When I shared food pictures from my recent trip to Brazil, the most requested recipe was for my favorite Brazilian dessert: Pudim! Brazilian Pudim, short for Pudim de Leite Condensado, is similar to a classic flan recipe, only so much better. It only requires 4 main ingredients! Instead of being made with just eggs and milk, this creamy Brazilian dessert is made with sweetened condensed milk (leite condensado). Along with eggs, whole milk, a little vanilla and a quick caramel sauce that basically makes itself, this is one impressive dessert that feels both comforting and decadent to eat! If you like Creme Brûlée, this is a similar flavor profile.
How to Caramelize Sugar
The first step in this recipe is to caramelize some sugar. I mix a little water into regular granulated sugar to make it easier. This part is seriously so simple- just simmer until it turns a golden caramel color.
To be honest, this caramel in my photo is a tad bit overcooked- I’d take it off the heat when it’s a little lighter than this or your sugar can have a bitter burned taste.
Carefully pour that boiling sugar into your pan and swirl the pan around so the caramel coats the bottom and goes about an inch up the sides. For this dessert you’ll want to use a tube pan, like an angel food cake pan, but make sure it’s one-piece, not the style with a removable bottom. This is a great option. In these photos I’m actually using a small 6″ pan that I brought home from Brazil with me. If you have this size, just half the recipe and it works perfect!
Making Brazilian Pudim Batter (so simple!)
Next you’ll pour your batter in. This could not be more simple. Four ingredients! Sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla. That’s it. We’re using equal parts sweetened condensed milk and whole milk so you can literally just pour in your sweetened condensed milk and then fill up the empty cans with whole milk instead of dirtying a measuring cup! Buzz it all up in the blender and pour it gently over your caramel mixture.
How to Bake in a Water Bath
You’ll then cover your pan with foil and place it in a water bath. Basically you want it inside a larger pan and then you’ll fill up the larger pan with water so the water goes at least half way up your baking pan.
After it’s done baking it needs to cool completely and then be refrigerated. Don’t try to rush this one. It’s best may a day ahead of time, but if you’re going to make it the day of, it needs to chill for at least 8 hours for best results.
How to Serve Brazilian Pudim
After running a knife around the edge of your pan, invert it over a plate to release.
You should have a beautiful ring of custardy, caramelly, goodness.
There will be caramel liquid left in the pan, scrape out as much as you can and drizzle on top. (Then fill the empty pan with hot water in your sink to melt off the remaining sugar.)
Cut into slices and enjoy! The texture of Brazilian Pudim is smooth and creamy, but the eggs help it set up so it’s almost like it has a bit of gelatin in it. Some people dislike this texture (my husband and one of my kids, for example) but I can’t get enough of it. I could eat this entire ring myself.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe:
Print
Brazilian Pudim de Leite – Brazilian Caramel Flan
Description
A classic Brazilian dessert made with simple, inexpensive ingredients! Decadently creamy with an easy caramel sauce. This recipe is for a standard size tube pan (similar to the size of angel food cake) but a smaller 6″ works great with the recipe halved.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed
2 1/2 cups whole milk (just fill up the empty cans of sweetened condensed milk with whole milk- it’s that same amount!)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Place sugar and water in a small, light-colored sauce pan and stir to combine. (The light color will make it easier to see the color/doneness of the caramel). Turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally or gently swirl pan. Let mixture simmer gently until it turns a golden caramel color, anywhere from about 5-10 minutes.
Pour hot caramel into a tube pan (like an angelfood cake pan- but make sure it’s a one-piece pan, not one with a removable bottom) and tilt pan so it covers the bottom and moves up the sides about 1 inch.
Place sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender and blend until combined. Slowly pour mixture into pan over caramel and cover pan with foil.
Place your pan in a larger pan (like a roasting pan) and place in oven. Pour hot water into the larger pan so it goes up the sides of the tube pan at least 1/2 way. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours. When done, it should wiggle about the same amount as set jello and the top should be set to the touch.
Remove and let cool completely and then store in fridge overnight. To serve, invert over a plate and then scrape as much of the remaining caramel on top as you can. Place your pan to soak with warm water in the sink and the remaining caramel will melt right off. Cut into wedges to serve.
Questions & Reviews
You may want to put on the “official” instructions to put foil over the pan before placing it in the oven. I went off those instructions and didn’t do so. Doh!
thanks for the heads up!
Could you use a regular bundt cake pan? Or no?
You can certainly try!
Your recipe says to bake, but at what temperature?
350 🙂
Would a bundt pan work? I have an angle food cake pan but it’s silicone and I’m thinking that wouldn’t work so well in the water bath.
that would probably work- the less intricate the better though, I would think!
I love pudim de leite condensado!!!!!!!!
Can you use small glass ramekins instead? Would you adjust the cooking time?
Can you just use milk or does it need to have the sweetened condensed milk?
You must use sweetened condensed milk, and any kind of ramekin would work, you’d have to eyeball the cooking time!
I do wonder, if you do want to half this but do not have the small ring pan, if you can not just bake it in an 8 or 9 inch square pan, or even a loaf pan? Cook’s Illustrated one time did a flan in a similar dish and it seemed to work well.
Thanks
Yes, that would probably work just fine!
Do you have to butter or spray (Pam) the pan before putting the caramel in? Sounds delicious!!
nope!
Beautiful! I can eat the whole thing too! My recipe is a bit different, it’s from the can of “Leite Moca”. Just one can, 2 cans of milk, three eggs and vanilla. I have a “forma de pudim” from Brazil, but if I need a big dessert, I make it on a bundt pan.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I served in Brazil and love pudim, but my husband also hates it 🙂 I like your idea of using the smaller pan for half the recipe. Thanks!
cheeky tip, if i may…i always add little milk and warm the baking pan to remove any leftovers and use it in my coffee/oatmeal/etc..
in fact i never scrape leftovers (more flavour!)
while caramel is a fave, any sweet bake works..cake flavoured coffee..yesss!!!
oh and yeah, cleaning is a breeze too!!!
Okay, that is a GREAT idea!
Do you mean 3 1/2 cups of whole milk? That would equal 28 ounces of the empty sweetened condensed milk cans. Wanted to make this recipe and just wanted to make sure. Thanks! Love your recipes!
Nope, it is correct as written. The measurement listed on the sweetened condensed milk can is actually by WEIGHT, not volume. It’s confusing! So if you try to calculate the measurement by volume you’ll end up with way too much milk! Just imagine trying to fill 2 little cans with 3 1/2 cans of milk visually, it obviously would be too much. Make sense?
Glad I asked instead of assuming I was right! (Don’t tell my husband I wasn’t right, he doesn’t know such a thing could happen ?)
Thanks so much!
I’m so sorry but I’m totally confused on the milk measurement? Do I fill each 14oz. Cans of sweetened condensed with milk, and then fill only I can 1/2 way up?
Can I just measure 2 1/2 cups of milk in a liquid measure ?
Thank you !
The amount you need is 2 1/2 cups milk. You can measure it with a measuring cup, or just to save a dish, it’s the same volume as if you were to fill each of the 2 empty cans up with milk.
Thank you Sarah! Flan is one of my favorite desserts but I’ve always used American Test Kitchen which is good, but a little bit fussy. And I recently tried a flan made with sweetened condensed milk and it was delicious, so I can’t wait to try yours.
I’ll report back 🙂
Thanks again for your quick response!