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    Crumb-Snatched » Desserts

    Published: Aug 18, 2022 · Modified: Nov 7, 2022 by Crystal DaCruz This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pudim de Doce de Leite (Dulce de leche flan)

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Also referred to as ‘pudim de doce de leite‘ in Portuguese, this creamy dulce de leche flan is a custard dessert made with store-bought dulce de leche. A delicious caramel syrup covers the flan once it’s released from the mold!

    Think of this pudim de doce de leite as an even more rich and dense version of traditional flan! Same basic ingredients, only difference is the addition of doce de leite (dulce de leche), which is a milk-based caramel.

    slice of dulce de leche flan (pudim de doce de leite)

    As a Cape Verdean-American, you become accustomed to using the words ‘pudim’ and ‘flan’ interchangeably. Such is life when you live in a melting pot of cultures!

    Same thing goes for ‘doce de leite’ and ‘dulce de leche’ – a milk-based caramel that’s popular throughout Portuguese-speaking countries and Latin America.

    Same desserts, same ingredients, same methods, different names.

    Why you’ll love this recipe

    Combining two classic desserts into one will take you to a level of sweet and creamy that you’ve never tasted before!

    Good looks aside, this pudim is actually quite easy to make. Don’t let the fancy photos intimidate you!

    dulce de leche flan on a white plate

    Ingredients you’ll need

    This list of ingredients is very short! Refer to the recipe card for measurements.

    • One can of store-bought dulce de leche – I prefer canned, because homemade tends to harden as it cools. The room temperature of the canned version also ensures that the eggs don’t cook as you’re blending the ingredients.
    • One can of evaporated milk – gives the pudim that classic, nutty taste.
    • 4 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks – it’s important to include some egg whites in this recipe to stabilize the pudim, otherwise the texture won’t stand up well with the doce de leite. The addition of 2 more yolks makes the pudim super-creamy!
    • Heavy cream – you only need ¼ of a cup. Not many pudim or flan recipes call for heavy cream but I like to include it for an even creamier texture.
    • Kosher salt – optional, but I like to use just a pinch to balance the sweetness
    • Granulated sugar – the only ingredient you’ll need to make the caramel syrup
    ingredients for dulce de leche flan (pudim de doce de leite)

    How to make pudim de doce de leite

    Here’s some advice before you get started – read through the entire post first! That way you won’t miss any steps, substitutions or helpful tips.

    Steps 1 & 2: Blend the custard ingredients

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Prepare the custard mixture by combining the whole eggs, egg yolks, dulce de leche, evaporated milk, heavy cream and salt in a blender.

    Blend on high speed for no more than 30 seconds. Leave the custard mixture in the blender and set it aside.

    dulce de leche flan mixture in blender

    Steps 3 & 4: Prepare the caramel syrup

    Prepare the syrup by heating the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. As the pan heats, the sugar will start to liquefy – you’ll notice a pool of amber liquid around the edges.

    Lower the flame slightly and stir until the sugar is completely melted – it will clump as it melts. Keep stirring and watch the color closely. If it gets dark really quickly, turn the flame down lower.

    sugar caramelizing in a non-stick pan
    sugar turning into liquid state in a non-stick pan
    caramel syrup for flan in a skillet
    caramel syrup in a flan mold

    Quickly pour the caramel into an aluminum mold. Using oven mitts, tilt the mold so the caramel covers the bottom and sides. Allow the caramel to harden.

    Safety tip: Always use mitts when pouring the syrup into the pan, especially if it’s aluminum! It will get hot! Also, don’t attempt to touch or taste the syrup before it cools!

    Steps 5 & 6: Bake the custard in a water bath

    Place the mold with the hardened caramel in a roasting pan. Pour the custard mixture into the mold and cover with foil.

    Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Add a little more water if you’re using a deep mold like the one shown below.

    flan mixture in a pudim mold
    flan mold placed in a water bath

    Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake the custard at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    Tip: strain the custard mixture through a sieve when you pour it into the mold for an extra-smooth texture.

    Let the custard cool and chill overnight

    Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the mold from the water bath. Remove the mold from the bath and let cool at room temperature for another 15 minutes.

    Transfer the mold with the pudim to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

    un-molded flan on a plate with rich, amber-colored caramel syrup

    Un-mold the pudim

    After the pudim has set, remove it from the refrigerator and place it in a bath of boiling hot water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. This step is important because it helps release it from the pan.

    Flip the pudim onto a pie plate or a dish with raised sides. Let it sit inverted until it releases itself – this might take a few minutes!

    Optional – use a knife to loosen the sides of the pudim before flipping it. Don’t go all the way down though, just the very top of the edge should work. Don’t forget the center of the mold.

    Substitutions

    Here are some substitutions you can make for this recipe:

    • Milk substitutes – whole milk or coconut milk can be used instead of evaporated milk
    • Condensed milk – can be used instead of dulce de leche – recipe here
    • Heavy cream can be omitted from the recipe if you don’t have or prefer not to use any
    • Homemade dulce de leche can be used instead of canned – recipe coming soon!
    dulce de leche flan (pudim) shown with one slice cut out and a can of store-bought dulce de leche (doce de leite)

    Variations

    There are so many variations of flan! Here are some:

    • Traditional flan – uses condensed milk as a sweetener instead of dulce de leche
    • Pudim de queijo (flan de queso) – made from cheese, can be goat cheese or minas cheese which is found in Brazil. Some Latin-American recipes call for cream cheese
    • Pudim de chocolate (chocolate flan) – made with shaved chocolate or cocoa powder

    Check out my traditional flan recipe!

