French Antilles Coconut Flan (Flan Coco) (2024)

A classic dessert made with coconut milk, shredded coconut and vanilla.

by Audrey May 21, 2020

May 21, 2020

Jump to Recipe

Known in France as “Flan Coco”, this famous Coconut Flan hails from the French Antilles. With the exotic flavors of coconut milk, shredded coconut and vanilla, this recipe may be a stretch from what you would expect of a classic French dessert, yet it is a very popular flan in mainland France too. Most French, myself included, love to indulge in the cuisine from the French Antilles Islands, and this flan may be one of their most beloved recipes to recreate at home.

What makes this French Antilles Coconut Flan (Flan Coco) special?

The singularity of the French Antilles Coconut Flan is in its texture, which divides itself into two different layers while baking. The shredded coconut magically separates to float to the surface and creates a biscuit-like crust.

Once flipped upside down, the flan showcases two different layers: a luscious creamy flan topped with caramel and a soft shredded coconut biscuit at the bottom. I love the contrast of these two textures!

This Coconut Flan is an easy, light and refreshing tropical dessert that’s welcome anytime during Spring and Summer. I love that it is also naturally gluten-free and a great dessert to make ahead. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can you make this coconut flan ahead of time?

Yes, you definitely can. The flan actually needs at least 4 hours to fully set before it is served. This makes it the perfect make-ahead dessert.

How to Keep this Coconut Flan?

Any leftovers? You can keep the flan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend to freeze this coconut flan. As with most desserts made with dairy, the freezing and thawing process will seriously alter the texture.

Cooking notes & Substitutions:

I like to use vanilla extract to flavor the flan, or even better, the seeds of half a vanilla bean. You can also opt for rum or almond extract.
Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened shredded coconut. Using sweetened shredded coconut would result in a flan that is just too sweet.
Use the freshest eggs possible.
If the top of the flan is browning too much when baking, simply place a sheet of foil on top to prevent it from darkening further.
Make sure the flan is fully chilled (at least 4 hours) before you un-mold it. If it isn’t chilled enough, it will likely collapse when you flip it.
Likewise, make sure you leave the mold in 2 inches of hot water for about 10 minutes before you unmold the flan, to allow the caramel at the bottom to soften itself and release the flan.

More French desserts you may like:

Classic French Crème Brûlée
Classic French Apple Cake
Chocolate Moelleux Cake
Classic Cherry Clafoutis
Strawberry Flaugnarde
Classic French Lemon Tart

I hope you’ll love this French Antilles Coconut Flan as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.

French Antilles Coconut Flan (Flan Coco)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 36 voted )

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (400ml/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup (300ml /10.15 fl oz) coconut milk (can)
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (or seeds of ½ vanilla bean)
1 cup (95g) unsweetened shredded coconut (plus extra for garnish)

For the caramel:
½ cup (100g) sugar

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Prepare an un-greased loaf pan within arm reach.

Step 1 – Make the caramel. Place the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-heat. Do not touch the sugar anymore – no stirring; but you can occasionally shake the pan. Let the sugar melt, bubble and turn a golden color. Watch it carefully and when the caramel turns amber, immediately remove from the heat and pour the caramel evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool and harden.

Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract and shredded coconut. Pour the mixture in the loaf pan (over top of the caramel).

Step 3 – Place the loaf pan into a larger dish, and fill the larger baking dish with water at least 1/4 up the sides of the loaf pan. Cook for 50-55 minutes, until the top crust is lightly golden and firm to the touch. Transfer the flan to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer into the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours.

Step 4 – When chilled, place the pan in about 2 inches of fairly warm water, so the caramel at the bottom of the pan softens again. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert a plate over the pan, hold tightly and quickly turn over.

Sprinkle with shredded coconut before serving.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Leave a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram and tag @pardonyourfrench

antillescoconutflanvanilla

89 comments

Shauna Tilbury May 24, 2020 - 12:23 am

Hi Audrey. This looks amazing and I’m going to try it tonight. I wonder if you have the can volume measurements switched around? My can of coconut milk is 400 ml and my can of sweetened condensed milk is 300 ml.

Audrey May 24, 2020 - 11:19 am

Hi Shauna. The volume measurements are correct – 300ml coconut milk and 400ml condensed milk. I know that most cans of condensed milk are 300ml so you will need to purchase 2 of them, and you won’t need the entire coconut milk can. Enjoy!

Susan June 2, 2020 - 1:26 pm

Hi Audrey, This looks awesome. Can’t wait to make it. Is there any particular size loaf pan I should use? Also, usually I buy Thai Coconut Milk. Will that work, or just a can of regular (not lite) coconut milk? Thanks!

