flan recipe. Investing in quality vanilla is worthwhile as some have added sugars and syrups and hardly taste like vanilla at all! Pure vanilla extract in the custard makes for a perfect match, resulting in blissful mouthfuls flavored delicately with quality ingredients.
• Salt: A pinch of salt is all it takes to balance each ingredient in our keto flan recipe, bringing them together in a delicious way. Including a small sprinkling of salt in sweet recipes enhances the flavors within and provides a welcomed contrast between the sweet and salty notes in the dessert.
• Edible Flowers: Garnishing dishes is optional, but it enriches creations in the kitchen with an aesthetic edge that’s sure to impress loved ones. Edible flowers are an elegant garnish to the creme caramel, bringing a romantic pop of color to the otherwise golden, amber-colored dessert.

How To Make Keto Flan (Creme Caramel)

Our low-carb keto flan is simple to put together, with the refrigerator doing most of the work when the creme caramels are out of the oven. Patience is key with this recipe, as using heat too high for the caramel or custard can damage the end dessert and lead to a chunky texture. Therefore, it’s best to stick around the stove while whipping up the flans and enjoying free time when the ramekins are setting in the fridge.

Step one: For the caramel sauce, take a small saucepan and combine the Erythritol and water, stirring until the sweetener dissolves.

Step two: Once the Erythritol has dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture cook without stirring. It can take 5-7 minutes for the mixture to caramelize, and whilst the magic is happening, swirl the pan every now and again to ensure even caramelization.

Step three: After the caramel turns a deep golden color, remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in the vanilla extract.

Step four: Quickly pour the caramel into the bottom of the ramekins or custard cups, swirling each one to achieve an even coating on the bottom. It’s wise to work rapidly at this stage as the caramel hardens as it cools.

Step five: To make the custard, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C), and in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Erythritol, and a pinch of salt.

Step six: Once combined, stir in the heavy cream, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and smooth.

Step seven: Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the custard, removing any lumps or bits to achieve a silky smooth final texture.

Step eight: Slowly pour the custard mixture into the caramel-coated ramekins or custard cups before placing them in a deep baking dish. Add hot water to the dish, creating a water bath where the water level should be about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Step nine: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the creme caramels in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.

Step ten: Take the custard cups out of the water bath and allow them to cool before refrigerating for a minimum of 3 hours or, ideally, overnight.

Step eleven: When serving, gently run a knife around the edges of each flan, placing a plate over the top to invert and release the caramel. The keto flans can then be served cold, with an optional garnish of edible flowers.

Tips And Variations

Keto Coconut Flan: Bringing a tropical edge to our keto flan recipe is a breeze with a few simple ingredient substitutes. Unsweetened coconut milk from a carton can replace almond milk in the custard, and shredded coconut can be used as a garnish on top of the caramel once the flans are out of the oven.

Keto Caramel With Butter: For ultimate decadence, it’s possible to use a small amount of butter for the caramel layer of the flan. This adds even more lusciousness to the dessert and a hint of buttery flavor that works perfectly with the soft custard.

Keto Flan With Monk Fruit Sweetener: The shelves in stores are becoming increasingly filled with keto alternatives, including a range of low-carb sweeteners. We find Erythritol works well in our flan recipe, but other sweeteners can be used if you don’t have any Erythritol to hand. Monk fruit sweeteners can be used in place of Erythritol, though the quantities needed may vary as different keto sweeteners can act in slightly different ways.

Frequently Asked Questions

📖 Recipe