The Best Cheesecake Flan You’ll Ever Eat
Looking for a mouth-watering romantic dessert to melt someone’s heart? Try the best cheesecake flan recipe you’ll ever eat! This heart-shaped cheesecake (flan de queso) is sure to please.
This is a feast for the eyes AND the taste buds. But don’t take my word for it…
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Flan de Queso Recipe – What to Expect
Imagine a creme brûlée and traditional cheesecake got together and had a baby. That’s what this cheesecake flan recipe tastes like!
Much like my mini heart-shaped cheesecakes, this flan has a rich and spongy texture that clings to the fork. The caramelized topping adds a sticky, gooey syrup that drips over the edge.
You’ll want to soak up every last bit of those sweet drippings, too!
This is the type of dessert that holds its own with minimal plating or garnishes, but you may choose to add some acidity with slices of mandarin orange, raspberries, or other fruit.
For strawberry lovers, you’ll also want to try my easy strawberry cheesecake recipe chock-full of strawberries in a special fruit glaze.
Recipe Supplies
To begin making this caramelized cheesecake flan recipe, you’ll need the following supplies.
Baking supplies
- Heart shaped pan or cake pan
- 14 x 10-inch cake pan (large enough to fully contain smaller cake pan)
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Large bowl for mixing (if using hand mixer)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 (8-oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Shortening or non-stick spray to grease pan
- Optional garnish: Mandarin orange, strawberries, raspberries, pecans, blueberries or mint leaves
Time: 30 minutes to prepare; 1 hour cook time, 3 hours to set
For my special valentine cheesecake flan recipe, I purchased this heart shaped cake pan. (Click below to grab your own.)
Caramelized Cheesecake Flan Recipe (Flan de Queso)
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease the cake pan with shortening or a non-stick spray.
2. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat. Stir the sugar constantly until it melts and turns a light caramel color.
3. Immediately pour the syrup into the cake pan to coat the bottom.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer at low speed, and add egg yolks until smooth. Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk, milk, vanilla, and salt until blended. Then, pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
5. Set the heart-shaped pan inside the larger 14 x 10-inch cake pan. Then, fill the larger pan with hot water until it comes halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until set.
6. Remove the flan de queso from the oven and let cool slightly. Next, place plastic wrap over the pan, and keep the flan refrigerated until well chilled (at least 3 hours).
More Dessert Recipes to Try
Serving the Cheesecake Flan
To serve, use a spatula to loosen the edges of the flan from the cake pan. Place a dessert platter over the pan, and invert the flan onto the platter like you would a typical cake.
The caramel will drip onto the sides, so be prepared for a gooey surprise! You can then garnish the flan with orange slices, strawberries, raspberries, mint leaves, or the fruit of your choice.
Special credit goes to my mother who shared the recipe and demonstrated the steps for this post! You won’t want to miss her authentic Mexican empanadas with pumpkin filling while you’re here.
Feel free to print the full cheesecake flan recipe below, and don’t forget to pin this for later!
You can also share your creations with me on Instagram @firstdayofhome.
Caramelized Cheesecake Flan (Flan de Queso)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 packages cream cheese (8 ounce packages)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce can)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease the cake pan with shortening or non-stick spray.
- In a 1-quart small saucepan, heat sugar over low-medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes a light caramel color.
- Immediately pour the syrup into the cake pan to coat the bottom.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at low speed. Add egg yolks and continue beating until smooth.
- Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk, milk, vanilla and salt until blended. Then, pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Place the cheesecake flan inside a larger 14 x 10-inch cake pan. Fill the larger pan with water until it comes halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until set.
- Remove the cheesecake flan from the oven, cover with plastic wrap after cooling slightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- To serve, loosen the sides of the pan with a knife, place a dessert platter on top, and flip the cheesecake flan over onto the plate. Garnish with fruit as desired.
Crissy, this dessert looks amazing! Thank you for the step-by-step instructions. I’m going to try to make this very very soon!
Oh, thanks so much, Linda! I hope you do enjoy it. It’s one of my favorites. Have a great Valentine’s Day!
What a beautiful Valentine’s day dessert, Crissy!! The recipe is easy to follow!! I quickly gathered my ingredients and couldn’t wait to try it …..AND taste your fabulous cheesecake flan!! It was as great as it looks!! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, NC! I’m thrilled that you tried it!! I hope you’ll enjoy sharing it with your friends or family…if you decide to share. 😉
This looks like a beautiful and delicious dessert! I love that it’s gluten free too! Pinning!!
Thank you, Lynne! I hope you’ll get to try it sometime! Thanks for pinning!
What a beautiful Valentine’s day dessert, Crissy!! The recipe is easy to follow!! I quickly gathered my ingredients and couldn’t wait to try it …..AND taste your fabulous cheesecake flan!! It was as great as it looks!! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my! This cake is so beautiful and I was thrilled to see that the ingredients are gluten free!
Thank you, Leslie! I can’t believe I didn’t realize that before. I’ll have to share the recipe with my friend who can only eat gluten-free foods. I’ll share your site with her as well. 🙂
That is so kind of you Crissy! Thanks again and I have pinned your recipe!
I have never tried cheesecake I think I could make this recipe. So beautiful for Valentine’s Day.
Thanks! I hope you do try it, Susan. It’s very easy to bake and tastes so delicious!
This is a beautiful dessert and does not appear to be as difficult to make as I thought. I might actually have to try this, my family would love it. Pinning for later.
Thanks, Sonya! It’s so easy to make. I think the idea of making “cheesecake” sounds complicated, but this flan version is super simple.
Oh my! This cake is so beautiful and I was thrilled to see that the ingredients are gluten free!
This looks SO delicious Chrissy!!!
Thanks, Kendra! I have to admit, it’s a hit in this house!
My husband loves flan!! I’ll be trying this recipe for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing! 💕
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Lauren! It’s quite delicious! 🍮
This looks delicious! YUM
>> Christene
Thanks, Christene! It hasn’t lasted long here in our house.
Crissy this looks so yummy!! I love the blueberries around the edge!
Thanks, Cindy! It was fun to make and even more fun to eat! 🙂
If this taste as delicious as it looks then I’m in trouble. Beautiful presentation too! Pinning!
You’re so sweet, Michelle. Thank you! I’m biased, but I think it tastes delicious!
Your boys must LOVE you!!!! Cheesecake galore! 😉 Pinned!
LOL! They never protest the desserts! Thanks, Julie! 😉