French Chocolate Flan (Printable)
Silky chocolate custard set in a crisp tart shell, chilled for clean slices and deep cocoa flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sweet Tart Crust
01 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
04 - 1 large egg yolk
05 - 1–2 tablespoons cold water
06 - Pinch of salt
→ Chocolate Flan Custard
07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 - ½ cup granulated sugar
11 - 3 large eggs
12 - 2 large egg yolks
13 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
# How To Make:
01 - Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and diced cold butter in a bowl. Rub together with your fingers or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the egg yolk and just enough cold water to bring the dough together. Flatten into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan. Prick the base evenly with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment. Continue baking for 5–7 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Heat the whole milk and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and well combined. Gradually pour the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs without scrambling them.
05 - Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the pre-baked tart shell to ensure a silky texture. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
06 - Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a gentle wobble when nudged.
07 - Allow the tart to cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Dust with cocoa powder or serve with whipped cream if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between a buttery, short tart crust and a silky chocolate custard is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It looks wildly impressive but the process is surprisingly forgiving once you get the hang of tempering the eggs.
02 -
- Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the eggs very slowly at first, because dumping it in all at once will give you scrambled chocolate ribbons instead of smooth custard.
- The center should still wobble when you take it out of the oven, it continues to cook as it cools and overbaking leads to a dense, rubbery filling.
03 -
- Chill your bowl and whisk before making the custard to give yourself a bigger window for tempering without the eggs cooking prematurely.
- Straining the custard is not optional, it is the single step that separates a good flan from a genuinely silky one.