Flan de Queso — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A silky, dense caramel custard enriched with cream cheese, creating a uniquely Puerto Rican version of the classic Spanish dessert.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar for caramel
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1 Melt sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it becomes a dark amber caramel. Pour into the flan mold, tilting to coat the bottom.
2 Blend cream cheese, condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth.
3 Pour the custard mixture over the hardened caramel in the mold.
4 Place the mold in a bain-marie (water bath) with hot water reaching halfway up the sides.
5 Bake at 350F for one hour until the flan is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
6 Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Invert onto a plate so the caramel sauce pools on top.

Did You Know?

Puerto Rican flan de queso is denser and creamier than traditional Spanish flan because of the cream cheese addition, which was inspired by New York-style cheesecake.