Abuela’s Perfect Flan Recipe

Making this flan de queso was the most nerve wrecking experience I have ever had while making a dessert. Let me share with you a little story about our second Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) in New York City where my friend Stephanie Bulnes, attempted to make flan for dessert. She tried about three times to make it with no success. I called my grandmother, who is the queen of making flan, and asked her what to do. She went on to explain on how to make it, and when I asked her how to cook it she said “mijo just put it in la olla de presion” (just place in the pressure cooker.)

Well Steph tried doing the classic way by putting the flan in a bano maria (hot water bath), and that didn’t work, so I figured why not, let’s try the pressure cooker. Well, let me tell you that it was an EPIC fail. The container holding the flan broke open and part of the flan got burnt, and some of that burnt stuff never came off the pressure cooker and is still there till this day (but my frijoles still come out killer!) 

Anyway, I sucked it up and summed up the courage to attempt make Flan one more time, and it was a success! So, I bring to you Abuela Vivians flan de queso recipe! Also, don’t fret, there are no pressure cookers involved in this recipe!

What is a bano maria (hot water bath)?

It’s exactly what it sounds like, a hot water bath, where you place what you are cooking in really hot water. It’s typically used for cheesecakes, custards, and crème brulees. The key to this is using really hot water, I like to use boiling water. A water bath adds moister to the oven, preventing food from drying out and cracking. It also provides a way for the food to cook more even and at a slower rate. 

I typically use a baking dish, and place what I am baking in the center of the dish in its respected baking pan. After, I add the boiling water halfway up to the pan that the flan is baking in. 

How do you make flan de queso? 

This flan de queso recipe is extremely easy to make. You start off by caramelizing the sugar, by adding one and half cups of sugar to a medium sauce pot. Heat over medium heat, until the sugar starts to melt and become slightly brown. This can quickly overcook, so once it starts to brown and bubble, immediately remove from the heat. After, pour the melted sugar into your baking pan and set aside to cool. 

To make the filling, you are going to add the vanilla, eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and the cream cheese (which gives it the queso [cheese] component) to a blender and puree it. Slowly pour this into the baking pan where the melted sugar is in. Place the baking pan into a baking dish and fill it up halfway with hot boiling water. Cook in a preheated oven at 350F and for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven, and remove the baking pan from the hot water bath and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in it in the fridge.