Cream Cheese Flan (Flan de Queso) — A Detailed Recipe
This recipe yields about 8‑12 servings depending on serving size. You can scale up or down.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
Sugar for caramel: ~1 cup (≈ 200 g) granulated sugar
Cream cheese: ~8 oz (1 block, ≈ 225‑250 g), room temperature — softened so it blends smoothly
Eggs: 5 large eggs (you may also add extra yolks in some versions)
Sweetened condensed milk: 1 can (14 oz / ≈ 395 g)
Evaporated milk: 1 can (12 oz / ≈ 355 g)
Vanilla extract: ~1 teaspoon
Salt: a pinch (optional, enhances flavor)
Optional extra: water, if needed for thinning or for the bain‑marie (water bath)
Equipment
A flan mold, or a round baking pan or casserole dish (non‑stick helps, but not essential)
A larger pan to use as bain‑marie (water bath)
Saucepan for making caramel
Blender or strong mixer to combine the cream cheese smoothly
Oven capable of moderate heat (≈ 160‑180°C / 325‑350°F)
Knife, wire rack, foil for covering, etc.
The Science / What Makes It Work
Caramel layer: sugar melted (and sometimes water + sugar) until golden‑amber, poured into pan first. When flan is inverted, the caramel becomes a sauce on top.
Cream cheese adds richness, body, slight tang, helps the flan hold better than flan made with only milk / eggs. But you must blend it very smoothly so there are no lumps.
Bain‑marie (water bath): baking the flan in a pan set inside another pan half‑filled with hot water ensures gentle, even baking so the custard sets without curdling or cracking.
Chilling: after baking, cooling and then refrigerating (several hours or overnight) improves texture, lets flan fully set, also helps unmold cleanly.
Step‑by‑Step Instructions
Here is a full walkthrough, with approximate times.
Step 1: Prep and Caramel (≈ 15‑20 minutes)
Preheat your oven to 350°F (≈ 175°C), or what your recipe calls for; some versions bake a bit lower.
Take the crème dish / flan mold / baking pan. Make sure it is clean, dry.
Make the caramel: In a small heavy saucepan, add the sugar (about 1 cup) and optionally a little water (some recipes use ~½ cup water, others no water; water helps you dissolve sugar first, but you have to be cautious). Heat over medium heat, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, stop stirring (or reduce stirring) and let caramelization happen. Watch closely: sugar goes from clear → light amber → deep golden. Do not burn (burnt sugar tastes bitter). Use a wet pastry brush to wash down sides if crystals form.
Once the caramel reaches a deep golden amber color, immediately pour / carefully pour it into the bottom of your flan mold / baking pan. Tilt the mold to coat bottom evenly. The sides may stay bare or slightly up the sides depending on how much caramel and how big the pan is. Set aside to let the caramel harden a little.
Step 2: Custard Mixture (≈ 10‑15 minutes)
In a bowl, soften the cream cheese well (if needed, beat with a spatula or mixer until smooth and without lumps).
Combine cream cheese with eggs. Many recipes beat the eggs lightly first, then incorporate cream cheese, or vice versa. Use a blender or high‑speed mixer for smoothness.
Add sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Blend (or whisk) until smooth. Add vanilla, and a pinch of salt if using. If you want, you can strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any remaining lumps or bubbles.
Optionally, you can let the custard mixture rest for a few minutes (this helps bubbles rise so they don’t cause holes in the flan).
Step 3: Baking in Bain‑Marie (≈ 50‑70 minutes depending on pan size / depth)
Pour the custard mixture over the hardened caramel in the flan mold.
Cover the mold loosely with aluminum foil to prevent too much browning on top.
Place the flan mold inside a larger baking dish or roasting pan. Pour hot water into the outer pan until it's about halfway up the sides of the flan mold (water bath). This helps moderate the heat and bake the custard gently.
Bake in the preheated oven. Time depends on size / depth: typically 50‑60 minutes, or up to ~1 hour 15 minutes if the flan is thick. Check doneness: the edges should be set, the center should have a slight jiggle (but not liquid). A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean, with perhaps a little moisture but not runny.
Step 4: Cooling & Chilling (at least 4 hours, preferably overnight)
Once baked, remove the flan mold from the water bath carefully. Remove foil. Let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Then cover (with plastic wrap or foil) and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. The flan firms up more as it chills.
Step 5: Unmolding & Serving
To serve, run a thin knife around the edge of the flan (between mold and custard) to loosen.
Place your serving plate inverted onto the mold and then flip to unmold. The caramel will run over the top, creating a sauce.
Slice and serve cold (often straight from refrigerator). Optional garnishes: whipped cream, fresh fruit, berries, a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, or citrus zest.
