Apple Caramel Flan (Vegan / Gluten-Free)

Place an 8x4-inch loaf pan on a trivet or cutting board. We will transfer very hot caramel into the loaf, so make sure it's not placed directly on your kitchen counter.
Add the sugar, water, and salt to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. The sugar will melt and start to bubble, do not stir. Keep heating until it gets a golden brown color. At this point, you can stir using a wooden spatula. Once you get a nice caramel color, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the loaf pan. Tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly in the bottom.
Set aside and let cool for at least 10 minutes. The caramel will harden. In the meantime, prepare the apples and custard.

Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced apples and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Do not overcook, you don't want to turn the apples into a purée. Once tender, remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Add the almond milk, maple syrup, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract to a medium-size saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch.
Heat over medium, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. The custard will become very thick, that is normal. Remove from heat and stir in the sautéed apples. Be gentle when stirring. You don't want to mash the apples.
Transfer the custard and apples to the prepared loaf, on top of the caramel. Use a spatula to smooth the top. Cover the loaf pan with foil and place in a deep baking dish. Add about 2 cups of water to the baking dish to make a bain-marie (water bath). The loaf pan should not be fully immersed, just about 1-inch deep.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
To serve, cover the loaf pan with a plate and flip it so the flan is upside down. The caramel syrup will coat the flan.
This apple caramel flan will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. After that it tends to lose its creaminess.

Adjust the amount of apples. If you prefer fewer chunks of apples in your flan, use only one apple instead of two.

Keep an eye on the caramel. Caramel can burn very quickly, so keep an eye on it and remove it from heat as soon as it has turned golden brown.

Let it chill completely. Let the flan chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator. It will allow the hard caramel to turn into a delicious syrup.

Cut into thick slices. Since this flan is loaded with diced apples, you might have trouble cutting thin slices. Instead, cut 1-inch thick slices.

Nutrition

Course : Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine : French

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