Gluten-free cottage cheese flan with honey caramel

Gluten-free cottage cheese flan made from blended cottage cheese, eggs and milk, baked in a water bath and turned out with honey caramel. A make-ahead dessert with 19 g protein per ramekin.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 40 min
• Total time: 55 min
• Calories: 245 kcal per serving
• Protein: 19 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbs: 21 g

Ingredients

• 80g honey
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 lemon
• 400g cottage cheese
• 3 eggs
• 150ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · baking dish · stick blender · knife · grater

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (140 °C fan). Boil 40 g of the honey with the water in a small pan for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown, and divide the caramel between four ovenproof ramekins.
2. Grate the zest of the lemon. Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest and the rest of the honey with a stick blender for 1 minute until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture over the caramel and put the ramekins in a baking dish. Pour hot water into the dish until it comes halfway up the ramekins.
4. Bake the flan at 160 °C for 35 to 40 minutes until set and only slightly wobbly in the centre.
5. Take the ramekins out of the water bath, leave them to cool and chill for at least 3 hours.
6. Run a knife around the edge, turn the flan out onto plates and let the caramel run over it.

Good to know

Cottage cheese flan is all over the internet at the moment, and rightly so. Blended, the cottage cheese becomes as smooth as cream and tastes like vanilla custard. The honey caramel runs over the flan as you turn it out.

Swaps

Cottage cheese → low-fat quark (a little firmer). Honey → coconut sugar for the caramel (caramelises more evenly). Milk → soya milk. Vanilla extract → seeds from a vanilla pod.

Cooking tips

Honey burns quickly: take the pan off the heat as soon as the caramel is golden brown. If the flan still wobbles in the centre, it will firm up in the fridge.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge in the ramekins, covered; only turn out just before serving.

Allergens

Contains milk and egg; gluten-free, no nuts. Suitable in pregnancy because the eggs are cooked through.

Frequently asked questions

How long does cottage cheese flan keep in the fridge?

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge in the ramekins, covered; only turn out just before serving.