🇲🇽 Mexican Cuisine

Flan Mexicano

Mexican Caramel Custard

Prep Time 20 min
Servings 8
Difficulty Medium
Calories 334 kcal

A silky smooth egg custard enriched with cream cheese and condensed milk, baked in a bath of golden caramel until set to a trembling perfection. When unmolded, the amber caramel cascades down the sides of this beloved Mexican dessert, creating an irresistible presentation.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Place sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat without stirring. Let the sugar melt and turn amber, swirling the pan occasionally for even caramelization. Work quickly once it reaches a deep golden color to avoid burning the caramel.
  2. 2 Immediately pour the hot caramel into a flan mold or bundt pan, tilting and rotating quickly to coat the bottom and sides evenly before the caramel hardens. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool and solidify completely.
  3. 3 Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, softened cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in a blender. Blend on high speed for two minutes until the mixture is perfectly smooth with absolutely no cream cheese lumps remaining.
  4. 4 Pour the blended custard mixture through a fine strainer into the caramel-coated mold to catch any remaining lumps. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to prevent water from the bain-marie from dripping onto the custard surface during baking.
  5. 5 Place the covered mold inside a larger roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for sixty minutes until the custard is set but jiggles slightly.
  6. 6 Remove from water bath and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edge, place a plate on top, and flip decisively so the caramel sauce cascades over the custard.

Did You Know?

Mexican flan is often called flan napolitano not because it comes from Naples but because a popular Mexican cream cheese brand called Napolitano became the standard ingredient. The cream cheese addition is what distinguishes Mexican flan from its Spanish and French cousins.