Ingredients
To make the caramel
1/2 cup**
sugar
**recipe calls for either 1/2 cup or 3/4 of sugar but honestly, 3 to 4 teaspoons is what I usually use for the caramel which it's enough to get a thin layer on the flan. This might be a great option for you if you don't like desserts to be too sweet.
For the flan:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
12oz evaporated milk (lactose free optional)
14oz condensed milk (lactose free optional)
2 tsp vanilla
5 eggs
Lactose Free Variations:
For the cream cheese: you can substitute it with lactose free cottage cheese or with plant based cream cheese, I have used almond milk cream cheese in the past and it tasted great.
For the condensed milk and evaporated milk: I have noticed that lactose free options aren't always available in a lot of small towns/cities, so I use the coconut milk as an alternative of the lactose free option.
Preparation
Step 1 - Making the caramel:
Place the 9in pan on the stove on low heat. Add the sugar and spread it on the pan. The sugar should start melting slowly without burning. Keep a close eye to prevent the sugar from burning. Once it's fully melted, cover de bottom and sides of pan with the caramelized sugar, and remove from. Lets start making the flan mixture while you let the caramel cool.
Step 2 - Making the flan:
Preheat oven to 350.
Put about 4 cups of water to boil.
In your blender, add the cream cheese, condensed milk and vanilla and blend until fully mixed. Then add the eggs and keep blending until everything is mixed together. Lastly add the evaporated milk and blend on low to medium speed until fully mixed to prevent the mixture from getting too bubbly.
Pour the flan mixture into the 9in pan where the caramel should be set and cooled.
Grab a different pan big enough to fit the flan pan to do a water bath. Add the boiling water to the big pan to a level that will allow to cover about 2/3s of the flan pan. Make sure not to get any water in the flan pan.
Carefully place in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes or until the center of the flan is set. If you like a firm consistency allow the top of the flan to turn a little brown without burning it. Remove from the oven.Â
Cool for about one hour on a rack allowing air to flow under the pan.
Refrigerate for about 8 hrs or overnight.Â
Step 2 - Unfolding the flan:
Make sure to use a cake container with a rim. As you can see in the picture below, the container I use has a rim around it. This rim will help contain the caramel without making a mess when transferring it.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan before you turn the flan pan over onto the cake container, you should be able to feel the flan falling into the container. Remove the pan slowly and done! Time to enjoy this delicious dessert!