Over the course of time, the food niche has evolved a great deal in terms of the main course, appetizers, and desserts. When it comes down to the desserts, crème caramel and flan are one of the top choices. When it comes down to the difference between flan and crème caramel, most people think of them as a similar dish. However, there are major differences ranging from the preparation method to ingredients. So, we have got you covered in this article!
Difference Between Flan And Creme Caramel
Flan
Flan is a dessert dish with a rimmed pastry outlook or an open sponge base. It comes with a sweet or savory filling, based on the preferences. As for the origin, flan originates from the Roman cuisine, and the major ingredients involve pastry, custard, and veggies. Usually, it is served cool; dessert, or as the main course.
For providing the thick texture, egg yolks are used in the sponge base batter. Flan has a very soft topping. Once cooked, it’s put in the refrigerator and is topped with sugar to offer a slight caramel texture. As far as the texture is concerned, there are Latin and European flans out there. The European flan usually has caramelized sugar.
In contrast, the Latin flan is dipped in the milky caramel syrup. When it comes down to serving and preparation, it is cooked as a whole form and is sliced for serving later. Flan usually has a jiggly and upright structure with Jell-O like constancy. When it comes down to the serving, flan is cooked in the upside-down direction and is taken out to bring the caramel layer on the top.
Crème Caramel
This dessert originated from France and is a custard dessert. It is topped with the layer of caramel sauce (clear sauce). The crème caramel is prepared by adding the sugar syrup. The syrup is usually cooked to the caramel stage and mold stage. Then, the custard base is added. Usually, people tend to use a water bath, bain-marie, or stovetops for cooking crème caramel.
Once it’s cooked, it is topped with caramel sauce. As far as the serving is concerned, it can be served warm or cold, depending on the personal preferences of the eaters. The major ingredient in crème caramel is eggs that make the perfect custardy texture and foamy outlook. In contrast to flan, crème caramel is only served as desserts.
As far as the custard is concerned, the gentle heat level is used for cooking crème caramel. In addition, crème caramel can be made with sugar, vanilla extracts, cream, and egg yolks. Usually, crème caramel has a very crunchy or hard layer. Crème caramel is usually baked in individual servings and has a very creamy and pudding texture.
For the people interested in eating the crème caramel, you can eat it out of the ramekin with a spoon. The crème caramel is usually baked in the caramel-coated mold, which means it is automatically sauced up and glazed when you take it out of the oven.
Are There Any Similarities?
Well, it is only wise to ask this question. So, to answer this question, yes, crème caramel and flan have similarities. First of all, both of them are desserts with a custard appearance. Secondly, they are made with somewhat similar ingredients (minus the veggies in crème caramel), but the proportion is different. However, the topping differs.
For instance, flan has a soft layer, but crème caramel has a crunchy caramel layer on the top. Well, one cannot overlook the cooking time because both of them take around three to four hours of cooking or baking. Also, both of them are made in baked in the preheated ovens at low heating temperature. With this being said, the cooking is somehow the same, but the texture and topping are different.
The Bottom Line
We have already mentioned how both flan and crème caramel is made with creams and egg, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that cooking is equally complicated. If we had to choose personally, crème caramel is the ultimate winner given the custard ingredient. Ranging from sophistication to refined outlook, crème caramel has both, but flan isn’t the loser either. So, the prime differences lie in serving method, ingredient’s proportion, and topping.