Audrey June 3, 2020 - 1:52 pm

Hi Susan. I use an “average” pan size (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches). Thai Coconut milk works – as long as it is unsweetened, and I suggest using full fat/regular, rather than lite. I hope this helps and Happy baking!

Susan June 7, 2020 - 3:21 pm

Hi Audrey,. Made this yesterday. It was really easy and tastes amazing! The hardest part was resisting the urge to stir the caramel. After 3 hours in the fridge, put it in a larger pan of very warm water, but couldn’t get all the caramel out of the bottom. Will definitely make this again. Thank you for the recipe!

Audrey June 7, 2020 - 6:34 pm

Hi Susan, thank you for your feedback! Don’t hesitate to leave the pan in warm water a little longer next time to get all the caramel out. 🙂

Juley June 7, 2020 - 9:43 pm

I made this last night and served it today. It was met with rave reviews. A truly decadent dessert.

Audrey June 8, 2020 - 10:37 am

Amazing, thank you for your review Juley!

Christine Marson June 24, 2020 - 5:47 pm

This looks a lovely recipe
I used to buy some sort of coconut flan from the french market in the U.K. many years ago. I wonder if this is the same recipe. It was delicious 😋

Audrey June 25, 2020 - 7:17 pm

Thanks! I have seen quite a few variations of this coconut flan, but this one with the double layer (flan/crust) is probably my favorite 🙂

marisn February 6, 2022 - 1:43 am

just made this. chilling in fridge. taste mixture before pouring in pan. Delicious! I used bundt pan. cant wait to serve it at family gathering tomorrow

Audrey February 6, 2022 - 11:21 am

Thank you, enjoy!

Karen K August 10, 2020 - 7:18 pm

I made it this weekend and it was fabulous! I did try to eat it a little too early, only 2 hours chilling time, and it was softer than I normally like. However, the following day it was more solid and we devoured it — even my husband who doesn’t normally eat sweets. He’s from the Philippines and flan is the national dessert, so that’s saying something.

My only tiny change is that I think I will make more caramel last time, there really wasn’t much when I turned it out of the pan. We like a LOT of caramel in our family. And I might have to double the recipe because we ate it so quickly!

Audrey August 11, 2020 - 1:44 pm

Hi Karen! Thank you for this great feedback! And yes, coming from someone from the Philippines it’s a HUGE compliment – I do know coconut flans are a big deal over there! 🙂

Eliana January 4, 2021 - 6:47 pm

I made this recipe for NYE and it was a hit! Thanks for sharing!!!

Audrey January 5, 2021 - 11:41 am

Amazing, thank you Eliana!

Audrey July 28, 2022 - 4:37 pm

I’d be comfortable saying it lasts 2-3 days in the fridge after baking, at most. Never had it last that long though, as it’s all eaten up.

Frances September 6, 2022 - 1:05 pm

Hello, have you ever made this with egg substitute? I really want to make this, but cant have eggs.

Audrey September 6, 2022 - 3:16 pm

Hello Frances. I am sorry to say I have never cooked or baked with egg substitute, and truly cannot guarantee the outcome by using them. The eggs are pretty vital to the texture and stability of the flan, and not sure substitutes will work with that. If you’re willing to be adventurous, give it a shot and I’d love to know if it worked or not!

Maggie September 8, 2022 - 7:50 am

Great flan! I loosened the edges with a knife and gave it more time in the warm water to release it. It came out beautifully. I made extra of the carmelized sugar but it didn’t really need it. If I wanted it less sweet do you think I could substitute half of the sweetened condensed milk with a heavy cream? I’ll definitely make this again 🌺

Audrey September 8, 2022 - 8:45 am

Happy to hear you enjoyed it! As for your question, and it’s a good one, I’m really not quite sure. It’s not a common ingredient in my repertoire (condensed milk) so I’m not sure how exactly it affects recipes. That being said, condensed milk is VERY thick and flans are already very moist, so I’m afraid it’d just make it collapse.

Maggie September 8, 2022 - 1:36 pm

Thanks for your response. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!

Anonymous September 16, 2022 - 6:25 pm

Outstanding flan. The differences in texture make it fun to eat with the plus of a great taste. I used dedicated coconut moistened with a little dark rum to up the flavor.

Audrey September 17, 2022 - 5:12 am

Thank you for your feedback, so glad you enjoyed it!

Sandra Rocco September 25, 2022 - 2:10 pm

I love flan but this recipe with coconut milk and coconut brings it to another level. Delicious!

Audrey September 25, 2022 - 5:02 pm

Thanks, Sandra! It is definitely a delicious twist on flan.

Joan October 21, 2022 - 7:48 pm

Looks wonderful! How big of loaf pan did you use? I have three sizes and want to make sure I cure the correct size. Mahalo!