Timing & Full Schedule
Here’s a timeline you might follow if you’re planning to serve this for dessert at a meal or gathering:
Time Before Serving Task
~5‑6 hours before Make caramel + custard; bake the flan in bain‑marie
~4‑5 hours before Let cool; put in fridge to chill
Just before serving Unmold, slice, garnish, serve
If you bake in the morning, chill during the day, serve in evening, that works well.
Ingredient Quantities and Variations
Here are common or alternate versions, some sample ingredient quantities from various sources:
Goya’s Flan de Queso: uses 2 packages (2 × 8 oz) cream cheese, 6 eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk. Yields ~12 servings.
Goya Foods
Another recipe uses 8 oz cream cheese, 5 eggs, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, etc.
food.com
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Some recipes add additional yolk or more cream cheese if you want a firmer, richer texture. Others reduce the milk slightly for more density.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Flan
Room temperature cream cheese: essential. If it’s cold, it may form lumps in custard. So soften well.
Blend well, but not over‑mix: you want to incorporate air bubbles to a minimum; too many bubbles can cause unattractive holes or collapse. Straining helps.
Caramelization caution: sugar changes quickly once amber; pull it off just in time so it’s not too dark (burnt taste), but deep enough to have flavor.
Water bath: ensure water is hot when you pour; be careful not to splash water into custard. Cover top to prevent browning or skin forming too thick.
Baking temperature: avoid too high heat; gentle, steady heat ensures custard cooks through without curdling.
Chill adequately: cooling fully and chilling overnight (or at least several hours) improves texture, allows flavors to meld, easier unmolding.
Storage: in fridge, covered. Best consumed within 2‑3 days.
Possible Variations & Flavor Twists
Citrus twist: add a little lime or orange zest to custard for bright flavor.
Spices: a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or even cardamom can add warmth.
Alcohol: a tiny splash of rum or brandy can deepen flavor (optional).
Different milks: you can substitute part of the evaporated milk with regular whole milk, or even cream for more richness.
Fruits / garnishes: serve with fresh berries, sliced mango, or tropical fruit; or add a fruit compote.
Mini flans / ramekins: instead of one big flan, use small ramekins; reduces baking time and gives individual desserts.
Lighter version: use light cream cheese, reduce sugar slightly, maybe use part skim milk; but expect less richness and slightly different texture.
Full Example Recipe (Sample Quantities & Instructions)
Here’s a full example you can follow.
Yields: ~10‑12 slices / servings
Ingredients:
1 cup (≈ 200 g) granulated sugar (for caramel)
2 packages cream cheese (2 × 8 oz / ~450 g total), softened
6 large eggs
1 (14 oz / ~395‑400 g) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz / ~355‑360 g) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (≈ 175°C).
In saucepan, melt sugar for caramel: heat sugar (and if using, some water) over medium heat, stirring until dissolved; then cook until deep golden‑amber.
Pour caramel into bottom of a flan mold or round baking pan; swirl to coat evenly. Let caramel harden.
In blender or large bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs one by one, blending or whisking until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, salt. Blend until a silky custard mixture.
Pour custard mixture over hardened caramel in mold. Cover with foil (loose). Place mold into larger pan; pour hot water into larger pan to come halfway up sides of mold.
Bake for about 50‑60 minutes. Check at ~50 min: edges should be set; center should slightly tremble. If needed, bake a bit longer until knife comes out mostly clean.
Remove from water bath; discard foil; cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate ≥4 hours; better overnight.
To serve, run knife around edges to loosen; invert onto serving plate; allow caramel sauce to flow over. Slice, serve cold. Garnish as desired.
Common Problems & How to Avoid
Problem Cause Fix
Lumpy custard (cream cheese lumps) cream cheese not softened, not blended well warm to room temp; use blender or mixer; strain mixture if needed
Bitterness in caramel sugar burnt (too dark) watch closely; remove caramel at right color; practice makes perfect
Cracks or curdled texture oven too hot; water bath uneven; over‑baking use proper water bath; moderate heat; cover with foil; check early
Flan too soft or runny in center under‑baked; too much liquid; recipe imbalance bake longer; reduce liquids; ensure eggs set properly
Caramel sticking / flan doesn’t unmold cleanly insufficient chilling; flan too much contact with mold sides; caramel hardened too much chill fully overnight; run knife around; dip mold bottom in warm water to loosen caramel; unmold onto plate with gentle flip
If you like, I can send you a version of this recipe with metric measurements, maybe adapted to Moroccan kitchen (local milks, sugar, etc.), or even scaled up for a big gathering. Do you want me to send that too?
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