These are the best Puto Flan you’ll ever have! This recipe makes a soft, white, and pillowy flour-based Puto. The Leche flan on top is rich, creamy, and not too sweet.
Read on for plenty of tips on how to make this Filipino dessert including how to make sure the puto and flan stick together and not separate.
Soft and Fluffy Puto Flan Recipe
It’s not as difficult as you think; well, as I thought. You just have to make sure you use the right technique, tools, and ingredients.
- Using Whole Milk instead of evaporated milk is one of the secrets to making the puto white. Its protein content also makes the cake sturdier so it doesn’t easily collapse while steaming. You can substitute with low-fat milk with up to 2% fat but not less than that.
- For a soft and pillowy Puto, whisk the egg white and sugar to soft peaks. A technique that is usually used when making sponge cakes. As it turned out it is great for steamed cakes too!
- I recommend using an electric mixer to easily whisk the eggs. You can also do it manually by hand but it may take longer and may also strain your arms.
Note: You can skip the whisking altogether but that may make the Puto have a doughy, chewy-like texture like Kutsinta.
Rich, creamy, and not too sweet Leche Flan
I love my Leche Flan creamy, rich but not too sweet. I think it’s more enjoyable to eat that way and I don’t get tired of it so easily (i.e. walang Umay in Filipino).
The basic Filipino Leche flan ingredients are egg yolks and condensed milk. They make the best flans when combined together.
- To achieve the dreamy and rich texture without adding a lot of condensed milk, add table cream or heavy cream. The high protein content will add structure and the milky and creamy flavor makes the flan even more delicious!
- Finally, add calamansi or lemon juice and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. Amazing how a simple ingredient can make such a difference isn’t it?
What you need to make Puto Flan
Puto Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Egg whites
- Baking powder
- Whole Milk
- Water
- Salt
- Vanilla
Leche Flan Ingredients:
- Extra-large egg yolks
- Condensed Milk
- Cream – table cream or heavy cream
- Calamansi juice or Lemon Juice
- Pinch of salt
Common FAQ when Making Puto Flan: TIPS!
What is the right type of molder for Puto Flan?
- Use a plain stainless cup molder. Don’t use the serrated kind. Say what?
As you can see from the video it is what I used. Mainly because it is the only cup molder I have and thought that buying a whole new set would be impractical and a waste of money. Wrong! It looks great and all but I had a hard time removing the puto from the molder even if it was sprayed with oil. The cake stuck like gum around the edges! Maybe it just lacks oil, maybe not but I still wouldn’t recommend it to you.
- Heat heat-resistant silicone cup molder is great for Puto too but I recommend investing in a high-quality type. The ones I bought unfortunately didn’t last long. It could be because of the hot and humid weather here in Singapore. After two years, they started to smell plasticky and became sticky. Not going to use those anymore!
How to keep the puto and the flan from separating?
This is a problem I’ve encountered several times and it took me a couple of tries to finally get it. And today, I’m going to share what I learned with you. You’re welcome 🙂
- After steaming the flan, let it cool completely BEFORE adding the white puto mixture. This will make sure the puto sticks really well to the flan.
How to make sure the Puto rises and does not deflate?
- After mixing all the Puto ingredients together, strain the batter to remove the lumps. Then let the batter rest for 30 to 40 mins before pouring it over to the cooked flan.
- This is not usually done for baked cakes but I find that a well-rested batter makes a fluffier steamed cake. I did try using an unrested batter and the result was a much denser cake.
- Finally, let the Puto Flan cool completely before removing it from the molder. If you’re short of time, place the warm cups on a tray filled with 2 inches of water. This will help the cool the puto a lot quicker.
Okay, that is it! Wow, I didn’t realize turned out to be a long post but I hope you’ll find everything here useful.
More MUST TRY RECIPES for CHRISTMAS!
- Custard Cake (Vanilla Flan Cake)
- Cheesy Baked Macaroni with Meat Sauce
- Pork Caldereta
- Baked Filipino Embutido
- Super Soft Ensaymada Bread Rolls
- Juicy Lechon Manok-Filipino Roasted Chicken
- No Bake Banana Caramel Cake
- Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Creamy Garlic Pasta with Bacon and Mushroom
Watch the video on how to make Puto Flan
Puto Flan (Leche Flan Puto)
Ingredients
White Puto
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Leche Flan
- 4 extra-large egg yolks
- ¾ cup condensed milk
- ½ cup / 170g canned table cream (or heavy cream)
- 2 teaspoons calamansi juice (or lemon juice)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Puto
- In a clean and dry bowl, whisk egg whites and sugar to soft peaks using an electric mixer. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, water and vanilla. Whisk by hand or electric mixer. Pour over the egg white mixture and continue whisking until well combined. Strain batter to remove the lumps and let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Grease the molds with oil or butter. Wrap steamer lid with a damp cloth or kitchen towel. Add water to the steamer and let it boil.
Leche Flan
- Combine egg yolks, cream, condensed milk, calamansi juice and a pinch of salt. Stir until well blended. Strain to remove lumps.
- Fill the molds with 2 tablespoons of the flan mixture. Steam for 5 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and LET IT COOL COMPLETELY.
Combine Puto and Flan
- Once the flan has cooled, pour 1/3 cup of the white puto batter over the flan. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before removing from the mold. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Let the flan COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE adding the white puto mixture. This will make sure the puto sticks really well to the flan.
- Allow the Puto Flan to cool before removing it from the molder. This will prevent the cake from collapsing. If you’re short of time, place the warm cups on a tray filled with 2 inches of water. This will help the cool the puto a lot quicker.
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Originally posted on Oct 17, 2015. Recipe completely updated including videos and photos.
Hi! Have you tried using your brown butter puto batter to make puto flan? I love your brown butter puto recipe and was thinking if that batter can be used here.
Hi Len, I recommend using the whole eggs leche flan recipe to go with the brown butter puto.
– Mella
Hi rivertenkitchen, thank you for sharing your recipe it’s delicious perfect the sweetness and texture. I try your recipe because someone order a puto flan for the tv show and they like it. And you know I’m starting selling puto flan👍👍👍❤️🙏.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and for your kind words, Nelia 🙂
You just described my definition of a perfect puto flan. Best of luck with your puto flan business, and I hope it continues to be a hit.
– Mella