Audrey October 22, 2022 - 5:46 am

The size of pan used here (as pictured) is 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches. Happy baking!

G October 27, 2022 - 4:28 pm

Hi Audrey! Can the coconut milk be substituted with coconut cream?

Audrey October 27, 2022 - 4:58 pm

While I think it could work, I don’t know if I would suggest it. Coconut milk is significantly more liquidy than coconut cream, which would then affect both the baking time as well as the consistency of the flan.

If you do try it, I’d love to know how it worked out. But again, for me, I don’t think I’d risk that substitution.

Rajy November 5, 2022 - 2:58 pm

Came out yum

Audrey November 5, 2022 - 5:02 pm

Glad to hear it, happy it was enjoyed!

Margie December 10, 2022 - 11:05 pm

Hi Audrey. Well, I just popped this in the oven and I’m excited! I’m making it in large muffin tins. I do have a question. My creme brulee recipe calls for hot water to be poured in to the larger pan. I had prepared hot water and then realized that your recipe doesn’t specify a temperature so I used tap water. Is that correct?

Audrey December 11, 2022 - 9:55 am

Hello, Margie. Sorry for the late response, but the time difference makes it difficult to respond during the night. You made the right call using just tap water, room temperature. I hope it turned out and you enjoyed the taste. Out of curiosity what kind of cooking time did you use on the muffin tins?

Margie December 13, 2022 - 2:08 am

Oh, not a problem at all. I didn’t expect an immediate response but knew I’d forget if I didn’t post as I was putting it in the oven. I used a 6 cup giant muffin tin, and had enough caramel for 5 cups so I made 5. I used the recommended temp of 350 and it took just over 50 minutes to turn golden on top, although it may be a bit overbaked. I didn’t leave in hot water long enough so had the same problem with not all the caramel releasing but otherwise they came out beautifully. I soaked the tins a bit longer and spooned the rest of the caramel over. I like my caramel just on the verge of burnt and the bitterness played beautifully with the smooth sweet coconut. Really, really good. Thanks so much!

Audrey December 13, 2022 - 4:19 pm

Oh, so glad to hear it turned out and you enjoyed the taste! Obviously a bit tricky with cooking times when you use a different vessel, but it seemed to work out quite well regardless. Thanks for letting me know!

MURRAE December 31, 2022 - 1:15 pm

I made this last week. It seemed so easy I was dubious. I adore flans and this didnt disappoint. It was delicious and two of my guests asked for the recipe!! Thanks so much and congratulations Audrey!

Audrey January 1, 2023 - 9:34 am

Love to hear that, Murrae. It’s sometimes hard for us to grasp the idea that simple can be so delicious, but it can very often be true. Thanks for the support!

Beth January 23, 2023 - 6:48 pm

Do you use unsweetened coconut milk or sweetened?

Audrey January 23, 2023 - 7:17 pm

Hello, Beth. Unsweetened!

Theresa February 8, 2023 - 7:03 pm

Signing up for your newsletter!

Audrey February 9, 2023 - 10:22 am

Thank you so much, Theresa. Hope you enjoy!

Crystal March 15, 2023 - 4:03 am

Absolutely FANTASTIC Audrey! I followed all your directions it is perfection. All excellent precision of advice. In addition, I broiled on low for the last 3 minutes until crust was golden. Also, I LOVE your chicken fricassee with bacon and shallots. New subscriber. Have a wonderful week! Thank you!

Audrey March 15, 2023 - 2:11 pm

So very kind of you, Crystal. Making these recipes as easy to follow as possible is very important to me, so I am beyond glad to hear when they’ve done just that! Enjoy your stay and hope to hear back if and when you try more recipes!

Cynrok May 3, 2023 - 3:02 pm

this was simple and delicious, even though i misread the coconut milk amount as a whole can rather than just 10 ounces. (you might want to make that more explicit in the instructions but perhaps i’m the only one with this problem!) with the extra 4 ounces of liquid i had to cook it about 20 mins longer but it still set up pretty well and was delicious.

Audrey May 3, 2023 - 6:38 pm

So glad it turned out and you were able to remedy the accidental addition of extra coconut milk! The sign of a true chef! Also very happy you enjoyed the taste, much appreciated!

Sanchita May 6, 2023 - 4:39 pm

Made it today… came out excellent!!
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.

Audrey May 6, 2023 - 4:49 pm

You’re very welcome, Sanchita! Thank you for the kind words. Enjoy!

Lisa May 27, 2023 - 1:19 am

This Flan was amazing! It’s a little creamier texture than traditional flan which I loved and the coconut layer gave it a wonderful contrast. I will definitely be making it again.

Audrey May 27, 2023 - 1:01 pm

Thank you so much, Lisa! You’re absolutely right about the texture being creamier, and I think it’s a big reason why so many people love it.

