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.

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.