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A slice of flan on a white plate with a fork taking a piece.
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How To Make Mexican Flan (From Scratch)

Mexican Flan is the ultimate indulgence; light and creamy and yet surprisingly simple to make! Learn how to make this classic dessert with an easy to follow recipe.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 Slices
Calories 509kcal
Author Ana Frias

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender
  • 8 inch baking pan or 6 (4 oz) ramekins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 8 oz Cream Cheese cubed
  • 1 14 oz sweetened condensed milk can
  • 1 12 oz evaporated milk can
  • 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped or use 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the caramel

  • Melt the sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat until it becomes liquid.
    1 cup white sugar
  • Continue cooking and stirring with a wooden spoon until is lightly browned. About 5 minutes.
  • Pour the melted sugar into each ramekin to coat the bottom.
  • While the caramel is still hot and liquid, very carefully ( using oven mitts) swirl the pan around while sugar is still soft to cover bottom and sides. It will get thicker as it cools and eventually harden. 
  • Set aside to cool.

Make the flan mixture

  • Add the remaining of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until well blended.
    1 8 oz Cream Cheese, 1 14 oz sweetened condensed milk can, 1 12 oz evaporated milk can, 1 vanilla bean, 5 large eggs
  • Fill the cake mold or ramekins with the flan mixture.
  • Place the mold or ramekins in a baking pan and fill the pan with enough water to rise about halfway up their sides.
  • Bake for about 1 hr & 15 minutes if baking in a cake mold (about 40 minutes in ramekins) or until the custard is set (it should not feel liquid or loose when tapping ).
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. (see note 2)
  • To serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan and flip the flan out onto a serving platter. Serve with fruit and/or fresh whipped cream.

Notes

  1. Make sure not to use a kitchenaid mixer. This will leave chunks of cream cheese.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. However, I do think that it tastes better when eaten the next day so this makes a great recipe to make ahead!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 220mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 197mg | Sugar: 57g