Flan de Queso

Flan de queso is a decadent and creamy flan made with cream cheese and topped with caramel. This is possibly one of my favorite versions of flan. Traditionally enjoyed in Latin America, but the recipe is so easy, it has become part of my dessert rotation. The best part is that the recipe requires only six ingredients.

Notes:

• Caramel – you don’t need to add water or liquids to make the caramel. It only takes sugar and patience. Cook the sugar on medium heat and let it go. Try not to stir it until you see the sugar start to bubble. Also, I learned the hard way that you do not want to start with medium high or high heat as the sugar will cook too quickly and get burnt.
• Water bath – add enough water to a pan that is larger than the one you are using to bake the flan in. Fill it less than halfway, keeping in mind that some water will be displaced when you place the pan in the water bath. Alternatively, you can add the pan inside the larger pan and then add enough water to come halfway up the pan or about an inch deep.
• Smoothness – Straining the mixture through a fine mesh sieve after blending is not required, but I like the extra smooth texture of straining out the large chunks that didn’t get blended up. If you don’t mind it, just skip this step.

Flan de Queso

Time: 4.5 hours (including inactive time)
Serves: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Fill a pan with hot water to prepare the water bath.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar. Don’t stir until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Cook until you get dark amber colored caramel. Carefully pour the caramel into an 8 or 9-inch round baking dish, tilting the dish to evenly coat the bottom and one inch up the side of the dish. Let it sit and harden.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 30-45 seconds.
4. Pour the blended mixture through a strainer over the hardened caramel in the baking dish.
5. Place the baking dish in a large pan. Add more hot water as needed to cover about an inch up the side of the baking dish.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the flan is set around the edges, but top is jiggly.
7. Remove the baking dish and the water bath from the oven and let it cool in the water bath for an hour.
8. After an hour, refrigerate the flan for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
9. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the flan to loosen it. Invert a serving plate over the baking dish, then flip to release the flan onto the plate. The caramel will flow over the top, creating a delicious sauce.
10. Enjoy!