I have a problem. I am addicted to flan. Not being able to eat most dairy, this is a huge problem because I am a very self-indulgent person. Thankfully, I am also a problem-solver, so I have taken on the task of creating a gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free flan. It’s even loosely paleo! I don’t think of it as totally paleo because of the amount of honey and palm nectar, but it’s still much better for you than using processed sugars.

It was tough going for the first few tries because I was trying to make it the way I would have using the original recipe, but the coconut cream is much lighter than evaporated milk, so it can’t be treated the same way to get the same results.  I repeatedly over-whipped the egg mixture with super fluffy results that would fall during cooking to create a foamy eggy thing. Tasty, but ugly… This recipe is the 6^th incarnation and I think it’s finally right!

Flan-tasticness
1 Tablespoon water
1 Cup palm nectar
½ Cup honey
4 Tablespoons orange juice (fresh squeeze it or it will be too acidic)
1 ½ Cup coconut cream
1 ½ Teaspoon of vanilla
pinch of salt
3 Large eggs
3 egg yolks

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Take a glass pie plate or a flan mold if you’re fancy, and put it in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water to a little more than halfway up your pie plate or fancy flan mold.

Let’s make some caramel! In a small saucepan, combine palm nectar, honey and water over a medium-low heat. You don’t want the heat too high or the caramel will become bitter. I break the rules and stir it for a bit until it’s well blended. What can I say, I don’t trust nature or temperamental stove tops. Let it brown, swirling it around the pan as it starts to bubble. When you’ve got a nice even brown, remove it from the heat and add the orange juice, swirling it into the caramel. Reserve ½ Cup to put in your eggs. Pour remaining caramel into your prepared flan dish. Make sure you evenly coat the bottom of the dish.

While you’re caramelizing your sweet stuff, you can also be blending your eggs, vanilla, and salt. Don’t let them get too fluffy, just blend them enough that you don’t have thick yellow bits of yolk hanging out in your bowl. Add a little bit of the egg mixture to the caramel. Now, add the caramel to your egg mixture. You’re doing this so the caramel doesn’t cook the eggs. Add the coconut cream and give it a quick mix.

Slowly, pour the egg mixture over the caramel in your flan dish. Put it in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until it is a golden color and a toothpick comes out clean when you test. Chill for at least a few hours before serving. I like to chill it overnight to get just the right consistency.