Coconut cheesecake so luscious, boasting a velvety texture and rich flavor. The coconut dances harmoniously with the decadent dark chocolate ganache crown, adding a luxurious touch to every bite.
While cheesecake can be enjoyed year-round, its popularity may peak during holidays, summertime, and special occasions.
This coconut cheesecake is perfect for a summertime cheesecake, with the creamy texture and refreshing taste of coconut, while the cream cheeses offers a cool and satisfying treat during warm weather.
If you are looking for some additional next level baked goods, these ginger sugar cookies with a pumpkin mousse and cherry cheesecake bars are my favorite!
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Ingredients for coconut cream cheesecake recipe
This cheesecake is broken down into three components:
Graham cracker crust
A classic cheesecake crust. This graham cracker crust is easy to make and won’t fall apart when cutting your cheesecake.
Cheesecake filling made with coconut cream and cream cheese
The cheesecake filling is a smooth, baked custard. Use only full fat cream cheese. 30 minutes before mixing the filling, let the cream cheese warm up to room temperature.
Ganache top with a vanilla mousse swirl
The cheesecake must be cold before topping with ganache. This way the ganache sets up faster on the cake.
Ingredients
- graham cracker crumbs
- butter, melted
- white sugar
- full fat cream cheese
- corn starch
- vanilla extract
- coconut flavor
- eggs
- toasted coconut
- coconut milk (full fat from the baking aisle - not the refrigerated section)
- dark chocolate
- heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make a coconut cheesecake
This coconut cheesecake has a lot of step. Please make sure to watch the below video and read all the instructions before starting.
Two Tips:
- Using 18” aluminum foil instead of 12” allows you to use one piece of foil to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan. This helps ensure no water will get in the pan while baking in the water bath.
- Pull your cream cheese out of the refrigerator while preparing the graham cracker crust. This allows it to come to room temperature and will be ready to use once you are done with the graham cracker crust.
- Toast your coconut
- Make the graham cracker crust
- Prepare coconut cheesecake filling
- Bake cheesecake
- Cool cheesecake (overnight step)
- Prepare ganache
- Cool ganache
- Top cheesecake with ganache
- Make white chocolate mousse
- Top cheesecake with mousse
- Add toasted coconut and chocolate shavings to mousse
- Serve
Hint: Use a turkey bag to place your springform pan in before putting your cheesecake in the water bath. This helps ensure there will be no leaks!
Equipment for coconut cheesecake
- 5 quart planetary mixer with paddle and whisk attachment
- 9” springform pan
- 18” aluminum foil
- Large roasting pan
- Oven turkey bag
- Glass bowl for chocolate ganache
- Microwaveable safe dish for heavy cream
- Spatula
- Piping bag
- 1M tip or other piping tip desired
Storage
Proper storage is key to maintaining the freshness and texture of coconut cheesecake. Here's how to store coconut cream cheesecake effectively:
- Refrigeration: After serving, cheesecake should be promptly stored in the refrigerator. Cover the cheesecake loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out or absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge.
- Air-tight Container: If you prefer, transfer the cheesecake to an airtight container instead of using plastic wrap or foil. Make sure the container is large enough to accommodate the cheesecake without squishing it.
- Chill: Place the cheesecake in the coldest part of the refrigerator, typically the back or bottom shelf. It's essential to keep it chilled to maintain its texture and prevent spoilage.
- Avoid Odors: Store the cheesecake away from strong-smelling foods in the refrigerator to prevent it from absorbing unwanted odors.
Top tip
Avoid Freezing: Coconut cheesecake can be frozen but it's best consumed fresh. Freezing can alter the texture and may lead to a less desirable consistency once thawed. If you must freeze cheesecake, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil before placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw the slices in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
FAQ
Homemade cheesecake, like many desserts, is typically rich in calories, sugar, and saturated fat due to ingredients like cream cheese, sugar, butter, and sometimes heavy cream. While it can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, it's not considered a "healthy" food in the traditional sense.
