flan

noun \ ˈflan , ˈflän \

Updated on: 26 May 2018

Definition of flan

1 a : an open pie containing any of various sweet or savory fillings

b : custard baked with a caramel glaze

2 : the metal disk of a coin, token, or medal as distinguished from the design and lettering stamped on it

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Recent Examples of flan from the Web

Menu highlights include spring pea and avocado soup with Dungeness crab flan and fines herbes and Basque baked eggs with short rib, morcilla, piquillos, potatoes and ossau-iraty.

— julie giuffrida, latimes.com, "Where to take mom for Mother's Day brunch," 3 May 2018
Offerings include: a Caribbean avocado salad, the camarones con tomate, made with shrimp, garlic, tomato sauce, white wine, oregano and parsley and Abuela’s flan, a traditional Cuban custard topped with caramel.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "117 ways to celebrate mom: Your San Diego guide to Mother's Day brunches, lunches and dinners," 7 May 2018
But the restaurant saved its sweetest spike for last, with a sweet corn torte that suggested flan, cornbread and buttermilk pie all at the same time.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Villa Rica restores star power of chef Johnny Hernandez," 26 Apr. 2018
For a dizzying array of seasonal fruits, flan, tapioca, and ice cream, try the halo-halo.

— josh lurie, Los Angeles Magazine, "Where to Find L.A.’s Best Food Halls (and What to Eat When You Get There)," 20 Apr. 2018
Even his modern take on the traditional Swiss chard flan (aka sformatino di bietole) harkens back to his childhood.

— jean trinh, Los Angeles Magazine, "Culina’s New Head Chef Is Bringing Tuscany to L.A. in the Way Only a Tuscan Could," 24 Apr. 2018
Lopez makes veganized versions of about a dozen different pastry classics every day — from cookies to conos to cuernitos coated in sugar — along with vegan tres leches cakes, two kinds of flan and stuffed bolillo rolls.

— sarah bennett, latimes.com, "O.C.-based vegan Mexican pop-ups are having a moment right now," 5 Apr. 2018
At the counter are sweets and pastries including cheesecake flan and empanadas with fillings such as guava or pumpkin.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Find an out-of-the-ordinary coffeehouse to match your mood," 10 Apr. 2018
Or get the soft dulce de leche flan that tastes like butterscotch pudding.

— linda bladholm, miamiherald, "Argentine and Spanish dishes in a Balinese setting set this Bal Harbor restaurant apart | Miami Herald," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of flan

French, from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladon-, flado flat cake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German flado flat cake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1846

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

FLAN Defined for English Language Learners

flan

noun

Definition of flan for English Language Learners

: a type of sweet dessert made of a smooth, thick custard covered with caramel
: an open pie containing any of various fillings

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See words that rhyme with flan Spanish Central: Translation of flan

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