Can You Freeze Flan?

Flan is a hugely popular dessert, similar to a panna cotta, it’s a creamy, wobbly baked custard with a caramel topping. But what happens if you’ve got flan leftover? Is there a way you can store it for the long term?

How to Freeze Flan

Before freezing, it is essential to bear in mind that flan contains a lot of fat, which freezes at lower temperatures than most other foods. This means that you must have your freezer at least -18°C or lower. 

Once you have your freezer set up correctly, you can get to freezing the flan:

1. Let it Cool
   Once you’ve made it, be sure to allow the flans to cool at room temperature. Putting them in the freezer whilst still warm would cause condensation to form, which would then turn the flans into mush.
2. Wrap
   You can either wrap each portion of your flan individually on freezer paper and then wrap again in cling film. Alternatively, you could just use several layers of cling film and omit the freezer paper.
3. Place Into Freezer Bags
   Carefully place the individual flans into a freezer safe bag and be careful not to squash them!
4. Freeze
   Find or make a nice flat area in your freezer to keep the flans level whilst freezing. Lay the flans in the freezer and keep for up to 2 months.  

3 Tips for Freezing Flan

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing flan to have the best results:

Avoid Wrapping Too Tightly
Flans are fragile desserts and very easy to squash, in which case they would be useless frozen. So be careful when you’re wrapping them not to wrap them too tightly. You’re better off wrapping loosely in multiple sheets of clingfilm, instead.

Leave No Exposed Surfaces
As with any product going into the freezer, it’s important to wrap them completely and not have any surfaces exposed to the freezer directly. This limits the risk of freezer burn.

Freeze Individual Portions
Whilst you can make flan in one large portion, it’s probably best to freeze it in individual portions so that you can defrost one at a time and prevent food waste as flan cannot be refrozen. 

How Long Can You Freeze Flan?

You can freeze flan for up to 2 months without it degrading in taste or texture. The only danger that could impact your frozen flan is the danger of your dessert absorbing some unwanted flavours in your freezer.

But, this can be avoided if you follow steps to freezing your flan properly and ideally using silicone freezer bags or glass containers. 

You Can Freeze Flan for up to 2 Months

How Do You Defrost Flan?

Flan is a delicate dessert so it should be eaten quickly. Defrosting flan is a very easy process – all you have to do is take out as much flan as you need and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Once the flan has thawed, it will be wobbly and soft and you can enjoy it as if it were fresh! You may want to make a batch of fresh caramel sauce to drizzle over the top.

Can You Refreeze Flan?

Refreezing flan is not a good idea. Given that flan has a delicate consistency, it can fall apart all too easily.

That’s not all! The texture will change significantly, and not for the better. As well as becoming loose and mushy, it will also lose much of its taste so it is best to freeze only once and enjoy individually.

Does Flan Freeze Well?

Yes, and doing it correctly you’ll be able to freeze up to 2 months without impairing either its taste or texture. This makes for a great dessert to have handy in the freezer for those last-minute sweet cravings!

Unfortunately, custard products like flan will never be as good as they once were when fresh so you should expect some changes to the texture. It might no longer be silky smooth but will still taste delicious!