Coconut Flan is one of the most popular desserts on our menu. And while it is a nod to the enduring love Miamians have for Latin American flan (you can seriously get flan even at our gas stations), the addition of coconut makes it closer to the iconic Vietnamese dessert Báhn Flan. Our Coconut Flan is a rich and creamy make-ahead dream of a dessert. The individual servings feel really special and make a beautiful presentation. It’s naturally gluten free, and it makes 10 servings, making it ideal for a dinner party. Or, since it lasts about a week or so in the fridge, I won’t tell if you make it and eat the whole batch whenever you’re craving a little something sweet.

Coconut Flan Starts with Caramel

Making caramel is easier than you might think. It just requires patience and a watchful eye. I make what’s called a wet caramel-meaning that there is water along with sugar in the pan. I think it’s more fool proof and I’ve never had to start over because I’ve burned the caramel. And if you’ve ever watched The Great British Baking Show, you know that making caramel can stump even the best amateur cooks. Because the water has to cook off before the sugar can start to caramelize, wet caramels do take a bit longer. But I figure, what’s a couple minutes compared to having to start the whole process over again.

And before I start, I get a large bowl of cold water ready in the sink, so that when the caramel is the desired color, I can quickly stop the cooking process by dipping the bottom of the pan in the cool water. Once caramel gets to the right color, it can quickly start to burn from the accumulated heat in the pan.

Let me give you an obvious tip that will ease your anxiety: use white granulated sugar. As you can see in my photos, I only had natural sugar, which is why it already looks a little brown before I even started to cook. The light brown color can be difficult for cooks who don’t often make caramel since the white sugar turning a deep amber color is the sign that your caramel is ready. The taste is the same, but I suggest using regular granulated white sugar, especially if you’ve never made caramel before, so you can carefully watch it as starts to brown.

When it’s a nice golden brown, I take it off the and carefully stir it. It is still cooking at this point, and stirring it helps to make the caramelization uniform. When it’s the color I want, I quickly put it in the bowl of cold water.

Baking the Coconut Flan

I can never really decide which part is best-the caramel or the velvety coconut custard. Luckily, we don’t have to. Yes, 12 egg yolks are a lot. Save the whites and make a healthy egg white omelet. That’s called balance!

This flan is more similar in texture to the French creme caramel than Latin flan which is often very dense. It’s ultra creamy and just sweet enough. I would suggest making it the way the recipe is written, but if you want to cut some of the fat and calories, you can substitute coconut milk instead of cream or use whole milk instead of the half and half. I would not suggest using low fat milk or fat free condensed milk. It’s just not worth it.

Once the mixture is velvety smooth, it’s time to bake the coconut flan. I make a water bath to insure that they cook very gently and evenly.

Bake the flan for about 45-55 minutes, until just set. The center shouldn’t look wet, but it should jiggle slightly when tapped. I turn off the oven, keep the door open, and let them cool for 20 minutes in the oven.

The flan need to chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours. Which makes this so convenient for entertaining. Then all you have do on the day of is to plate them right before serving.

Prepare for oohs and ahhs when everyone sees your caramel gloriously bathe the coconut flan.

Honestly this is perfection just like this. But if you’re feeling fancy a sprig of fresh mint provides a nice pop of color, and a sprinkling of toasted coconut chips add a nice crunch.

Give this crowd pleasing dessert a try and let me know what you think. Please take a second to rate and comment on the recipe below, and show off your coconut flan by tagging us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!

Coconut Flan

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: serves 10 1x
• Category: sweets
• Cuisine: vietnamese

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Ingredients

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Caramel Syrup:

• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water

Flan:

• 19 oz can coconut cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 14 oz can condensed milk
• 12 eggs

Garnish:

