Puerto Rican Flan de Queso is extra creamy, rich and topped with plenty of caramel sauce. It's perfect anytime, especially served during the holidays and family get-togethers. So easy to make and always a favorite.
At our house, flan isn't something we overthink. We make it all the time, but there are a few we always go back to on repeat: flan de vainilla, flan de coco, flan de café, flancocho… and of course, flan de queso puertorriqueño! This one is a little creamier and a little richer than the others because it's made with cream cheese. The cream cheese doesn't change the flavor in any dramatic way, it just makes the texture smoother and softer. It's still classic flan, just with a little extra creaminess.
I usually like to make any flan I make, the day before so it has time to fully chill overnight. By the next day, it’s perfectly chilled and easily unmolds. Once it hits our family table, it usually doesn't last long.
Ingredients
*See my recipe card below the post for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.*
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the Caramel Sauce
Add the sugar to a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar fully melts and turns an amber color. This can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient and avoid increasing the heat (Images 1&2).
3. Coat the Mold
Immediately pour the hot caramel into the flan mold or molds, being very careful as the sugar is extremely hot. Tilt and swirl the mold to evenly coat the bottom and sides (Image 3). Set aside.
4. Prepare the Custard
Add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, vanilla extract and the cream cheese to a blender (Images 4&5).
5. Blend
Blend on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth (Image 6). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining bits of egg or cream cheese (Image 7) that didn’t blend correctly. The mixture will be nice and smooth, ready to pour into the mold/s (Image 8).
6. Assemble
Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold/s. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Note: You may hear a crackling sound when the custard hits the caramel. This is normal.
7. Water Bath (Baño María)
Place the flan mold inside a larger baking dish. Carefully pour hot water into the larger dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan mold (Image 9). Bake for 1 hour to 1½ hours, or until set.
8. Cool and Chill
After 1 hour, remove the flan from the oven and check doneness by inserting a toothpick or butter knife into the center, it should come out clean. If not, cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven (Image 10) and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.
9. Unmold and Serve
When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the mold. Place a serving plate on top and carefully invert (Image 11). The flan should release easily onto the plate with the caramel sauce flowing over the top. Slice and serve.
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Melting the sugar. Melt the sugar over low heat and don't rush it. Turning the heat up too high can cause the sugar to burn instead of caramelize.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Let the eggs and cream cheese sit out for a bit before blending. This helps everything blend together smoothly and keeps the custard from getting grainy.
- Straining the custard. I like to always strain my custard even if it looks smooth. Straining removes all the tiny egg bits and cream cheese pieces that didn’t blend, which gives you a perfect silky texture.
- Molds. Use any oven safe mold or for individual servings, use oven safe ramekins.
- Water bath. Always use a water bath (baño María) for your flan. The bath helps the flan cook gently and evenly, without it, the flan will curdle and crack.
- Chill overnight. Flan de queso sets best with time. A full overnight chill will always taste better, gives you cleaner slices and much better texture.
- Silkier vs. Creamier Flan: The number of eggs you use will change the texture of your flan. Fewer eggs give you a softer, silkier flan, while more eggs make it denser and creamier. If you want a very silky flan, use 4 eggs. For something in between silky and creamy, use 5 eggs. For a richer, denser flan, use 6 eggs. This recipe uses 6 eggs, which is how my family and I prefer it.
FAQ’s
No. The cream cheese doesn't make it taste like cheesecake at all. It simply makes the flan smoother and a little richer while keeping the classic flan flavor.
This is will always happen and is normal. The caramel will harden as it cools and then melt again while baking in the water bath.
The center will be mostly set but still have a slight jiggle. A toothpick or knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean when fully cooked.
Yes. Flan de queso is best made a day ahead so it has time to fully chill and set.
Cover the flan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
It will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator.
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📖 Recipe
Flan de Queso
Equipment
- baking mold or multiple single serving molds
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1½ cups sugar
Flan Mixture
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 14 ounce can condensed milk
- 1 8 ounce cream cheese set out of refrigerator for a litte while to soften before use
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the Caramel Sauce
- Add the sugar to a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar fully melts and turns an amber color. This can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient and avoid increasing the heat.
Coat the Mold
- Immediately pour the hot caramel into the flan mold or molds, being very careful as the sugar is extremely hot. Tilt and swirl the mold to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
Prepare the Custard
- Add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, vanilla extract and the cream cheese to a blender.
Blend
- Blend on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining bits of egg or cream cheese that didn't blend correctly. The mixture will be nice and smooth, ready to pour into the mold/s.
Assemble
- Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold/s. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.Note: You may hear a crackling sound when the custard hits the caramel. This is normal.
Water Bath (Baño María)
- Place the flan mold inside a larger baking dish. Carefully pour hot water into the larger dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan mold. Bake for 1 hour to 1½ hours, or until set.
Cool and Chill
- After 1 hour, remove the flan from the oven and check doneness by inserting a toothpick or butter knife into the center, it should come out clean. If not, cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.
Unmold and Serve
- When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the mold. Place a serving plate on top and carefully invert. The flan should release easily onto the plate with the caramel sauce flowing over the top. Slice and serve.
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