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French Chocolate Flan Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 116 reviews

This French Chocolate Flan combines a rich, creamy chocolate custard with a delicate cocoa-infused tart base. The custard is perfectly smooth and velvety, baked to set with a slight jiggle in the center, then chilled overnight for a luscious texture. Finished with a glossy fruit jam glaze, this elegant dessert offers a delightful balance of bittersweet chocolate and tender pastry, perfect for special occasions or a refined treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Custard

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 cup (200g) white sugar
  • ⅓ cup (42g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups (600ml) whole milk
  • 1 ¾ cups (400ml) heavy cream
  • 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon jam (for brushing on top, apricot or strawberry recommended)

Chocolate Tart Base

  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (35g) icing sugar
  • ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (114g) butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the Chocolate Tart Base: In a bowl, combine the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and salt thoroughly. Melt the butter in the microwave and add it along with the vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until a smooth, thick paste forms, then knead gently into a dough for 3-4 turns to avoid overworking it.
  2. Shape and Bake the Tart Shell: Flatten the dough into a large circle slightly bigger than your pastry ring using your hands or a small rolling pin. The edges can be rough as they will be trimmed later. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the dough on it, and bake for 10 minutes or until the surface appears dry.
  3. Insert Pastry Ring: Immediately press the pastry ring into the warm baked tart base as though using a cookie cutter; do not remove the ring afterwards. This ensures perfect tart shape while baking the custard later.
  4. Prepare the Chocolate Custard Mixture: Whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar for about 30 seconds until slightly lightened. Add cornstarch and salt, whisk until smooth. In a saucepan, heat milk and cream over medium heat until steaming. Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding small amounts of hot milk while whisking constantly, gradually combining all milk to avoid curdling.
  5. Cook the Custard: Return the combined mixture to medium-low heat in the saucepan. Whisk continuously until it begins to bubble and thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes. The custard should leave a clear line when you run your finger through it. Remove from heat and strain if needed to remove lumps.
  6. Add Chocolate: Stir in the chopped dark chocolate until fully melted and smooth, ensuring an even rich chocolate flavor in the custard.
  7. Assemble the Flan: Trim any excess pastry from the edges of the tart base while the ring is still in place. Lightly grease the inside of the pastry ring with butter. Pour the chocolate custard into the ring, smoothing the top carefully with a palette knife.
  8. Bake the Flan: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50-60 minutes. The flan should be firm around the edges but retain a slight jiggle in the center, indicating perfect set custard.
  9. Cool and Chill: Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for the custard to fully set and flavors to meld.
  10. Finishing Touches: Once chilled, carefully remove the flan from the pastry ring by loosening with a sharp knife if needed. For a glossy finish, melt 1 tablespoon of jam (apricot is traditional) in the microwave for 20 seconds and brush over the top of the flan evenly.

Notes

  • If using a loose-bottomed cake pan instead of a pastry ring, trim the dough and fit it precisely; release the bottom after cooling before filling with custard for best results.
  • Be careful not to overwork the tart dough to keep it tender and flaky.
  • Gradually temper the eggs when adding hot milk to prevent curdling of the custard mixture.
  • Chocolate should be high quality dark chocolate (around 60–70% cocoa) for best flavor.
  • Jam glaze not only adds shine but also a subtle fruity sweetness to balance the rich chocolate.
  • Chilling overnight improves texture and flavor development.

Keywords: French chocolate flan, chocolate custard tart, chocolate dessert, French dessert recipe, chocolate tart base, elegant chocolate dessert

Find it online: https://lieblingsmahlzeit.com/french-chocolate-flan-recipe/