Isabel June 4, 2023 - 4:42 pm

Hi Audrey. This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing recipe. I want to make it was wondering if you could tell me the brand for me to buy, where you mention to put water inside in oven and the one you use to put the medium hot water for it to unstick? I don’t have anything to use that would fit the loaf pan (which I actually have). Thank you!

Audrey June 5, 2023 - 8:55 am

Hello Isabel! I hope I’m understanding your question… For the pan to put in the oven with water, you can purchase ANY pan you’d like to that is oven safe. Just make sure the edges are fairly high since you will be filling the loaf pan 3/4 of the way up with water. You can then use the same pan after, filled with warm water, to “unstick” the loaf/caramel when you’re ready to serve.

I would google “baking dish with high sides” and try to find an affordable dish in your area/online that you can use for other things like roasts.

Carol Anne June 18, 2023 - 2:07 pm

This is so much easier than I thought it might be. After reading the ingredients-which I all have on hand I will make this later on in the week. I just was not sure of the water you put into the pan that you set the loaf pan into, before you set it in the oven. Is this just cold water and will it take awhile before it gets hot enough at 350 to cook the flan. I thought maybe it should be hot water?

Audrey June 18, 2023 - 3:27 pm

Hello, Carol Anne! For the water to put in the pan that goes into the oven, just regular room temperature water is fine. You’re only putting enough water in the pan to go 1/4 up the side of the flan pan (which isn’t much at all). The cook time of 50-55min will take care of the rest, it needs to set nice and slowly. It will also set as it sits and cools to room temperture.

Hope it works out great for you!

Millie July 23, 2023 - 12:04 pm

This is a Puerto Rican Desert; I have been making this for the holidays. Just like my grandmother used to make only I add a little Kalua.

Audrey July 23, 2023 - 2:34 pm

Yes, there are several islands that all have similar versions of this delicious coocnu*t flan. The addition of Kahlua sounds lovely!

28 Best Desserts To Go With Tacos - wowdessert August 20, 2023 - 11:21 am

[…] 12. Coconut Flan […]

michele January 1, 2024 - 4:44 pm

Wow!! This is a real show stopper, and so delicious. A great way to usher in the new year. I find it much more interesting than creme caramel or creme brûlée. And I am not even a dessert lover! It was very easy to make, and lightened my cooking load as I prepared it the day before and unmolded it just before dinner. A good 30 plus seconds in a hot water bath did the trick, and it came out perfectly. I did have a little trouble with the caramel, as my sugar didn’t melt evenly despite a good heavy pan and good stove. It started to smoke a little on one side but I was able to resolve this by moving the pan around on the burner, without stirring (which I have to admit was tempting). I may try the caramel with the water method next time as I have done this in the past without difficulty. Thank you for all your great recipes and instruction Audrey; you contribute to much enjoyment in my life, and that of my friends and family.

Audrey January 1, 2024 - 5:29 pm

Great to hear, Michele! You’re right, this dessert really is a showstopper, and takes little effort to realize. So glad you enjoyed it for a special day!

As for the caramel, feel free to try another method. It can be tricky at times. Perhaps lowering the heat just a touch more might do the trick… Otherwise there are many methods out there to try and that may work better for you. But by the sounds of it, you nailed it regardless. Compliments!

Christine Shipley January 29, 2024 - 3:13 am

I made this with sweetened condensed coconut milk, canned coconut milk and coconut extract, it was absolutely amazing! Turned out perfect and sooo delicious! I will make again. The sugar was easy to melt and perfect when I warmed it up in hot water & flipped over on a plate. Thank you for posting this recipe, it’s 5-star!

Audrey January 29, 2024 - 7:38 am

Alright, Christine!!! Way to go! Sounds like a complete success. So happy you enjoyed this delicious Coconut Flan, and I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much the second time around 🙂

Easy Coconut Flan (Regular & Dairy-Free Versions) April 15, 2024 - 2:07 am

[…] Adapted slightly from Pardon Your French […]

Amanda April 28, 2024 - 8:22 am

I’ve made this quite a few times but I realised I’ve never left a review! It’s so simple but packs a lot of flavour into a small piece. Everyone that has tried it has absolutely loved it and quite a few people have asked for the recipe. It tastes as if it would be complicated to replicate but I can make it in a matter of minutes and let the oven and fridge do the hard work. Super delicious thank you!!

Audrey April 29, 2024 - 6:24 am

I really appreciate you taking the time to review the recipe, Amanda! So glad this has become a staple dessert for you, and thank you again for sharing it with your friends.

You’re absolutely right about its simplicity, despite seemingly being a complicated dessert. Make it once, and you’ll have the process down to a science! 🙂

Audrey

Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.