Flan vs. Crème Brulee: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on February 21, 2024
Flan, a Latin dessert, is a creamy custard with caramel topping; Crème Brulee, a French dish, is custard with a torched sugar crust.
Key Differences
Flan has its roots in Roman cuisine and is popular in Latin America and Spain. It's often associated with a rich history in Spanish culinary traditions. Crème Brulee, originating in France, is a quintessential French dessert. It's a symbol of sophisticated French gastronomy and is commonly found in upscale French restaurants.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
Flan's custard is known for its jiggly and smooth texture, achieved by a mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar, often flavored with vanilla. The custard of Crème Brulee is denser and creamier, typically made with cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Its texture is silkier compared to Flan.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
Flan is characterized by its caramel sauce topping, which is cooked sugar that coats the bottom of the pan and forms the top layer when inverted. Crème Brulee's signature is its hard caramelized sugar top, created by sprinkling sugar over the custard and torching it to form a crisp, crackable surface.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
Flan is usually baked in a water bath (bain-marie) to ensure gentle cooking and is served cold, often inverted onto a plate to showcase the caramel topping. Crème Brulee is also baked in a water bath but is typically served in its ramekin and eaten warm or at room temperature, highlighting the contrast between the warm custard and the hardened sugar top.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
Flan is often associated with home cooking and family gatherings in Latin American and Spanish cultures. It comes in various flavors like cheese, coconut, or coffee. Crème Brulee is often seen as a gourmet restaurant dessert in French cuisine, with variations like adding fruit or liqueur for different flavors.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Cooking Technique
Baked in water bath, served cold
Baked in water bath, served warm or at room temperature
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Feb 21, 2024
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Cultural Significance
Home cooking, family gatherings
Gourmet restaurant dessert
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Feb 21, 2024
Flan and Crème Brulee Definitions
Flan
A sweet, caramel-topped custard dessert.
For dessert, we enjoyed a creamy flan with a rich caramel sauce.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Crème Brulee
A French dessert featuring a creamy custard topped with a layer of hard caramel.
He finished his meal with a delightful crème brulee, cracking its caramelized top with a spoon.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Flan
A traditional Latin American and Spanish dessert.
At the Spanish festival, they served various types of flan, each with a unique twist.
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Jan 17, 2024
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Crème Brulee
A rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar.
The highlight of the dessert menu was a vanilla bean crème brulee with a perfectly torched sugar crust.
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Jan 17, 2024
Flan
A baked egg-based dish with a caramel glaze.
She made a delicious flan for the potluck, and it was the first dish to disappear.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Crème Brulee
A dessert consisting of a custard base, often flavored with vanilla, topped with a texturally distinct caramel layer.
For a special touch, the chef added a hint of orange zest to the crème brulee, complementing the traditional vanilla flavor.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Flan
A custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top.
My grandmother's flan recipe, with its smooth texture and caramel topping, is legendary in our family.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Crème Brulee
A dessert characterized by its smooth custard and a brittle top of caramelized sugar.
Their signature dessert was a crème brulee with a thin, crisp layer of caramel, served in a quaint ramekin.
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Jan 17, 2024
Flan
A custard that is baked in a caramel-lined mold and served chilled with the caramel side up. Also called crème caramel.
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Jan 15, 2024
Crème Brulee
A classic dessert known for its creamy texture and caramelized sugar topping.
At the French bistro, she ordered a lavender-infused crème brulee, savoring the blend of flavors.
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Jan 17, 2024
Flan
Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. Compare quiche.
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Jan 15, 2024
Flan
A dessert of congealed custard, often topped with caramel, especially popular in Spanish-speaking countries.
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Jan 15, 2024
Flan
A dessert made by caramelizing sugar in a mold before adding a custard base.
For the dinner party, I prepared a classic flan, starting with caramelized sugar for the perfect glaze.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 17, 2024
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can Flan have different flavors?
Yes, Flan can be flavored with ingredients like cheese, coconut, or coffee.
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Feb 21, 2024
Is Flan a baked dessert?
Yes, Flan is baked, usually in a water bath (bain-marie) to ensure even cooking.
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Feb 21, 2024
What is the texture of Crème Brulee?
Crème Brulee has a creamy, dense custard base with a hard, caramelized sugar top.
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Feb 21, 2024
What makes the top of Crème Brulee hard?
The top of Crème Brulee is made hard by caramelizing sugar with a torch or broiler.
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Feb 21, 2024
What is Crème Brulee?
Crème Brulee is a French dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a hard layer of caramelized sugar.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
What are common variations of Crème Brulee?
Common variations include adding fruit, liqueur, or different flavors like chocolate or coffee.
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Feb 21, 2024
Can Flan be made dairy-free?
Yes, Flan can be made with dairy-free milk alternatives.
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Feb 21, 2024
How is Flan traditionally served?
Flan is usually served cold, often inverted onto a plate to display the caramel topping.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
What is Flan?
Flan is a custard dessert with a layer of caramel sauce, popular in Latin American and Spanish cuisines.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
Is Crème Brulee served warm or cold?
Crème Brulee is typically served warm or at room temperature.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
What's the cultural significance of Crème Brulee?
Crème Brulee is a symbol of French gastronomy and often represents gourmet dining.
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Feb 21, 2024
How long does it take to make Flan?
The preparation of Flan can take around an hour, but it also requires several hours to cool and set.
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Feb 21, 2024
Is Crème Brulee gluten-free?
Generally, yes, as it's made from cream, sugar, and eggs, which are gluten-free.
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Feb 21, 2024
Can Crème Brulee be made ahead of time?
Yes, the custard can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, with the sugar topping added and caramelized just before serving.
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Feb 21, 2024
How is the sugar on Crème Brulee caramelized?
The sugar is caramelized using a kitchen torch or by placing under a broiler.
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Feb 21, 2024
Is caramel sauce on Flan served warm or cold?
The caramel sauce on Flan is usually served at the same temperature as the custard, which is typically cold.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
How do you know when Crème Brulee is done baking?
Crème Brulee is done when the edges are set but the center still slightly wobbles.
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Feb 21, 2024
Is Flan a healthy dessert?
While delicious, Flan is high in sugar and calories, so it's best enjoyed in moderation.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
What's the main difference in texture between Flan and Crème Brulee?
Flan is jiggly and smooth, while Crème Brulee is denser and has a crisp sugar top.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
What's the origin of Flan?
Flan originated in Roman cuisine and was later adopted and adapted by Spain and Latin America.
Shumaila Saeed
Feb 21, 2024
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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