Baked until golden and drizzled with caramel, this authentic flan de queso with cream cheese is better than what you get at Mexican restaurants. It’s elegant, ultra-rich, and so creamy.
Why You’ll Love This Flan de Queso
Served warm or cold, cream cheese flan is a dessert you’ll be making year-round.
- Authentic. It’s as simple and authentic as a truly Mexican flan de queso would be.
- Creamy. Packed with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, this recipe is rich, creamy, and decadent. It’s truly the creamiest flan you have ever made!
- Crowd-pleaser. Who doesn’t love a creamy dessert coated in caramel? All your guests will love it, even the little ones!
- Few ingredients. There’s no need for fancy or unnecessary ingredients. You’ve probably got most of them in your pantry already.
What is Queso Flan?
Flan de queso is a slow-cooked Mexican custard made with different kinds of dairy, including cream cheese. The end result is rich, creamy, and perfectly tangy. Regular flan is made without cream cheese, giving it a lighter, almost “thinner” feeling. By adding cream cheese, your flan transforms and becomes lusciously creamy with a silky texture.
Topped with caramel sauce, it’s an indulgent treat that doesn’t require more than a handful of ingredients and a water bath. Although it’s a very common dessert, flan is considered a delicacy.
Recipe Ingredients
“Queso” means “cheese,” so of course this recipe calls for cream cheese! Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.
- Granulated Sugar – You can use 50% white sugar and 50% light brown sugar.
- Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese works best, but feel free to use low-fat.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk – Don’t use whole milk or heavy cream for this.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Queso Flan
Just keep an eye on the caramel. The oven will do the rest of the hard work for you. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for detailed instructions.
- Make the caramel. Add the sugar to a small pan and stir it until melted.
- Let it cool. Pour the caramel into the pan. Tip it to cover the bottom and sides completely. Let the pan rest until fully cooled.
- Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Blend the mixture. Blend all the flan ingredients until smooth.
- Make the water bath. Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated pan. Cover it with foil. Place the covered pan inside a larger pan. Pour water halfway up the larger pan.
- Bake it. Bake it for 50-60 minutes.
- Cool it. Remove it from the oven. Let it cool completely before refrigerating it.
- Serve it. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Place a large plate upside down over the pan. Flip it over. Add any leftover caramel on top. Serve and enjoy.
Tips for the Best Homemade Flan
Making cream cheese flan becomes much easier when you’ve got a couple of tricks up your sleeve.
- Make it boozy. Substitute the vanilla extract for rum to give your flan a kick of alcohol.
- Let the caramel cool. Make sure the caramel is hardened and cooled in the pan before adding the flan mixture. If not, the eggs can cook.
- Allow it to cool. Once ready, let the cooked flan rest in the pan for 2-4 hours before removing the pan so that the caramel can melt and create the delicious sauce.
- Change the presentation. Flan can be made in an 8″ round pan or a “flanera” pan. You can also make it in a bundt cake pan or as individual flans in small ramekins.
Serving Suggestions
Flan de queso is the perfect dessert when garnished with fresh berries and paired with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. For coffee ideas, try my Café de Olla (Cinnamon Mexican Coffee), Dalgona Coffee or Vanilla Cinnamon Iced Coffee. Or pair your flan with a Mexican after dinner cocktail with a Carajillo!
Can This Be Prepared In Advance?
Yes! It actually tastes better a day or two after it’s made, when the caramel has had time to soak into the flan. Feel free to prepare it up to 2 days in advance and leave it in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Store Cream Cheese Flan
Once fully cooled, refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also leave it in the pan to reduce clean-up, just make sure to cover it with foil. Keep it away from onions and strong-smelling foods to avoid the transfer of odors.
It can be eaten straight out of the fridge or reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes if you prefer it warm.
More Mexican Desserts
- Mantecadas
- Churros with Salted Caramel Sauce
- Buñuelos
- Classic Crème Caramel
- Tres Leches Cake
- Coffee Flan
- Mexican Capirotada
- Arroz con Leche
Queso Flan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the sugar in a small pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring until melted and golden brown.This usually takes about 10 minutes and requires some patience. Don’t walk away or the caramel can scorch and become bitter. When the caramel is ready, pour immediately into a flanera pan (or an 8 inch round pan) and tip the pan to spread the caramel over the bottom and up on the sides of the pan. Allow the caramel to cool completely before adding the flan. (This may take up to 20 to 30 minutes.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla into the blender (or food processor), blending until smooth. Tap the blender on the counter a few times to pop the bubbles.
- Pour the flan mixture into the pan on top of the cooled caramel. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Place the pan inside a larger pan and pour water halfway up the pan. (This creates a water bath.)
- Place the pans into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, then check for doneness. Gently lift one side of the tinfoil, making sure not to burn yourself from the escaping steam. The flan will be set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the middle when it is done.
- Remove and allow to cool for an hour and then refrigerate for 2 or up to overnight.
- When ready to serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan and place a large plate upside down over the pan. Carefully flip over and allow the caramel to run over the flan. Use a spatula to scrape any leftover sauce on top of the flan.
- Serve immediately, with your favorite fruit if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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The instructions were so easy to follow and the flan turned out perfectly. Thank you, Jessica!