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This delicious flan is one of the many variations. It is simple to make using only cream cheese, eggs, and milk yet it leaves a nostalgic flavor to the taste buds.
The main ingredient in Flan De Queso is Caramel Sauce and cheese. Caramel Sauce is a perfect blend of sugar and water over medium heat. You can purchase Hershey’s Caramel Syrup from a retail store but it will not have the same effect as a homemade Caramel Sauce. In this guide, I will also cover how to make a perfect homemade Caramel Sauce and use it to exemplify your Flan De Queso that you can make in one of these best flan pans.
What is Special About Flan De Queso?
No doubt, there is a myriad of flan recipes that you can look for and use in any of these best flans. Ranging from flavors such as coconut and pumpkin to the well-liked chocolate taste – any flavor you can think of a flan of that flavor already exists. Even so, many people gravitate towards cheese.
Now imagine the flavor of a soft, smooth, and creamy cheese combined with a custard cake traced in vanilla essence. This mixture of milk, cream, and cheese that you get in the form of Flan De Queso is surreal. To top it all off comes the Caramel Sauce with its candy flavor that makes you want to keep coming back for more.
Which Sugar to Use in Caramel Syrup?
The caramel sauce recipe can be made using granulated sugar or raw white sugar. It is up to you to choose from both of these types but know that there will be differences in the color of the caramel syrup and the basic taste.
The use of raw sugar will give Flan De Queso’s caramel sauce a dark color but the taste will be rich in sweetness. On the other hand, if you prefer a softer flavor go for white granulated sugar which will result in golden caramel syrup.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of Evaporated milk
- 14 ounces of Condensed milk
- 4 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 8 ounces of Cream cheese
How to Make the Best Flan De Queso At Home?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Over low-medium flame, heat the sugar with a ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan. Carefully stir the sugar until it fully dissolves. This can take 10 to 15 minutes. In the last 3 minutes, turn the heat from medium to high and boil the mixture. Turn off the heat and slowly add another ¼ cup of water. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. The Caramel Syrup for your Flan De Queso is ready. Immediately, pour the caramel Syrup inside a flan pan and evenly coat the sides. You can store it in the refrigerator for at most 2 weeks.
In a bowl of a mixer, add evaporated milk and cream cheese. Mix the batter with a paddle until it turns smooth. Beat eggs into the flan batter, one at a time. Mix sweet, condensed milk and vanilla essence into the flan batter. Strain the batter into a dish. Straining is important because it ensures that no cheese lumps are left behind.
Pour the batter into the flan pan that has been coated with caramel syrup. Place the flan pan in a large roasting dish which I will use as a water bath. Fill it ½ with boiling water. Bake for one hour. Let the flan cool for 5 minutes.
Invert the flan pan onto a platter and refrigerate your delicious Flan De Queso that is ready to be served!
Things to Remember Before Making Flan De Queso:
Your Flan De Queso should be smooth to an appropriate extent so that the shape remains intact. I recommend that you keep the texture of the flan creamy but not too creamy so that it becomes saccharine.
For many people, their hard work in making Flan De Queso wastes because either their flan has a repugnant eggy flavor or the lumpy cheese layer ruins the texture of your flan. The surface of the flan needs to be kept as smooth as possible which can be ruined with air pockets that may form giving a grainy texture. You need to be extra careful while making the caramel syrup as even seconds of diversion can result in Burnt Caramel.
Tips for making an ideal Flan De Queso:
1. Keep the number of eggs used as minimum as possible
People use a varying number of eggs for their Flan De Queso and the number is usually around 4 to 8. I do not recommend using more than 5 eggs in your flan, not only in Flan De Queso but in any type of Flan that you may make. The more eggs you will use, the firmer your flan will become and I do not want that. I prefer the flan to be as smooth and soft as possible.
Furthermore, I have tested that 6 or more eggs in a flan result in a super eggy flavor. Keep in mind that in Flan De Queso, our emphasis will be on creamy cheese and caramelized sauce, not the eggs.
2. Do not whisk the flan batter
When you whisk the batter, it introduces unwanted air bubbles into the mixture. This gives a grainy texture to the flan and compromises the appearance. To avoid this issue, use a paddle to mix the batter instead of a whisk. Temperature also plays an important role in preventing the formation of grains. Do not cook your flan at a very high temperature as it will result in curdles. I suggest using a low flame and a water bath to ensure smooth heat dissipation.
3. Keep the ingredients at room temperature
Our tests show that when all ingredients are kept at room temperature, your flan does not become chunky as it does for most people. Therefore, to avoid lumping up the cheese in your Flan De Queso dessert, store the cheese and the eggs to be used in the recipe at room temperature.
4. Pay special attention to the Caramel Syrup
If you are opting to make a homemade caramel sauce, the problems you will encounter regarding the syrup are either burnt caramel or too much crystallized caramel. A perfect solution to both of these problems is to keep the flame heat low and avoid stirring the sugar. You can swirl the pot at regular intervals but over-stirring can cause the melting sugar to crystalline.
My Flan De Queso Went Wrong. How to Fix it?
In the first few tries, you may not get the expected results while making Flan De Queso. Several things can go wrong, here are some common challenges you may face, while making this flan.
- If your flan is not good in texture and feels too rubbery or dense, it happens due to overcooking. You can fix this issue by making a caramel sauce and pouring it onto the flan when it is warm. The sauce will moisten the flan and improve its texture.
- Another challenge is the cracked or curdled flan. If this happens, cover the flan with whipped cream or fruit compote to cover the misshaping.
- If there is a flavor issue, you can resolve it by adding complementary sauces like chocolate, sprinkles, or cinnamon.
- Sometimes, imbalanced sugar also disturbs the flavor profile of flan. If the flan is too sweet, serve it with tart berry sauce; In case of low sugar, pour caramel syrup or sweetened milk.
Related Recipes You Can Try
Flan De Queso
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Evaporated milk
- 14 ounces Condensed milk
- 4 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 8 ounces Cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Over low-medium flame, heat the sugar with a ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan. Carefully stir the sugar until it fully dissolves.This can take 10 to 15 minutes. In the last 3 minutes, turn the heat from medium to high and boil the mixture.Turn off the heat and slowly add another ¼ cup of water.Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. The Caramel Syrup for your Flan De Queso is ready. Immediately, pour the caramel Syrup inside a flan pan and evenly coat the sides. You can store it in the refrigerator for at most 2 weeks.
- In a bowl of a mixer, add evaporated milk and cream cheese. Mix the batter with a paddle until it turns smooth.Beat eggs into the flan batter, one at a time. Mix sweet, condensed milk and vanilla essence to the flan batter.Strain the batter into a dish. Straining is important because it ensures that no cheese lumps are left behind.
- Pour the batter into the flan pan that has been coated with caramel syrup. Place the flan pan in a large roasting dish which we will use as a water bath.Fill it ½ with boiling water. Bake for one hour. Let the flan cool for 5 minutes.
- Invert the flan pan onto a platter and refrigerate your delicious Flan De Queso that is ready to be served!
