Flan de Queso (Cheese Flan)
Puerto Rican Flan de Queso: a rich and creamy cheesecake-like baked custard dessert that's not too sweet thanks to the slight tang of cream cheese. As if that wasn't enough, the entire flan is swimming in a pool of shimmering sugar caramel sauce!
Flan de Queso
Update: VIDEO added September 2017. Scroll down to watch this recipe in action! Original recipe published March 2016.
I am so excited to bring you this Puerto Rican flan de queso! More excited than usual shall we say.
This is the first Puerto Rican dessert on Kitchen Gidget.
I've shared my family's favorite Puerto Rican food recipes, like Puerto Rican Beans, but no meal is complete without dessert!
And it's pretty obvious if you take a look around this blog that I have a major sweet tooth.
I knew it was time to remedy that situation and undoubtedly the most popular Puerto Rican dessert is flan.
The only question was which kind to make? There's the classic flan which is essentially a baked custard bathed in caramel sauce.
There's coconut flan which is very popular, or pumpkin flan which I like to make in the fall, and then there is cheese flan which is made with cream cheese.
Puerto Rican flan de queso is like flan met cheesecake and they had the most scrumptious love baby.
Silky smooth, lush, slightly dense...the cream cheese adds a mild tang which keeps this flan from becoming too sweet.
Finishing it off is a dripping caramel syrup that takes this over the top.
How to make flan
Let's talk a little bit about the steps that go into making a flan. It can be a little intimidating, but I've found that flan is also very forgiving.
There are 3 parts to the perfect flan
- Make the sugar syrup
- Mix the custard base
- Cook the flan in water bath
The first part is the sugar caramel. It takes patience to completely melt the sugar down.
It will get clumpy, but eventually smooth out. Swirl the pan to give it a stir.
Take it off the heat as soon as it has dissolved so it doesn't burn. You must immediately pour it into your prepared pan because it hardens quickly.
It should be poured in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, but if there are a few gaps it will still turn out fine.
You may use an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan. Whichever pan you use, be sure it has 2-inch high sides in order to hold all of the custard.
You can also purchase flanera which is a special pan just for baking flan.
The flan will cook inside a larger pan filled with water called a water bath or bain-marie. Don't skip this part! This ensures the flan cooks evenly with a soft, silky texture.
For the best texture, use room temperature ingredients and cream cheese that is well softened.
I take the extra step of straining my custard mixture before I pour it into the pan.
This way I catch any little cream cheese bits that didn't dissolve, but I never have clumps since I use a blender to mix everything.
Be sure to chill the flan thoroughly before unmolding.
When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge to loosen.
Cover the pan with a plate and flip it over all at once. The flan should fall right out onto the pan.
If it's sticky, dip the bottom of the pan in warm water for a few seconds before inverting again.
Use a plate with edges angling upwards to catch all that caramel!
Pin this to your Dessert board!
Watch the video!
Puerto Rican Flan de Queso (Cheese Flan)
Leche flan baked with cream cheese giving it a slight tang and cheesecake-like texture!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat to oven 350°F degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Set an 8- or 9-inch cake (or pie) pan with 2-inch high sides inside of a larger baking pan (such as a 13x9).
- In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until completely dissolved. Watch carefully so it does not burn. You may swirl the pan to stir. Remove from heat when it is a dark golden, amber color.
- Immediately pour the melted sugar into the bottom of the cake pan, working quickly before it hardens. Set aside.
- In a blender beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure there are no lumps. Pour the strained custard into the cake pan over the sugar caramel. Next, add boiling water to the larger pan. It should come up the sides about an inch deep. The cake pan will be sitting in a water bath.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the middle. Remove from oven and let the flan cool in the water bath, about an hour. Once cool, refrigerate at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
- When ready to serve, run a knife around the edges to loosen. Set a plate over the flan and flip upside-down to invert. Slice into wedges and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 59mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information provided is an estimate only. Please consult the labels of ingredients you use for more accurate results.
