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Flan Napolitano, or Mexican cream cheese flan, is a classic custard dessert that’s rich, silky, and capped with a glossy layer of caramel. The cream cheese adds body and a subtle tang giving it a deeper, more complex flavor.
Baked gently in individual jars or a larger pan, it unmolds into a golden, velvety custard with its own pool of caramel sauce. It’s a make-ahead dessert that’s easy enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for guests.
Flan Napolitano is a classic Mexican dessert often served at gatherings and holidays, just like my Pork Tamales.
Here’s Why This Cream Cheese Flan Recipe Works
Cream cheese adds richness: It deepens the custard, giving it a hint of cheesecake body while staying true to classic silky Mexican flan.
Perfectly portioned: Individual ramekins bake evenly in a water bath (Bain Marie), so each serving chills, flips, and unmolds with ease.
Strain for velvet texture: A quick pass through a sieve removes any lumps or air, ensuring a creamy custard that sets flawlessly.
Real caramel topping: Made from sugar and water cooked until amber. Real caramel from scratch makes the glossy sauce flan is known for.
Recipe Tips
Warm the ramekins first: Pouring hot caramel into cold glass can cause cracks. A gentle pre-warm keeps them safe.
Caramel keeps cooking: Stop when it reaches a light honey color. It will darken as it sits off the heat.
Stir, don’t whip: Use a spoon and mix slowly. Blenders or vigorous whisking add air bubbles that ruin the silky texture. Just like with my Vanilla Pastry Cream, whisking gently keeps the custard smooth and free of air bubbles.
Check early: Start testing for doneness around 30 minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil and finish baking.
Chill completely: Let the flan rest in the fridge at least 6 hours. This sets the custard and allows the caramel to fully meld into the dessert.
Mexican Flan Napolitano
Flan Napolitano is creamy, silky, and crowned with a glossy caramel sauce that melts right into the custard. The cream cheese gives it a richer body than traditional flan, while the slow bake keeps it soft and creamy.
Serve it chilled straight from the mold, and you’ve got a make-ahead dessert that feels elegant but is easy enough to pull off anytime. For a seasonal variation, try my Pumpkin Flan, which brings the same creamy texture with autumn flavor.
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Flan Napolitano (Cream Cheese Flan)
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Ingredients
Caramel Syrup:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
For the Custard:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks, whisked briefly with a fork
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F
Make the caramel syrup:
- Fill a tea kettle with water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer while preparing the syrup and custard.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar and water together. Stir gently until the sugar has melted. Once the sugar has melted only stir occasionally to make sure there are not hot spots. Cook until it is light amber in color.
- Carefully spoon 2-3 tablespoons of hot syrup into each of 6 individual small oven-proof dishes. An example would be pyrex custard dishes. I used the half-pint, wide mouth Mason jars.
Make the custard:
- In a medium size bowl, add the cream cheese and slowly, in increments, add the condensed milk, stirring to keep the mixture smooth. Add the evaporated milk, the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla then mix together. Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer that has been set over a large bowl and strain out any egg particles or lumps.
- Place the individual dishes into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Ladle the custard mixture into the prepared dishes. Set the pan with the custards in the oven and pour hot water into the pan so it comes half-way up the sides of the custards.
- Bake for 40 minutes, (check after 30 minutes and cover with a sheet of foil if custards begin to brown) until a knife inserted into the center of one custard comes clean. Do not over cook. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the hot water, then remove from the water and refrigerate to cool completely.
- Allow the flan to sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours which will give time for the caramel sauce to liquify into the custard.
- To serve, insert a knife between the custard and the dish to loosen the custard. Carefully invert the dish onto serving plates and garnish if desired.
- These custards will keep for 3 to 5 days refrigerated.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Thanks for the recipe. Mine came out very dense like cheesecake. I was hoping to have a little lighter and more custard like. Not sure if it was suppose to have a cheesecake consistency. Perhaps I should try a regular flan recipe next time. My caramel didn’t turn out very well either. First time, it turned into rocks but no amber color. The next time was better but hardened a little too much when I put it in the fridge. I’m sure its my error since I’ve never done this before but overall a good learning experience.
