Eggnog Flan with Cream Cheese
A holiday flan that swaps the usual condensed milk for a full carton of eggnog, with one block of cream cheese blended in for a denser, cheesecake-like custard. It bakes in a water bath in about an hour, then chills until it slides out under a layer of caramel.
Servings: 10 recipe
Calories: 240kcal
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 8-inch round cake pan
- 1 Large baking tray (for the water bath)
- 1 Fine mesh strainer
- 1 Small pot (for caramel)
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 1 MIxing Bowl
- 1 Oven
- 1 Thin knife (for loosening the flan before flipping)
Ingredients
For the Caramel
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Flan
- 3½ cups eggnog
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 5 whole eggs
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a small pot and cook over medium heat until it turns deep amber. Carefully pour into your cake pan and swirl quickly to coat the bottom before it solidifies.⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water
- Add eggnog, softened cream cheese, and eggs to a blender. Blend on low until smooth and fully combined.3½ cups eggnog, 6 oz cream cheese, 5 whole eggs
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove lumps and air bubbles.
- Strain again directly into the caramel-coated cake pan for the smoothest texture.
- Cover tightly with foil. Place the cake pan inside a larger tray filled with hot water (bain-marie). Bake at 350°F for 60–75 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle.
- Let the flan cool briefly, then chill for 4–6 hours, preferably overnight. Run a thin knife around the edges and flip onto a plate to release the glossy caramel top.
Notes
Pan size. Use an 8 inch round cake pan at least 2 inches deep. This makes a large amount of custard, so a shallow pan will overflow in the water bath.
Cream cheese temperature. Soften it fully before blending. Cold cream cheese won't break down and you'll find the lumps in the finished flan.
Blend low, strain twice. Low speed keeps air out, and the double strain catches anything that didn't dissolve. Send the second strain straight into the caramel-lined pan.
Water bath depth. Hot water should come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Too shallow and the center won't set evenly.
Doneness. Start checking at 60 minutes. The edges should be set and the center should move as one piece when you nudge the pan, not slosh. Overbaking is what makes flan taste eggy.
Chill time. 4 to 6 hours minimum, overnight is better. Flipping a flan that's still slightly warm in the center is how it cracks.
Unmolding. Run a thin knife all the way to the bottom, then flip onto a rimmed plate wider than the pan. The caramel comes out as sauce and a flat plate won't hold it.
Make-ahead. Best made 1 to 2 days ahead. Leave it in the pan, covered, and unmold just before serving. Storage: up to 4 days in the fridge. Not recommended for freezing.
Sweetness. This is less sweet than condensed-milk flan. Add a few tablespoons of sugar to the blender if you want it sweeter.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 120mg | Sugar: 21g