The shelf life of homemade cheesecake depends on how its stored and the ingredients used. Here's a general guideline:
Refrigerated: Homemade cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Make sure it's covered tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out or absorbing odors from the fridge.
Frozen: Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. Properly stored, cheesecake can last in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months.
Cheesecake is best enjoyed fresh. The texture and flavor may degrade over time. If you need to store cheesecake for a longer period, it can be frozen. Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. Properly stored, cheesecake can last in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months. Thaw frozen cheesecake slices in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Coconut Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Equipment
- 5 quart planetary mixer whisk and paddle attachment
- 9” springform pan
- aluminum foil 18" size
- Large roasting pan
- Oven Turkey Bag
- large glass bowl
- microwaveable safe bowl
- 1 M Decorating Tip
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 300 grams graham cracker crumbs 2 ½ cups
- 1 stick butter, melted 1 stick
- 100 grams white sugar ½ cup
Cheesecake filling
- 4 packs full fat cream cheese
- 356 grams white sugar, divided divided into 1 ⅓ cup and ⅓ cup
- 32 grams corn starch ¼ cup
- 8 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspooon
- 22 grams coconut flavor 1 tablespoon
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 80 grams toasted coconut 1 cup
- 156 grams full fat coconut milk from baking aisle ¾ cup
Ganache top
- 226 grams dark chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Mousse Swirl
- 120 grams white chocolate mousse dry mix
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Prepare your graham cracker crust.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Wrap the sides of the springform with aluminum foil, covering the bottom as well.
- Spray the springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or generously butter the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the pie pan or cheesecake springform pan and spread the crumbs around so that they are evenly dispersed.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Pack it firmly. Use a measuring cup or glass with sharp corners and straight edges to help and use your fingers for the sides of the pie pan.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
Prepare the cheesecake filling
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
- Put one package of the cream cheese, ⅓ cup of white sugar, and cornstarch in the bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down at least once.
- Blend in remaining cream cheese, one packet at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium at beat in the remaining 1 ⅓ cups of sugar, vanilla, and coconut flavor. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Mix in the toasted coconut and coconut milk until completely blended.
- Pour cheesecake filling over crust.
- Pull out your oven turkey bag and place your cheesecake in the oven bag, pulling the plastic up the sides but not overtop. Put this in the large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water that comes up 1” up the sides of the springform, making sure no water gets inside the oven bag.
- Bake for 75 minutes to 90 minutes, looking to see when the edges are golden brown and top is golden tan, with only a slight jiggle left in the middle of the cheesecake.
- Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer it to a wire rack, and let it cool for 2 hours. Then, leave the cake in the pan and loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Make the dark chocolate ganache
- Microwave heavy cream in a microwavable safe dish for 60 seconds.
- Pour cream and vanilla over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes, undisturbed.
- Stir chocolate and cream until ganache forms. If needed, you can microwave in 15 second intervals until ganache forms.
- Set the ganache aside until it cools to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Spoon over cold cheesecake, spreading until evenly distributed.
- Make white chocolate mousse:
- Measure out ¼ of the white chocolate mousse powder, this is 120 grams.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with wire whisk attachment, add in 1 pint of cold heavy cream. Turn mixer to low.
- Add in white chocolate mousse mix. Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed for 2-3 minutes until medium stiff peaks form.
- Prepare a piping bag fitted with desired piping tip.
- Place mousse in piping bag.
- Top ganache with an outer circular swirl
Decorating
- Top mousse with chocolate shavings and toasted coconut.
Serving
- To serve, slice the cold cake with a sharp straight - edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
Video
@onesweeetmama Cheesecake is always acceptable for breakfast. Coconut cheesecake with a dark chocolate ganache 🍫 #cheesecake #luxurydessert
♬ Ooh La La - Josie Dunne
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