Vanille

Coconut vanilla flan

Coconut flan with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pod, cooked in a water bath, unmoulded cold, topped with a light caramel.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cooking 45 min
  • Total 65 min
  • Serves 6 servings
  • Difficulty Medium

This coconut flan is made like a classic baked custard, but with coconut milk replacing part of the milk, and a Bourbon vanilla pod infusing the whole mixture before it is baked in a water bath.

Here, vanilla balances the flavour of the coconut milk. Our family grows and prepares this vanilla in the SAVA region, in north-eastern Madagascar.

Method

Preparation

  1. Prepare the caramel: in a saucepan, melt 100 g of sugar with the water over medium heat, without stirring, until it turns amber. Pour it immediately into a round or loaf tin, tilting it to cover the bottom.
  2. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  3. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
  4. In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk and whole milk with the seeds and pod, until it just starts to simmer. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then remove the pod.
  5. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with 80 g of sugar until the mixture turns slightly pale. Pour the hot milk over it while whisking constantly.
  6. Pour the mixture into the caramelised tin. Place the tin in a larger dish filled halfway up with hot water.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes, until the flan is set but still slightly wobbly in the centre.
  8. Leave to cool, then keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before unmoulding onto a plate.
Chef's tip

The little extra that changes everything

To check it is cooked without damaging the flan, gently shake the tin: the centre should still wobble a little, it will finish setting as it cools. Another vanilla flan, without coconut: vanilla flan pâtissier. The pairing of vanilla and coconut milk also appears in Bourbon vanilla and coconut milk scented rice. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pods

Frequently asked questions

About this recipe

Can the vanilla pod be replaced with powder or extract?
Yes, a level teaspoon of vanilla powder or half a teaspoon of extract replaces the pod, added directly to the hot milk.
Why cook the flan in a water bath?
The water bath spreads the heat gently and stops the eggs from cooking too fast, for a smooth texture rather than bubbles.
Can this coconut flan be made the day before?
Yes, it can be made the day before and kept covered in the refrigerator; it unmoulds easily once completely cold.
In the kitchen

Four moves with one bean

What to do with a whole bean, from the first cut to the sugar jar.

01 Split 30 s

Knife tip halfway through, one single pass along the whole length.

02 Scrape 1 min

Scrape both halves with a spoon. That black is the flavour.

03 Infuse 20 min

Seeds and bean into the hot milk, off the heat, covered.

Vanilla beans laid on a white plate
04 Reuse 1 week

Rinse the emptied bean, let it dry, then slip it into the sugar.

One bean serves twice
Exceptional ingredients

Our products for this recipe

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