    Equipment

    You won’t need anything fancy, but here are a few tools that I suggest:

    • I use a pudim mold with lid, but you can use an 8-inch round aluminum pan
    • A roasting pan works great for a water bath – just remove the rack
    • High speed blender – for the custard mixture
    • Mesh sieve – to strain the pudim mixture into the mold

    Storage

    Leftover pudim should be tightly wrapped in plastic and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing leftover pudim is not recommended.

    Expert tips

    • Always use oven mitts when handling a hot pan! The pudim mold gets very hot when you pour the caramel in!
    • Never attempt to touch or taste the caramel syrup before it’s fully cool
    • Bubbles can create air pockets so blend the mixture before making the syrup so it can settle as it sits.
    • Use a mesh sieve to strain the custard mixture as you pour it in the mold
    • Optional – use a knife to loosen the sides of the pudim before flipping it. Don’t insert the knife all the way down though, just the very top edges. Don’t forget the center of the mold.

    You may also like

    • Churros with Dulce de Leche
    • Pudim (Cape Verdean style flan)
    • Donetes – Cape Verdean mini donuts

     

    pudim de doce (dulce de leche flan) leite on a plate

    Pudim de Doce de Leite (Dulce de Leche Flan)

    Crystal DaCruz
    Also referred to as 'pudim de doce de leite' in Portuguese, this creamy dulce de leche flan is a custard dessert made with store-bought dulce de leche. A delicious caramel syrup covers the flan once it's released from the mold!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Chill time 4 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time 6 hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Cape Verdean/Portuguese/Latin
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories 201 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 13.6 ounce dulce de leche store-bought, 1 can
    • 12 ounce evaporated milk 1 can
    • 4 whole eggs
    • 2 egg yolks
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Prepare the custard mixture by combining the whole eggs, egg yolks, dulce de leche, evaporated milk, heavy cream and salt in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Leave the mixture in the blender and set it aside.
    • Prepare the caramel syrup by heating the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. As the sugar gets hot, it will start to liquefy - you'll notice a pool of amber liquid around the edges. Lower the flame slightly and stir until sugar is completely melted. The sugar will clump as it melts but will eventually turn smooth. Watch the color as you keep stirring, turn the flame down lower if it starts to get dark too quickly.
    • Quickly pour the caramel syrup into an aluminum pan or mold. Using oven mitts, tilt the pan so the syrup covers the bottom and sides of the pan. Allow the syrup to harden.
    • Place the mold with the hardened syrup in a roasting pan. Pour the custard mixture into the mold and cover it with foil. Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with 1-2 inches of boiling water, add a little more water if you're using a deep mold.
    • Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake the flan at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
    • Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing the flan from the water bath. Once out of the water, let it finish cooling at room temperature - another 15 minutes. 
    • Transfer the flan to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
    • After the flan has chilled and set, remove it from the refrigerator and place the mold in a shallow pan of hot water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. This step is important because it helps release the flan from the pan.
    • Flip the flan onto a pie plate or a dish with raised sides. Let it sit inverted until it releases itself - this might take a few minutes! Cut into slices and serve.

    Notes

    • Use an 8-inch round pan if you don't have a flanera or pudim mold
    • Always use oven mitts when pouring the caramel into the pan, the sides will get hot!
    • Never attempt to touch or taste the caramel syrup before it's cooled
    • Bubbles can create air pockets so blend the mixture before making the syrup so it can settle
    • Use a mesh sieve to strain the custard mixture when you pour it in the mold
    • Optional - use a knife to loosen the sides of the flan before flipping it. Don't insert the knife all the way down, just the very top edge should work. Don't forget the center of the mold.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 184mgSugar: 30gVitamin A: 461IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Recipe Rating
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    Doce de Leite Caseiro (Homemade Dulce de Leche) »
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    About Crystal DaCruz

    Crystal DaCruz is the recipe developer, writer and food photographer behind Crumb-Snatched. Since 2019 she's been sharing recipes from Cape Verde and other cultures with a shared Portuguese language or similar cuisines.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mollie says

      June 29, 2023 at 10:51 pm

      Hi! Is it ok if I use a can of condensed milk turned into dulce de leche via boiling the can? 🙂

       
      Reply
    2. Alisa A says

      August 03, 2023 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      So sweet and it came out perfect! It was delicious. I substituted the evaporated milk and heavy cream and it delicious came out amazing. I used butter and milk for the heavy cream but it’s hard because butter cools and clumps. For the heavy cream just added more Milk. Milk everything lol. It was a ton of work and waiting but it worked. I’ve tried this recipe twice.

       
      Reply

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    Hello, I'm Crystal!

    I’m bringing Cape Verdean comfort food to the table! This is where I share easy-to-follow recipes from Cape Verde and cultures with similar cuisines!

    More about me →

    Recipes We Love

    • Close up of golden flaky Cape Verdean pastel that has been bitten to show flaky seasoned tuna on the inside.
      Cape Verdean Pastel Recipe – Pastel de Atum
    • shrimp mozambique shown in dish garnished with lemon and cilantro
      Traditional Shrimp Mozambique
    • Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
    • Bistec Encebollado (Steak and Onions)

    Sign up for weekly emails!

    We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

    Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

    Seasonal Recipes

    • bowl of caldo verde in a white bowl
      Easy Caldo Verde Recipe (Portuguese Soup with Greens)
    • dutch-oven chili in a white bowl garnished with shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, red chili flakes and sliced jalapeños.
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