• Mint sprigs
• Crunchy coconut strips

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Instructions

1. Set 10 (1 cup size) aluminum cups on a rimmed baking tray. 
2. Set a bowl larger than the diameter of the pan you will be using in the sink and fill it with water.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Turn the heat to medium high and stir the sugar just until it melts. Let the sugar water boil. It will start to thicken and bubble more slowly as it reaches the candy stage. 
4. Continue cooking until the sugar turns a light amber color. This whole process will take about 8-10 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and gently and carefully use a spoon and continue mixing as the sugar will continue to darken. 
5. As soon as the caramel is the right color, stop the cooking process by dipping the pot into the bowl of cold water. (Do this in the sink as the water may hiss and spit.)
6. Pour or spoon the caramel evenly into the containers. Set aside to cool.
7. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and set the oven rack to the middle.
8. In a large bowl separate the egg yolks, saving the whites for another purpose. Add the coconut cream, condensed milk, and half and half. 
9. Whisk until the mixture is well combined. Pour the mixture through a mesh to eliminate any unmixed egg. 
10. Pour the mixture into the aluminum tins.
11. Put the tray into the oven and then carefully pour about 3 cups of water into the baking tray (the water should come up to near the edge of the tray, about ⅓ of the way up the aluminum tins).
12. Bake for 45-55 mins until just set. If you tap the side of one, it should jiggle loosely but the center should not be wet. 
13. Turn the oven off and open the oven door. Let cool for 20 minutes before moving the tray out of the oven. Transfer the aluminum tins to a dry tray. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
14. When you are ready to serve, run a pairing (or steak) knife along the edge of the flan. Gently flip the tin over onto a small plate and then pierce the middle of the tin. This will create an air pocket allowing the flan to plop onto the plate.
15. Garnish with a little mint or some coconut chips as desired.

 

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Notes

*This is a rich and creamy flan. You can substitute the half and half for whole milk or substitute coconut milk for the coconut cream if you prefer a lighter flavor.

*If you do not have aluminum tins, you can use any 8 oz (1 Cup) size oven safe bowls. Once the flans are baked and cooled, run a knife along the outer edge and push gently along the edge of the flan when turning it out to break the seal. If you’re having problems turning out the flan, just eat it out of the bowl itself. It’s perfectly fine and you save yourself from having to wash an additional dish!

Keywords: flan, coconut, dessert, sweets, holiday, party

I may not be that big on sweets but Palitaw is one I can never resist. A popular Filipino snack, Palitaw is made from sticky rice flour and coconut. Palitaw means “to float”, and you’ll see why when you make a batch. This is one dish that’s almost as much fun to make as it is to eat. If you have kids around, they love to help! With few ingredients and easy steps, plus a quick turnaround from preparation to consumption, Palitaw will have even your youngest cooks engaged in the kitchen.

Palitaw are sold by street vendors all over the Philippines. Light in sugar and coated with healthy coconut, this is as comfortable as a breakfast, as it is served for dessert. Moreover, they are ready in just 20 minutes, making this a great dish to whip up at the last minute.

Sweet Rice Flour

If you’ve ever had mochi ice cream, you’ve had sweet rice flour. That’s what makes the fun, chewy layer wrapped around the ice cream. The flour is made from glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice, and is used in all sorts of desserts and snacks. It’s a gluten free flour, making this a perfect choice for anyone avoiding gluten.

When purchasing rice flour, make sure you are purchasing the right kind. Regular rice flour, sold at many health food stores as a gluten free alternative for wheat flour, is not the same. On the package it should say glutinous rice or sticky rice, and if there is a description of the product, it should talk about the incredibly starchy quality of the flour. Alternatively, you should be able to find sweet rice flour easily at an Asian Market, which may also call it Mochi flour.

Making Palitaw

I start by toasting unsweetened coconut flakes. I use the oven set at a low temperature because the flakes can burn really easily. The smell while it toasts is heavenly! I admit that I like my coconut very toasty. Usually, I take the coconut a bit darker to really bring out the caramel like notes. But however you like your coconut, keep a careful eye on it as it does bake quickly. If you have leftover toasted coconut, you can use it to make a batch of Coconut Rice!

Spread shredded coconut on a parchment lined baking sheet:

Toast to golden brown:

Mix together the sesame seeds and sugar and set aside:

Then it’s time to make the palitaw dough, which is one of the easiest doughs in the world. Just two ingredients-awesome!

