Coconut Cream Cheese Flan (Flan De Coco)

OMG!!!! This coconut cream cheese flan (flan de coco) recipe is out of this world. And I don't even like flan like that. But this...THIS! The cream cheese is the key here, it lends a velvety, almost cheesecake-like texture to the flan, and prevents any of that rubbery egginess that some bad flans are known for. The coconut cream lends the perfect amount of tropical sweetness to the mix. This is a classic coconut flan recipe that your friends and family will beg for over and over again.

Let me share some important tips before you get started, to make sure you end up with a spectacular flan. First, caramel is a pain in the butt to make. To minimize any potential issues, once you combine the sugar and water, stir to combine, then don't stir it again until you're ready to add the butter. Stirring while it cooks will cause some sugar to crystallize on the edge of the pan, and can cause the caramel to crystallize.

Also, don't overmix your flan mixture. Excess bubbles will cause bubbles to form while cooking, leaving your flan with a speckled exterior that's not super smooth.

Custard
5 large eggs + 1 egg yolk*
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz package of cream Cheese, room temp
1 15oz can cream of coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of salt

*NOTE: Don't have large eggs? Don't worry. Use this handy egg conversion chart to figure out how many eggs you should use based on the size you have.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Melt the sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture turn a deep golden color, remove it from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the caramel into the pan you're going to make the flan in.

Tilt the pan to evenly coat the bottom with caramel. It will harden quickly, so work fast!

Set the pan aside to cool while you make the custard.

To make the custard, pour the eggs, egg yolk, coconut cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt into a blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until it's nice and smooth and the cream cheese is fully incorporated.

To ensure that the flan is as smooth and creamy as possible, first pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

Pour the strained custard mixture over the caramel. You may hear some cracking, that's perfectly ok.

Place the flan pan into a large oven safe pan to form a water bath. You'll want to pour hot water into the vessel, so that it goes at least half way up the sides of the flan pan.

Cover the flan pan with aluminum foil, and place the water bath in the oven.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges of the flan are set, but it's still slightly wiggly in the middle.

Once it's done, refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

When you're ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edge of the mold, then place a large plate over the pan, and invert it. You should hear the glorious squishing sound of the flan coming loose from the pan, and plopping onto the plate. Marvel at your work!