Leche Flan

Filipino leche flan is typically made with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk along with egg yolks, making it denser and sweeter than traditional Spanish flan, which uses whole milk or cream with whole eggs. Leche flan is also traditionally steamed in an oval mold called a llanera, whereas Spanish flan is usually baked in a round dish in a water bath.

A llanera is an oval-shaped aluminum pan traditionally used in the Philippines to steam leche flan. Its shape gives the flan its distinctive oval form when inverted onto a plate, and the thin metal conducts heat efficiently during steaming.

They are very similar desserts, both using sweetened condensed milk and eggs with a caramel topping, but Brazilian pudim de leite is typically baked in a ring mold in a water bath, while Filipino leche flan is most often steamed in an oval llanera. Leche flan also tends to use more egg yolks, giving it a richer, more custardy texture.

Leche flan is served year-round but is an essential dessert at fiestas, Christmas, New Year's celebrations, and large family gatherings. It is one of the most ubiquitous desserts in Filipino cuisine and is often made in large batches for special occasions.