Add the water to the flour:

Mix together with your hands:

Knead it a couple times to smooth it out and make sure the water is incorporated fully into all of the dough.

Now it’s time to shape the dough. I like to use an ice cream scoop to portion out the dough. It’s easier to make equal sizes and it keeps the Palitaw in a nice circular shape. However, in the Philippines, most vendors use their hands to both pinch off the dough and pat it out. It’s not too important if the size of your disks are different; but try to keep the disks at the same thickness so they cook evenly.

I put a little rice flour on the baking sheets as I’m flattening out the dough to keep the disks from sticking to the sheet. I also think it’s easier to press gently against the dough ball and then pick it up and move it a little to make your disks. Keep pressing and moving so your sticky disks don’t have a chance to adhere to the surface and you have an evenly round shape.

First portion the dough into balls:

Use your hand to flatten the dough into disks:

And now it’s time to find out how they came to be named something that translates to “it floats”. Make sure you have the sesame sugar and the coconut right by the stove so you can quickly scoop out the boiled Palitaw and dredge them straight from the pot. An assembly line system works best where you boil, then dip, and then plate them. It’s not a good idea to boil them all first and then try and dip them as they will probably stick together in a clump as they drain and cool.

Make sure your water is at a boil on high heat before dropping in the rice disks. Putting them in too early will result in overcooked Palitaw that will be mushy and falling apart. Keep the water at a boil while they cook and only put about 5-6 at a time. This process goes quickly, so have a strainer or slotted spoon ready to scoop them up once they float to the surface.

Carefully drop the disks into the boiling water:

Remove them once they float to the top:

Coat each side of the palitaw first in the toasted coconut:

And then in the sesame seed and sugar mixture:

Repeat until you’ve finished with all the rice disks, and then serve:

These Patilaw make such a gorgeous addition to your table. Serve them after a dinner of Chicken Satay and Green Mango Salad for a fun, summery Asian feast! Please take a moment to rate and comment on the recipe below, we love hearing from you! And show us your beautiful Palitaw by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen.com.

Palitaw

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: sweets
• Cuisine: Filipino

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup glutinous rice/sticky rice flour (mochi flour), plus 1 extra Tablespoon for shaping disks 
• ½ cup water
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 275. Place the coconut on a small baking sheet and spread it out so you have an even layer. Bake it for about 5 minutes until it is a nice golden color. 
2. Set the coconut aside to cool and then pour it onto a plate. Mix the sugar and the sesame seeds on a separate plate. Set the plates aside near the stove where you will be boiling the rice cakes.
3. Put the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add the water. Mix with clean hands until the flour has completely absorbed the water and the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Knead it a couple of times to ensure an even consistency.
4. Use a 1 Tablespoon ice cream scoop and portion out the dough onto a baking sheet sprinkled with a Tablespoon of rice flour. You should yield 12 balls.
5. Then take each ball of dough and flatten it down with your hands so that you have small pancake shaped disks (Pick up the cake after each time you flatten it so it doesn’t stick to the pan.) Set the rice cakes aside on the baking sheet.
6. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the salt and stir. 
7. Add 5-6 pieces of rice cakes to the pot, one at a time. Let it simmer in the pot for about 1 minute, until it floats to the surface. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove one rice cake from the pot. Let the water drain off over the pot.
8. Dip the rice cake into the coconut first and then into the sesame sugar. Make sure each side is coated well and then place it on a serving plate. Continue straining and dipping each rice cake. Place the Palitaw on a serving plate once you finish dipping.
9. You can also strain all of the rice cakes at one time, but make sure to dip the pieces straight away, so they don’t have a chance to congeal and stick together in a clump. 
10. Continue cooking and coating until all of the rice cakes are finished. Sprinkle any remaining coconut and sesame sugar on top of the finished Palitaw. Serve immediately.

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Notes

*The rice cakes are best the day they are made. But if you have any leftovers, cover the plate with plastic wrap and eat it the next day. A few seconds in the microwave can help soften it up a touch.

Keywords: filipino sweets, healthy sweets, asian desserts, palitaw, coconut, sticky rice