Today I’m super excited because Spanish flan de queso is one of my father’s favorite desserts. This is the silkiest flan that you will ever taste. The texture — and of course the flavor — is unbelievably rich and creamy.
Spanish flan de queso is like the love child between a cheesecake and a Venezuelan quesillo. It has the flavor of the quesillo but the texture is 100 cheesecake like.
The top is covered with a delicious caramel that is pretty simple to make and it is the finishing touch for this ultra-creamy flan. The key is to heat 8 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. No water, just lemon juice. This will add enough moisture for the caramel to be runny enough to cover the bottom of the flan molds.
This recipe will serve 6-8 individual flan molds (my favorite way because everyone has their portion already measured and equal) or an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan.
That’s the part that I love the most about this recipe. Simple and cheap ingredients that make a luxury and silky dessert with a few steps and it works E-VE-RY-TI-ME.
I hope you enjoy this creamy dessert and I see you in the next recipe!
Spanish Flan de Queso
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 175 gr cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the caramel
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 8 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF)
- Beat the cream cheese using a hand mixer and add the milk, the condensed milk, the sugar, and the vanilla extract. Mix in low speed to avoid splatters all over your kitchen.
- Add the eggs one by one mixing slowly.
- To prepare the caramel heat the sugar in a small pot and when it starts to melt pour the lemon juice slowly. Be careful because the caramel will be super hot and it can splash out. Stir with the help of a wooden spatula and remove from the heat as soon as the caramel is shiny and brown. Quickly pour the caramel into the individual flan molds or the big pan loaf. Spread through the entire bottom of the pan.
- Pour the flan mix into the molds. Use a bigger pan that has at least 3 inches long and pour 1 inch of water. Place the individual mold into the bigger pan (this technique is called a water bath or “baño de maría” in Spanish) . Cover the individual molds with aluminum foil and take it to the oven for 25 minutes covered and 10 minutes without the foil to get a nice golden color.
- Let it chill for 30 minutes and then take to the fridge for at least 2 hours before unmolding and serving.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.