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Home/Stories/Recipe: Aspi’s Flantástico Dulce de Leche Flan
Recipe: Aspi’s Flantástico Dulce de Leche Flan
By Paloma Cladera
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Recipe Information
Flan holds a special place in Argentina’s dessert culture, and Augusto “Aspi” Mayer’s dulce de leche version became a Buenos Aires reference point. Rich, creamy and velvety, it is fully set around the edges but retains a slight ripple at the center. A fine-mesh sieve helps keep the custard smooth, while the light, pourable caramel pools around the flan rather than forming a hard shell
Serving: Makes approximately 25 individual flans, each weighing about 120 grams.*Note: Individual molds are recommended for the best texture and easiest unmolding. The flan may also be prepared in one large 27 cm mold; allow approximately 1½ to 2 hours of cooking time. The texture may need to be slightly firmer than that of the individual flans so that it holds its shape when unmolded
Ingredients
For the flan
1 liter milk600 grams heavy cream10 egg yolks8 whole eggs250 grams sugar1.4 kilograms dulce de leche
For the caramel
300 grams sugar240 milliliters water
Preparation
Step One
Make the caramel. Place half of the sugar in a small, deep saucepan and melt it over medium heat without adding water. Add the remaining sugar and continue cooking until it has melted and turned a light caramel color. Stir gently with a wooden spoon
Step Two
Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully add half of the water. The mixture will release a large amount of hot steam, so pour slowly and keep your hands and face away from the pan. Return the caramel to the heat and gradually add the remaining water, stirring gently with a wooden spoon
Step Three
Continue cooking until the caramel is smooth and pourable. Divide it among the molds, coating the bottoms evenly. A traditional dry caramel may be used instead, though the finished flans will have less liquid caramel around them
Step Four
Preheat the oven to 120°C / 250°F. Bring enough water to a boil for the water bath
Step Five
Make the custard. Heat the milk and cream together in a saucepan until the mixture just begins to boil. Do not allow it to reduce
Step Six
In a large bowl, mix the dulce de leche with the egg yolks until well combined. Add the sugar and mix again, then incorporate the whole eggs
Step Seven
Slowly pour the warm milk and cream into the dulce de leche mixture, stirring until smooth. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps and give the finished flans a smooth texture
Step Eight
Pour the warm custard into the prepared molds. Arrange the molds in a deep baking dish, then add enough boiling water to reach partway up their sides.*
Step Nine
Bake for approximately 50 minutes, depending on the size of the molds. Note: The oven should be fully preheated, the water bath should be boiling and the custard should still be warm when the flans go into the oven
Step Ten
Check for doneness with a wooden skewer. Inserted near the edge, it should come out dry; inserted into the center, it should emerge slightly damp. When the mold is moved gently, the flan should be set around the edges and form a small ripple in the center, but the center should still be set rather than liquid.
Written & photos by Paloma Cladera
Published on August 10, 2026
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