Do you work from home? How do you stay focused and motivated when working from home?
My nice boss recently offered the opportunity to work from home occasionally and I was over the moon. While I happily accepted, I’m also concerned about being productive and disciplined when the fridge is right around the corner. At least when I’m at work, I’m more focused and not distracted by the comfort of your own home!
How do you do it? How do you stay away from bad habits and discipline when working from home?
I need a serious “habit pep talk” and I don’t know how I would do it especially right now with my cup of coffee on the right hand, and a caramel flan on my left, as I write this post.
Working from home taught me one thing: to be patient and more focused. As I’ve learned when I was testing this recipe. To make the perfect Flan, it requires patience, attention to details, and focus.
Let’s reward ourselves with some Vietnamese coffee flan as part of keeping up with our working from home goals. 😉
Vietnamese coffee flan is sweet and has a creamy egg custard texture. Flan (or crème caramel) was first originated from European countries, when introduced to Vietnam, flan became a nation favorite as an enjoyable dessert to all ages.
Overtime, the ingredients evolved as it gets influenced by the Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese flan favors the use of condensed milk and steaming as the method of preparing the flan. Vietnamese flan can also be served with shaved ice, and drizzles of black coffee on top.
Vietnamese coffee flan is a sweet and decadent dessert that is hard to resist. The flan is smooth, creamy with the caramelized sugar on top.
In this recipe, I use whole milk as substitution for condensed milk to keep the recipe a little healthier. The flan is not overly sweet, smooth and the instant coffee creates a rich texture.
I hope you’ll love this Vietnamese coffee flan because they’re easy to make, they’re perfectly sweet and amazingly delightful dessert to enjoy.
If you try my recipe, use #atasteofjoyandlove on Instagram. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates on recipes!

Vietnamese Coffee Flan
A healthier version of Vietnamese flan. This decadent, lightly sweet dessert made with eggs, sugar and a hint of coffee. Perfect with your morning coffee.
Ingredients
For the caramel sugar:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- squeeze of lime juice
For the flan:
- 3 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 1/2 cup milk
- 4 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line rack in the middle.
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Make the caramel sugar: In a heavy saucepan, place sugar, water, lemon juice over medium heat. Cook without stiring until sugar begins to melt and turn into a deep goldn brown color. Remove from heat, immediately pour over the ramekins, tilt to coat. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
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In a medium bowl, add eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla. Mix getnly with a fork until smooth. Be careful not to overmix to prevent bubbles from forming. If there are bubbles on top, use a spoon and remove them.
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In another saucepan, add milk, instant coffee powder and cook on low heat until warm, about a minute.
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Slowly pour the milk over the egg mixture. Mix well until everything is combined.
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Strain custard over a sieve until smooth and free of lumps. Pour into ramekins and transfer to a baking dish. Pour enough hot boiling water into the baking dish, reaching half way of the ramekins.
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Bake until the custard is set and the toothpick inserts in the center comes out clean. Chill in the fridge for at least 4hr before serving.
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To unmold the flan: run a small knife around the edges. Place the ramekins upside down on a plate and let it slide out.
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Serve with coffee and shaved ice on top.
Recipe Notes
To make it easier to unmold, grease the sides of the ramekins with butter before adding in the custard mixture.
Looks so delicious and I love how easy it is to make!
Thanks so much Natalie!
This flan looks creamy comforting! I love flan and Vietnamese coffee, so these two make a perfect duet.
Thanks Linda! So glad you love it. Hope you’ll give it a try!