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.
Can I use mascarpone cheese instead??
Sorry for the late reply...I was on vacation! I've never tried mascarpone before, but I imagine the taste would be richer since it doesn't have the tang of cream cheese.
My husband is Puertorican. I make this recipe almost every other Thursday. It gets eaten as soon as is ready... there's never any left for the next day! 🙂 is SUPER easy to make! 😉
Thank you so much, Glenda! 🙂 I love hearing things like this!
I am puertorrican and this is my favorite flan. I always make this recipe but without the sugar. The condensc
ed milk is more tha enough sweet for me.
Hi Rosa! This is a great tip for anyone who wants a less rich dessert. It also has the sugar syrup which adds plenty of sweetness! Thank you.
I made this 2 days ago for our Christmas dinner. It was a BIG hit, turned out excellent. I read the review above and decided to just throw all the ingredients into my Vitamix - it worked very well, less dishes to wash and fast! I wanted a bigger flan so I threw in another can of evaporated milk, and another half can of condensed milk. I didn't add anymore eggs, I opted instead to prolong the baking time by about 30 mins. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know how much you liked it!! Happy New Year!
I just made it, and it set up well and had a lovely flavor - turned out exactly how I wanted it (I like my caramel a shade darker than yours, but otherwise it looks just like your picture).
A tip for anyone making it in the future - if, after you've added all the ingredients, there are a bevvy of little cream cheese clumps that your standing mixer can't seem to incorporate, just pour the flan into the blender and pretend you're making a smoothy (Lo-Hi-Lo-Hi etc.). It makes the base impeccably smooth with no need for a strainer.
Otherwise, it's a great, simple recipe that I've added to my list. I'm thinking of skipping the standing mixer next time and going straight to the blender!
So glad you liked it, Thomas! And thank you for the blender tip - I use my beloved stand mixer for everything, but I bet a lot of people will find that helpful!
Great idea for the blender!!!
Made this recipe a couple days ago and it turned out perfect! It tastes so good! My husband who is Puerto Rican loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe! 🙂
Yay so excited to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
The flan looks absolutely perfect! Now I feel less intimidated about making it 🙂
I love this kind of hybrid recipes - quick, easy and delicious!
Gorgeous pictures!
Thank you very much!
Kitchen Gidget is such an awesome name! I love, love, love flan. I can't wait to make it!
Thank you, Jeff! Going to check out your blog now!
Cream cheese does it for me- I don't like things overly sweet so love the addition of cream cheese for the tang. My chickens are laying lots of lovely eggs, so your flan is perfect 🙂
Oooh how nice you raise your own chickens! I only buy local eggs since they are so much better, but I hope to get my own someday! 🙂
Oh WOW! That looks delicious! It is a must make!!
I've never tried flan before but this recipe and these pics make me wanna just dive right in!!
Oh my gosh - I am seriously droooooooooling. Can I come over for a slice?
Absolutely - if only we hadn't devoured it within hours of slicing it! 😉 Thank you, Bintu!
I saw this over on pinterest and had to come and have a proper look, what an intriguing sounding recipe and it looks beautiful too!
I promise it's every bit as good as it look. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi,
What would be the adaptation to make this with Coconut milk for a coconut cheese flan?
Thank you!
Tracy
Hi Tracy! You could substitute the evaporated milk for coconut milk, but I'm not sure if it would be a strong enough coconut flavor. I'm not a huge coconut fan so I've never experimented myself, but I know some ladies who do that and also add a can of cream of coconut. If you try it please let us know your results!
I’m planning to bring this to a dinner party. Can I double it and what size pan if I do?
I would either put it in two round pans or you'll need a big rectangle one like 13x9. Also, it doesn't HAVE to be unmolded. At parties people bring huge sheets of them in the disposable aluminum pans and just cut them in little squares. Of course, it's prettier when you get to turn it upside down!
Your recipe was so loved, it was requested I bring it again to a party this week, too! Thank you for posting it. It’s one of my go-to recipes now. Texture and flavor was beautiful!
So glad to hear that!! Thank you and I'm glad everyone enjoyed!
This looks so amazing!! I can't wait to try this! Thanks for the recipe 🙂