Low Carb Keto Flan {Sugar-Free}

The Ultimate Low Carb Keto Flan boasts a delicious sugar-free caramel sauce which tops the perfect keto custard. Rich and creamy, it’s a special low carb dessert treat for a dinner party or one to indulge in for a gluten-free afternoon snack!

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Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the recipe card with ingredient amounts and printable recipe to make it NOW or PIN it here for later!

What is a flan?

Flan is a deliciously creamy custard, made in individual-molds (ramekins), or one large dish. It’s baked on top of a caramel sauce and turned out onto a plate to serve. The caramel sauce runs down the sides.

Maybe you think it’s something only made in expensive restaurants. Not so!

So where did flan come from? It’s made using real basic ingredients going way back to Roman times. The Romans used eggs in all sorts of dishes, some savory and some sweetened with honey.

When the sweetened custard got to the people of Spain, it was a hit! In fact, the Spanish supposedly introduced the caramel to top the custard. Then, it traveled to Mexico with the conquistadors and all sorts of flavors became popular.

You may also know it as crème caramel, claimed by both the French and English.

Whatever you call it, it tastes like an indulgent dessert. I love custard.

🍴Equipment

• large and medium-sized bowls
• whisk
• a spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• ramekins
• blender (optional)

🥘 Ingredients

• Bocha Sweet, powdered allulose sweetener, or ChocZero Caramel Syrup
• yacon syrup (or ChocZero Caramel Syrup)
• large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sweetener (can be Swerve erythritol or any preferred)
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• pinch of salt

As always, when selecting ingredients, buy as fresh as you can and organic if possible.

Also, don’t forget to read the ingredients even for things like heavy cream. Surprisingly, or maybe rather not surprisingly, different brands can hide sugar, preservatives, and other unwanted items.

Just be on alert and select quality ingredients for anything you make. The recipe includes nutrition facts with what I use. However, if you’re calculating macros and I always advise figuring your own facts with the exact ingredients you use in the recipe.

Are you ready to make some keto flan?

🔪 Instructions

First off, I like to assemble all my kitchen equipment and ingredients. It just makes things easier and relaxes me while I’m cooking when everything’s close at hand.

Once everything is out, set the ramekins in the baking pan so they are ready for the caramel. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, set a full kettle of water on the stove to boil.

💭 Top tip – sweeteners

The most difficult part of this recipe has been the sugar-free caramel topping. I’ve tried all sorts of different sweeteners, and eaten a lot of flan!

Of course, first I started with my go-to erythritol-based sweeteners like Swerve. While I love it in baking, when used for a caramel sauce it crystalizes. This means it hardens and doesn’t run down the side of the flan as a traditional style would.

Therefore, I turned to BochaSweet and allulose, both of which I’ve used in my ice cream in the past to keep it softer.

BochaSweet is a brand of sweetener that uses an extract from the kobucha, a kind of Japanese pumpkin. Their website claims the sweetener to be of zero glycemic content and,

Five B-complex vitamins (B2, B3, B6), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Omega 3 fats, and Vitamin K

Kabocha is packed with anti-inflammatory nutrients such as Omega-3’s and beta-carotene.

Naturally occurring trace minerals like magnesium, folate, and potassium utilized by the cells as a source of energy effective in healthy weight management.

– BochaSweet

Also, allulose is a newer sweetener to some people but gaining in popularity. It is made through a natural enzymatic process using non-gmo corn and also does not raise blood sugar. Many people believe it tastes very similar to sugar.

Sugar-free caramel topping

From what I tested, neither allulose nor BochaSweet crystalized when making the caramel sauce, and they are my preferred choices for the topping in the recipe.

However, if you can’t get either sweetener, or you want to simplify the recipe, a sugar-free caramel sauce may be used. Simply prepare the flan without the caramel sauce and spoon a good sugar-free caramel sauce such as ChocZero Caramel Syrup over the top.