Oh yes, flan Napolitano is made with cream cheese so it does have a thicker texture. The flan needs to sit for at least 6 hours for the caramel to liquify. We usually make it at least a day in advance. The longer the flan sits, the better the caramel will melt. Make sure you don’t pour the caramel sauce in too thick of a layer or it won’t melt all the way.
I’m not a huge follower of flan in all, but your own look so scrumptious I’m actually food craving one currently! This flan is absolutely image excellent! And that mason jar suggestion is brilliant! I never would have believed doing it in jars, but it makes complete feeling!
Hi, Emma….thanks for responding to our post. This flan is so smooth, creamy and delicious. The jars are perfect and Mason makes a smaller size as well that is great for smaller portions. I hope you enjoy the flan.
I’m not a big fan of flan at all, but yours look so delicious I’m actually craving one now! And thanks for the tip about warming the ramekins first – I never knew that.
Thank you, Nicola….this would make a delicious dessert for anytime 🙂
This flan is absolutely picture-perfect! And that mason jar tip is genius–I never would have thought doing it in jars, but it makes complete sense!
Hi, Elizabeth…..Thank you for your comments, I love those little jars, they are not just for jams and jellies 🙂
I love how similar dishes tend to spread across the world, this looks so similar to creme caramel which is just delicious
Hi, Brian….thanks for your comments, these are similar to the French creme brûlée as well. 🙂
Oh my goodness! This looks like the perfect dessert. Love it!
Thank you, Sabrina….yes, it is perfect and perfectly delicious 🙂
Hi! I plan to try these on my free time, just have a few question, how long will these last if i will put it on a fridge and if I don’t? And can I use a steamer instead of the Oven? Thank you!
Hi, Selle…These desserts are egg and milk-based custards and should be refrigerated. They will keep for three to five days in the frige. I have not had any experience with cooking these in a steamer, if you do try this method I would love to hear back from you as to how it turned out. Thanks for your comments 🙂
Is this something I could make a day or 2 in advance before serving?
Hi, June….Absolutely! Keep it covered and in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks!
I’ve noticed that some recipes, people cover the jar etc with aluminium foil – did you cover yours as well? Also is that basil you used as garnish on the side? 🙂
Hi, June…I did not cover the jars until they cooled and I was ready to refrigerate them. If you do not want to use the jar lids/bands to cover them you could cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. In the pictures that is a sprig of mint that I used as a garnish. 🙂
Ma’am I have been looking for a dish like this. a flan inside a jar. I have lots of question.
1. Is there any jar requirements so that jars wont break?
2. I would love to see a video of this. please.
3. What do you mean exactly by “It is a good idea to have the custard dishes warm/hot prior to adding the hot caramel syrup. I did not and one of my jars cracked”?
you’re a blessing. I hope you can give me your insights. thanks a lot.
Hi, Jan….I am happy you found our site…Thank you for your comments. First question….yes, the jar needs to be heat-proof and the short wide-mouth Mason canning jars hold 8 ounces. Second….Unfortunately, we are still newbies in photography and we do not have a video available. We are working on that and hopefully, we will someday be able to begin producing videos. Last question…This is a safety suggestion, just warm the cold jar a bit before adding the hot caramel to it as there is always the possibility the difference in temperatures between the cold jar and hot custard could cause the jar to crack or break. I hope this clarifies the process, enjoy your yummy flan 🙂
P.S. You can absolutely use a plain oven-proof custard dish but I do like the little jars and they also have lids to add when you refrigerate them.
Beautiful photos. I really want to try this flan now. I discovered your site from the Food Blogger Pro facebook pinning group.
Thank you, Faith…I am happy you found our site. I hope you try the recipe, it is delish! 🙂