Best White Chocolate Flan Recipe | Easy Cream Cheese Flan
There’s something truly magical about a well-made flan, especially when it brings together unexpected ingredients to create a dessert that’s both familiar and uniquely indulgent. Enter the White Chocolate Flan, a creamy, luscious dessert that takes the classic flan to new heights. This recipe combines the richness of white chocolate with the tangy smoothness of cream cheese and mascarpone, resulting in a dessert that is as elegant as it is comforting.
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The Best White Chocolate Flan Recipe
This White Chocolate Flan is not your typical flan. The addition of white chocolate, cream cheese, and mascarpone gives it a velvety texture and an indulgent flavor that will have everyone asking for seconds. Whether you’re making it for a special occasion or just because, this flan is sure to impress.
Notes on Ingredients
- White Sugar and Brown Sugar: The combination of these sugars creates a deep, rich caramel that forms the base of the flan. Be sure to watch the caramel closely as it cooks to avoid burning.
- White Chocolate: This adds a subtle sweetness and creaminess to the flan. Melt it carefully to avoid scorching.
- Cream Cheese and Mascarpone: These ingredients give the flan its rich and creamy texture, making it smoother than a traditional flan.
- Evaporated and Sweetened Condensed Milk: These are key to achieving the flan’s signature consistency and sweetness.
- Eggs: Essential for binding the ingredients together and giving the flan its structure.
How to Make White Chocolate Flan
- Prepare the Caramel: Start by combining white and brown sugar with water in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Once it begins to boil, stop stirring to prevent crystallization. Cook until the sugar reaches a light golden brown color, then pour it into your baking dish and allow it to harden.
- Make the Flan Mixture: Melt the white chocolate in short intervals in the microwave, stirring after each interval to ensure it melts evenly without scorching. In a separate bowl, cream together the softened cream cheese, mascarpone, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and the melted white chocolate until smooth.
- Bake: Pour the flan mixture over the hardened caramel in the baking dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and fill the pan with water to create a water bath. Bake the flan in a preheated oven at 325°F (165°C) for about an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Chill and Serve: Once baked, refrigerate the flan for 5-6 hours until completely chilled. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the dish, then invert the flan onto a plate.
How to Serve White Chocolate Flan
Serve the White Chocolate Flan as a stunning dessert at your next dinner party. It pairs beautifully with fresh berries or a drizzle of extra caramel sauce. For an added touch of elegance, garnish with a few white chocolate curls.
How to Store White Chocolate Flan
Store any leftover flan in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 days. If the caramel hardens after chilling, you can gently warm the flan in a microwave-safe dish before serving.
FAQs About White Chocolate Flan
Can I use dark chocolate instead of white chocolate?
While the recipe is designed for white chocolate, you can experiment with dark chocolate. However, keep in mind that this will significantly change the flavor profile.
What if my caramel hardens before I can pour it into the dish?
If the caramel hardens in the saucepan, simply reheat it gently until it softens again, then proceed with pouring.
Can I make this flan ahead of time?
Yes, this flan can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. In fact, it often tastes better after chilling overnight, as the flavors have time to meld together.
The Best White Chocolate Flan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 12 ounce package white chocolate chips
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 8 ounce container mascarpone cheese
- 1 12 fluid ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Combine white and brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar completely, but stop stirring once the mixture comes to a boil to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
- Swirl the pan gently to redistribute the caramel as the sugar begins to darken. Cook to about 310 degrees F (160 degrees C), or until the sugar turns light golden brown. Remove from heat immediately, as sugar will continue to darken.
- Pour the caramel in an 8-inch baking dish, coating the bottom and sides of the dish. Let caramel harden, about 5 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.
- Cream together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and melted white chocolate in a bowl until smooth.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the hardened caramel.
- Place baking dish in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with about 1-inch water.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Refrigerate until completely chilled, 5 to 6 hours. To serve, run a paring knife along the edges of the baking dish to loosen the flan. Cover the baking dish with a plate, and invert it to tip the flan out of the pan and onto the plate.
Notes
