De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan from Carioca's aboard the Disney Magic

When the reimagined <strong>Disney Magic</strong> relaunched with its new Latin-inspired restaurant <strong>Carioca's</strong>, one of the standout additions to the dessert menu was the <strong>De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan</strong>—a silky caramel custard finished with a Pedro Ximenez wine reduction and fresh fruit garnish. Disney Cruise Line has shared the full recipe so guests can recreate this restaurant-quality dessert at home.

The reimagined Disney Magic debuted a brand-new dining venue called Carioca's, named after Jose Carioca—Donald Duck's parrot companion in The Three Caballeros—and inspired by the vibrant energy of Rio de Janeiro. Among the restaurant's signature desserts, the De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan quickly earned a following, pairing a creamy caramel custard with a sweet Pedro Ximenez wine reduction and a garnish of sliced bananas and raspberries.

About Carioca's and the Latin Dining Experience

Carioca's represents one of the most distinctive dining concepts aboard the Disney Magic, blending vibrant Latin American design with a menu that draws on the flavors of the region. The restaurant's decor nods to the vivacity of Rio de Janeiro, and the culinary team channeled that same energy into the dessert menu. The De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan—made with cream cheese, caramel, and a sweet reduction sauce—exemplifies the restaurant's approach to elevated comfort food rooted in Latin tradition.

The Full Recipe

Below is the complete at-home recipe for De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan with Pedro Ximenez Reduction, as served at Carioca's aboard the Disney Magic.

Caramel Base

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Place a 10-inch round cake pan on top of a folded dishtowel set inside a medium roasting pan. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Brush sugar crystals from sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.
3. Boil, swirling pan and occasionally brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until mixture is golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and pour caramel into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Cool to room temperature.

Cream Cheese Flan

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• Pinch coarse salt
• Boiling water, for water bath

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat cream cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk until smooth. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk until smooth, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Slowly add in eggs and the egg yolks, beating until completely combined. Stir in salt and vanilla extract.
3. Pour mixture over caramel in prepared cake pan set inside the roasting pan. Open oven and place the roasting pan on the center oven rack. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan until water reaches halfway up the cake pan.
4. Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the flan comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in water bath; when cool enough to handle, remove cake pan and cool completely. Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours before serving.

Pedro Ximenez Reduction

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Pedro Ximenez wine (sweet wine)
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Combine sugar and Pedro Ximenez in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced by one-third, about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.

Garnish

• Sliced bananas
• Raspberries

Plating and Serving

1. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the cake pan to loosen flan. Shake pan gently from side to side until flan moves freely in pan. Invert a large plate over cake pan; holding pan and plate securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto plate. (Caramel will pour out over and around flan.)
2. Cut flan into rectangles and top with sliced bananas and raspberries. Drizzle with Pedro Ximenez reduction.

What This Means for Home Cooks

The De La Costa Cream Cheese Flan is an achievable restaurant-quality dessert that showcases the culinary creativity at work aboard Disney Cruise Line ships. The cream cheese base gives the flan a richer, denser texture than a traditional custard, while the Pedro Ximenez reduction—a naturally sweet fortified wine from Spain—adds a sophisticated depth that elevates the dish beyond a standard flan. Those planning a cruise aboard the Disney Magic can taste the original at Carioca's; explore upcoming sailings at DisneyCruise.com.