To make your own, heat the BochaSweet or allulose sweetener on medium heat in a small saucepan. Then, add in the yacon syrup (or blackstrap molasses) and stir to combine. Warm it for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly to form a caramel-colored syrup.

After that, pour it into the bottoms of the prepared ramekins. Be sure the mixture is evenly distributed.

🍮 Keto custard

Next, crack the eggs into a large bowl or mixer. Whisk or blend to break up the eggs.

After that, add in the heavy cream, sweetener, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla extract, and sprinkle on the xanthan gum. Blend the ingredients together on low or whisk until all is well-combined.

Now, pour the mixture into the 5 prepared ramekins in the deep-dish pan.

⏲ Cooking time

Then carefully set the pan with filled ramekins on the middle rack in the oven.

Then bake in what’s called a bain-marie, or water bath. To create the bain-marie, take the kettle you’ve heated and pour the boiling water in the deep-dish pan. Continue to do this until there’s water about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Be careful not to pour water in one of the custards.

Now, bake for 45-50 minutes to set the custard. It may darken, but don’t be tricked and take it out too soon. Not baking it long enough results in custard soup, which is also tasty, but not a flan. Believe me, I know!

The middle should have a very slight wobble when removed from the oven, although not so much as a cheesecake. Let them sit in the water bath for about 10 minutes out of the oven then carefully move to a cooling rack.

After that, let them cool for half an hour before placing them in the refrigerator. Chill for at least three hours or overnight before attempting to turn them out onto a plate to eat.

How to remove from the ramekin

Once chilled, the keto flan can be turned out to eat. Yay!

First, run a little hot water around the outside of the ramekin. Again, be careful not to get it in the custard.

Then run a knife around the edge of the keto flan to separate it from the dish.

Sometimes there’s a sort of crust baked on top from the foam of the custard. Don’t worry, it’s not a mistake if it forms. It can be eaten or easily removed after the knife separates it from the edge of the ramekin.

Turn the mold over onto a serving plate, and the flan should slide out. If it doesn’t immediately, give it a couple of careful shakes. Now, if it still doesn’t come out (unlikely) run the knife around the edge again and repeat the steps.

The caramel should run down the sides, and it can be served plain or with a few blueberries or other berry to garnish. If you chose not to make your own caramel topping, now drizzle one to two tablespoons of sugar-free caramel sauce or syrup over the flan.

Serve and enjoy!

👩‍🍳 Variations

As I mentioned before, the recipe can be simplified and varied.

First, if you want to simplify and skip a step, or can’t get the ingredients, use a pre-made caramel syrup or sauce. Simply prepare the flan without the caramel sauce and spoon one tablespoon of a good sugar-free caramel sauce, such as ChocZero Caramel Syrup, over the top.

Second, the flavor can be varied. There are all sorts of different kinds of flan. Although I prefer the original, an extract or other flavoring may be added. Add 1/4 of a teaspoon of almond extract or half a teaspoon of orange extract. Then, top it with some almonds or orange zest to make it pretty and identify the flavor.

Get creative with flavors in your cooking and baking! I love to try new flavors and even have a licorice extract we enjoy. As with any ingredient, just be sure they have no added sugar or unnecessary ingredients and are of good quality.

🥣 How to store keto flan

If the keto flan is not eaten immediately, it can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four to five days.

So, for example, say I would like to portion them out for myself to have as a snack or dessert. I could eat one a day for five days. However, if days are skipped, I would hesitate to keep much longer than five days.

But don’t worry, I doubt they’ll last that long!

All kinds of custard make a great keto dessert or snack when made sugar-free and gluten-free. They have good protein and usually very few carbs. I hope you enjoy what is one of my favorite desserts!

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🥧 Related recipes

1. Keto Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
2. Keto Lemon Meringue Pie
3. The Best Keto Berry Trifle
4. Keto Boston Cream Donuts
5. Keto Eggnog

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.