Mexican Caramel Flan

Mexican Caramel Flan with Cajeta is a rich, creamy caramel custard dessert served in a bundt cake pan with a look of sophistication and decadence.

The use of Cajeta in this flan recipe offers a tasty Mexican twist while the traditional use of cream cheese offers that much-loved creamy texture people have come to know in flan, or creme caramel, as the French call it.

If you love Creme Brulee, and other creamy custard Dessert Recipes, or my Cajeta Empanadas recipe, then you will love this Mexican Caramel Flan with Cajeta.

Table of Contents

• What Is Cajeta?
• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
• How To Make Mexican Caramel Flan
• Recipe Tips
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• FAQs
• More Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

What Is Cajeta?

Cajeta is a creamy caramel similar to Dulce De Leche in that it uses milk in the process of making caramel except since it is a Mexican caramel it uses goat milk while Dulce De Leche uses cow’s milk.

Cajeta even played a role in the history of Mexico’s Independence. Originally created by accident, Cajeta was so delicious ands sweet and transportable, the rebel army loved it. Read about Cajeta’s role in Mexico’s history.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy Recipe. It’s a simple dessert recipe with only 6 ingredients!
• Cajeta. The use of Cajeta as the sweet caramel sauce topping provides a unique tasty variation to ordinary flan.
• Sweet Creaminess. This dessert recipe is best for anyone who loves a sweet and ultra-creamy treat. Who doesn’t love that?
• Texture. The consistency of the flan is thick enough for each piece to jiggle on your spoon before melting in your mouth.

Why This Recipe Works

• Kitchen-Tested. A friend from Mexico gave me this recipe years ago, and this creamy caramel flan with cajeta has been tested numerous times in my kitchen since then, enabling me to guide you through the process with the aid of simple recipe instructions and step-by-step photos.
• FAQs Included. I’ve included frequently asked questions and helpful recipe tips to help ensure success.
• Personalization Tips. Also included are some ideas of how you can customize the recipe to your taste, and also ideas on how you can serve Mexican flan.

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Equipment

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product, which does not increase the price.

• Bundt Cake Pan – This is the bundt pan that I used.
• Flan Mold – Optionally, you can use a traditional flan mold.
• Flan Tart Pan – If you prefer a more shallow pan, then try this flan tart pan.
• MIni Bundt Pan or Mini 4″ Cake Pans if you want to make mini flans for individual servings.

Ingredients

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don’t have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

• Sweetened Condensed Milk. Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. While both are made through the same process, they are strikingly different end products.
• Evaporated Milk. If you don’t have evaporated milk, then use equal parts of cream and regular milk.
• Eggs. It’s best to bring the eggs to room temperature before incorporating them into the other ingredients.
• Vanilla. Ideally, I like to use Mexican Vanilla in this recipe. However, If that is not available, then I recommend using high-quality pure vanilla extract, if available, for the best flavor.
• Cream Cheese. Be sure to use cream cheese in a block and not the cream cheese that is packaged in a tub. You should allow the cream cheese to soften first before using.
• Cajeta. You can use Cajeta or Dulce de Leche. However, if you choose to use Dulce de leche be sure to heat it up first in order to thin it out a bit more so it can be easily drizzled into the mold.

How To Make Mexican Caramel Flan

1. To make the flan mixture, combine all of the ingredients, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, cream cheese, and Cajeta, in a blender leaving out ½ cup of cajeta. Mix until completely combined.

1. Grab a mold, spray it with non-stick spray and use a spoon to drip the ½ cup of cajeta on the bottom of the mold.
2. Line the pan with a thin layer of cajeta.

1. Pour the flan mixture on top of the layer of cajeta inside the mold.

• Cover with aluminum foil until fully sealed.
• Place the baking dish in a large pan or pot, making sure the baking dish fits sitting down inside the pan. Pour about 1 inch of very hot water in.
• Cook over medium heat for 1 hour making sure there is still water in the bottom of the pan. If you see that it is evaporating completely add a bit more.

• Let cool completely for at least two hours.
• Turn over on a platter and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Cool. It’s important to allow the flan to cool completely before serving as this will help the flan to set. It’s also going to make it easier for you to remove the flan from the bundt cake mold.
• Faster Option. To help speed up the cooling process, place the mold in an ice bath or in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried cooling the flan down in the freezer but I see no reason why you can’t. Just make sure to check on it frequently as you don’t want frozen flan.
• Smooth. To ensure that your flan is ultra-smooth and does not have any bubbles, pass the blended mixture through a fine sieve before adding it to the cake mold.
• Water Level. Make sure to regularly check the water level of the pan. When you notice that some of the water has evaporated, top it off again with a little more water.

Variations

• Single Serving Flans. To make single-serving flans, use ramekins, small bowls, or glass dishes that can withstand high temperatures. You will need to reduce the cooking time from 1-hour to approximately 45 minutes.
• Ricotta. Another option is making flan with ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese. However, if you do, make sure that the ricotta cheese is high-quality whole-milk ricotta, and if it’s a bit watery, be sure to strain it until it’s a little sturdier in thickness.
• Dulce De Leche. You can also use Dulce de leche instead of Cajeta, although you may want to heat it up in order to thin it out because that will make it easier to pour or drizzle in the mold.
• More Cajeta. For a more intense Cajeta flavor, try adding 3/4 cup cajeta, instead of just 1/2 cup, directly into the flan mixture when blending the ingredients.
• Non-Stick Mold. If you don’t have a bundt cake mold, or would prefer to use a different mold, consider a round non-stick mold that is 9 or 10 inches in diameter and at least 2-1/2 inches tall.
• Oven Bake. While I’ve made this flan with cajeta on the stovetop, you can certainly bake it in the oven using the same process listed in this recipe for the water bath but setting the oven to 325 – 350 degrees F.

Serving Suggestions

While this creamy caramel flan with cajeta is absolutely scrumptious as is, you could sprinkle the top with shredded coconut, thinly sliced almonds, or fresh berries such as raspberries as a pretty garnish. 

A scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or additional caramel sauce can also be served with this flan. 

FAQs

More Recipes

• Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
• Mexican Wedding Cookies
• Arroz Con Leche – (IP Mexican Rice Pudding)
• Cajeta Empanada

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