Orange Creme Caramel

A family favorite that’s made its way to every Christmas table, this Orange Creme Caramel is a nostalgic twist on the classic dessert. The silky custard is infused with a touch of orange for a bright, citrusy lift that makes it feel both fresh and familiar.

It’s topped with a glossy caramel sauce and bits of sticky toffee that melt in every spoonful. This orange creme caramel recipe brings a comforting sweetness and just enough citrus to keep things interesting, perfect for holiday gatherings or whenever you want something special.

A fork holding a piece from Orange Creme Caramel with Toffee Shards - 1

What Makes This Recipe So Good
What Goes Into Orange Creme Caramel
How To Make Orange Creme Caramel
Tips For Making Orange Creme Caramel
Recipe FAQ’s
Orange Creme Caramel with Toffee Shards (Orange Caramel Flan) Recipe

What Makes This Recipe So Good

There’s something magical about the way this Orange Creme Caramel balances creamy richness with a subtle citrus twist. The orange brightens up the smooth, velvety custard and gives every bite a light, refreshing note that keeps it from feeling too heavy.

Unlike store-bought versions, this homemade orange caramel flan bakes to a perfect silky texture with a golden caramel top that glistens beautifully when turned out. It’s comforting, elegant, and just the right amount of indulgent, exactly what dessert should be.

What Goes Into Orange Creme Caramel

Top shot of ingredients: granulated sugar, water, milk, vanilla extract, salt, orange peel, and eggs. - 2

This Orange Creme Caramel uses simple, familiar ingredients that come together to make a silky, citrus-scented dessert.

Granulated Sugar: The base for your caramel, it melts into a deep amber syrup that gives the flan its glossy top and bittersweet flavor.
Milk: Five cups of milk form the creamy backbone of the custard, giving it that signature smooth texture.
Orange Peel: A few strips infuse the custard with a light citrus aroma that makes this version stand out.
Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and depth, balancing the brightness of the orange with a touch of sweetness.

Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.

How To Make Orange Creme Caramel

Make the Caramel: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and turns into a light brown syrup.

Poured the caramel into the bundt pan. - 4

Coat Pan: Gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute the syrup. Pour the caramel into your bundt pan or pie dish, swirling it around to coat the base evenly.

Combined milk, sugar, and orange peel. - 5

Infuse Milk: Combine milk, sugar, and orange peel. Dissolve sugar, then simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes to absorb the flavor.

Add Vanilla and Cool: Stir in the vanilla extract, remove the pan from heat, and allow the milk to cool completely for about an hour.

Beating the eggs with a hand mixer in a large bowl. - 7

Prepare the Oven and Eggs: Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (176°C). In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

POuring the milk into the bowl with beaten eggs. - 8

Combine Custard Mixture: Once the milk is fully cooled, remove the orange peel and strain the mixture. Gradually beat the cooled milk into the eggs on low speed until smooth and bubble-free. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Placed the flan dish inside a larger oven-proof pan with water in the oven. - 9

Bake the Flan: Place the flan dish inside a larger oven-proof pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the flan dish. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the custard is just set.

Close-up shot of Orange Creme Caramel. - 10

Cool, Chill, and Serve: Remove from the oven and let it cool in the water bath. Transfer to the fridge to chill overnight. To serve, invert the flan onto a plate, lift off the pan, and garnish with broken toffee pieces and orange slices.

This creamy Orange Creme Caramel pairs beautifully with dishes that share a touch of citrus or light sweetness. Try serving it after Lemon Herb Avocado Chicken Salad for a refreshing and balanced meal. It also complements Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad with its bright, tangy flavors. For a cozy pairing, enjoy it after Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp Pineapple Skewers , where the caramel’s sweetness matches perfectly with the tropical glaze.

Tips For Making Orange Creme Caramel

Take your time with the caramel. Cook it gently over medium-low heat until it turns a deep amber color. If it starts to darken too fast, pull it off the heat for a moment.
Let the milk cool completely. I know it’s tempting to rush, but adding warm milk to the eggs will scramble them. Give it time to cool down before mixing.
Always bake with a water bath. It keeps the custard creamy and helps prevent cracks on top.
Check for that perfect jiggle. The flan should be just set in the center but still a little wobbly. It will firm up beautifully as it cools.

Yes, you can. Lemon or even grapefruit zest work well too, but orange gives it that lovely balance of brightness and warmth that pairs beautifully with caramel.

The center should be just set and slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan. If it looks too runny, give it a few more minutes. It will continue to set as it cools.

If your caramel tastes bitter, it likely cooked a little too long. Keep a close eye on the color, it should be golden amber, not dark brown. The moment it reaches that stage, remove it from the heat.

Fork pierced on Orange Creme Caramel with Toffee Shards - 11

Karina in a white and black dress with her hair blowing back, standing in front of her cooktop, cooking salmon in a pan - 12

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IngredientsUSMetric1x2x3x

Caramel:

▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1/4 cup water

Flan:

▢ 5 cups milk
▢ 1 cup sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
▢ 6 extra large large eggs room temperature
▢ 3 strips orange peel

Instructions

Caramel:

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture becomes a light brown syrup. Holding the handle of your pan, gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute syrup evenly. Immediately pour into bundt pan or pie dish. Coat the base of the pan evenly by tilting the pan/dish and swirling the syrup around the base. Set aside and allow to cool.

Flan:

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and orange peel. Stir to dissolve the sugar in through the milk and bring to a slow simmer on medium-low heat. Allow milk to simmer for 20 minutes. Stir through the vanilla, remove milk from heat and allow to cool for an hour until completely cool.
Adjust oven rack to middle of the oven and preheat oven to 176℃ | 350℉.
In a bowl, beat the eggs with a hand-held mixer at medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Once the milk has completely cooled, remove orange peel and pour it through a fine strainer. Gradually beat the cooled strained milk in to the eggs. Beat on low speed until air bubbles are out. Pour flan mixture into pan/dish and place into a a larger oven-proof pan.
Pour hot water into the larger pan to within 1-inch of top of the flan pan/dish. Place pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake 50 – 55 minutes or until set to the touch.
Remove from oven and leave in the water bath until cooled. Remove pan/dish from water and refrigerate overnight.
To unmold and serve, place serving plate (topside down) on top of flan. Flip the custard pan onto the plate and carefully lift off cake tin.
Break up toffee into pieces with a knife, and serve flan with toffee and (optional) orange slices.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.