You can make the caramel directly in the flan pan. Add a little water, add the sugar (it will disolve) directly in the pan on the stove wait until it gets the golden light brown caramel color and turn the pan to cover the sides. You must use oven gloves to handle the pan. Once the bottom and sides are coated, set the pan aside. The caramel glaze hardens quickly. Place all the ingredients (8 oz cream cheese, can of evaporated milk, can of condensed milk, 4 eggs, tsp of vanilla extract, pinch of lemon peel) in a blender so the mixture liquefies. There will be no lumps. Just pour the mixture in the caramel coated pan. Place the flan pan in larger pan with water that goes no more than midway on the flan pan. Cover pan and cook on the stove about 20 minutes. Check it is cooked by inserting a knife in the middle. If the knife comes out clean, it is cooked. Chill in refrigerator overnight for best results. Once cold, flip onto a plate or large container allowing the caramel syrup to cover the entire flan. It's easy and simple to make. You don't need to use the oven. I've used this recipe since I was a young woman, over 40 years. It has never failed.
@Ruth Ivette González, Thank you for sharing your personal recipe with us. 🙏🏼
My dad used to make flan exactly this way,Thanks for the memories,the blender makes it easier, and the cheese tastetier
The best I've tried so far!! I substituted the milks for coconut milk and sweet condensed coconut milk and omg what a treat! Thanks for your recipe!
Can this be made a few days before serving or does it not seem as fresh?
You definitely need to make it one day before and 2 is still good. The syrup starts to get soaked up/evaporate after that but it still tastes good.
The flavor is amazing! But mine hasn't come out that creamy , custardy texture. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong
Is it possibly over-cooked? Queso flan has a more firm texture than vanilla flan but it should still be silky.
@Heather, probably over cooked,try the tooth pick test @ one hour
Have you ever tried making mini flans ? If so what temp and how long would it have to be left in the oven for ? I’m interested in making smaller sizes I’d say like 4 inch pans or even cupcake sizes
This recipe came out amazing! Everyone loved it. For the caramel I added a teaspoon of water, to help the sugar not to stick so much. Definitely will be using this recipe again for the holidays.
I never leave comments or reviews but I tried out this recipe and had to tell you how amazing it came out! I made this for my daughters Multicultural Club at their high school. They did a presentation on Puerto Rico and wanted to bring in authentic Puerto Rican food so I found your recipe and read all the great comments and knew I just had to try it. I ended up using the microwave method to melt the sugar and it came out perfect! Everyone loved it, I couldn’t believe a bunch of teenagers loved the cheese flan. It made me so happy to see that it was all gone. That was my first time making flan but it won’t be the last. This is my go to recipe! Thank you for sharing, you made a lot of people happy!
Thank you for sharing, it made me happy too!
Made this and it was delicious ! My guest loved it! Am I able to follow these same steps to make a regular flan without the cream cheese ?
Yes, it will just be a little smaller.
Just had to write a comment. I'm a miserable dessert maker, but I tried this flan for a party. Everyone loved it. I'm going to my brother's for Easter dinner tomorrow and he requested I make this for dessert. No one ever asks me to make dessert - ever. Thanks for changing my rep. This is so delicious. It's unbelievable.
This is amazing. All my guests enjoyed it.
It's like eating cheesecake. Thanks for such a simple and delicious recipe.
I made it twice and everybody love it, I just finished putting my next one in the oven for tomorrow birthday party, they asked me to make it again, thank you for the yummy recipe.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it!
Primera vez que hago flan y quede encantada 🤩 No hace falta de echar de más ni de menos. Excelente receta!!!!
Que bueno! Muchísimas gracias!
Hi, great recipe! But can I use eggs yolks instead of whole eggs? If so, how many egg yolks should I use? Thank you.
Yes, you can. It will be richer and have more of an egg flavor. I would do 8 egg yolks. You could do anywhere from 6-10 depending how you like your texture and taste!
Hello; this is the closest recipe that I use to use to make flan. I haven;t baked in ages....sadly if I do I'll eat it....ha, ha, ha,.
Thanks for sharing.
Raisa