Air-Fried Flan: A Quick, Easy, And Delicious Dessert

Flan is a delicious dessert that can be made in an air fryer. There are many recipes available online for making flan in an air fryer, including a Filipino leche flan dessert. The recipes vary, with some calling for a steam bath or bain-marie style of cooking, while others require no steam or oven at all. The ingredients typically include sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

Caramelizing sugar

Start by pouring the sugar into a hollow pot. For a standard flan recipe, you will need about 10 tablespoons of white sugar. Spread the sugar evenly in the pot to ensure consistent melting.

Turn on your stove to medium-low heat. Place the pot with the sugar on the heated stove. This is where the magic happens as the sugar will start to melt and transform into a beautiful caramel colour.

As the sugar melts, it's important to continuously swirl the pot. This prevents the sugar from burning and ensures that it melts evenly. Be careful not to touch the melted sugar, as it can be extremely hot.

Keep swirling the pot until you see that the sugar has completely melted and turned into a smooth, amber-coloured liquid. This process can take a few minutes, so be patient and keep a close eye on it to avoid overcooking or burning.

Once your sugar is completely caramelized, you can carefully remove the pot from the heat. Remember that the pot and the caramelized sugar will be very hot, so use oven mitts or pot holders to protect your hands.

At this point, you can proceed to the next steps in your flan recipe, such as adding the caramelized sugar to your flan mixture or using it to line your baking dish, creating a delicious caramel layer for your flan.

Preparing the egg mixture

Ingredients

• Eggs
• Evaporated milk
• Condensed milk
• Vanilla extract

Method

Firstly, crack your eggs into a large bowl. It's important not to beat the eggs too fast or too vigorously, as you do not want to create too many bubbles. Gradually add the evaporated milk and condensed milk to the eggs, stirring continuously as you do so. Finally, add the vanilla extract and give the mixture one final mix.

For a smoother texture, you can strain the mixture through a sieve.

Adding milk

For this recipe, you will need one can of sweetened condensed milk (300ml) and one can of evaporated milk (370ml).

In a large bowl, start by adding the eggs and slowly beating them with a fork or a whisk. It's important not to beat the eggs too fast, as you don't want to create too many bubbles. Once the eggs are beaten, you can start gradually adding the milk.

First, add the evaporated milk to the bowl, pouring it in slowly while continuously stirring the mixture. Once all the evaporated milk has been added, pour in the condensed milk in the same way, stirring constantly as you pour.

Keep in mind that you want to avoid creating bubbles in the mixture, so make sure to stir gently and slowly as you add the milk.

Baking

To make flan in an air fryer, you'll first need to caramelize the sugar using the dry method. Pour 10 tablespoons of white sugar into a hollow pot and heat it at medium-low heat until it melts, swirling the pot to avoid burning.

In a separate large bowl, beat eggs slowly with a fork or whisk, being careful not to create too many bubbles. Gradually add in 1 can (300ml) of sweetened condensed milk and 1 can (370ml) of evaporated milk while stirring. Finally, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix.

Strain the mixture through a sieve to ensure a smooth texture. Pour it into a baking dish or llanera, tapping the mold on a flat surface to remove any trapped air bubbles. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Preheat your air fryer to 150°C and place the covered baking dish inside. Bake for approximately 60 minutes, but note that the timing may vary depending on your specific air fryer model.

Removing trapped bubbles

To remove trapped bubbles from your flan mixture, you have a few options. Firstly, try not to beat the eggs too fast or too vigorously as this can create bubbles. Instead, slowly beat them with a fork or a whisk. Secondly, once you've added the other ingredients to the eggs and poured the mixture into your baking dish, tap the mould firmly several times on a flat surface. This will bring any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which you can then skim off with a spoon if necessary. Cover the dish with aluminium foil before placing it in the air fryer.

Frequently asked questions