Coconut Cheesecake – My Baking Dependancy

With a coconut graham cracker crust and wealthy and creamy filling, this coconut cheesecake is the perfect cheesecake for anybody who loves coconut.

At this level, my neighbors and relations all know to anticipate me to point out up at their door on a fairly common foundation with baked items.

Don’t get me improper: my instant household loves consuming the recipes I make, however there’s solely a lot we will eat in per week.

I believe my neighbors get additional excited when it’s a cheesecake testing week. Whether or not it’s banana pudding cheesecake, caramel apple cheesecake, or this coconut cheesecake, they’re all completely satisfied to take a slice or two off my palms. 

So I suppose it’s a very good factor that I can’t get sufficient of riffing on my vanilla cheesecake recipe. Should you love cheesecake as a lot as my neighbors and I do, you’ve come to the precise place.

My wealthy coconut cheesecake recipe

I imagine that if a recipe says “coconut” within the identify, it needs to be FULL of coconut. 

Like should you’re going to make coconut cake or coconut cream pie, it shouldn’t simply be a white cake or vanilla pudding with some coconut in it or sprinkled on prime. There needs to be precise coconut in practically each element of the recipe.

So after all I approached this coconut cheesecake in the very same means.

I began off with a graham cracker crust with added coconut. For the filling, I added coconut milk, flaked coconut, and a little bit of coconut extract.

And for serving, my favourite approach to end this magnificence is with a dollop of coconut whipped topping and a few toasted coconut.

You get a stunning coconut taste in every chunk of this cheesecake. However don’t fear, it isn’t so sturdy that it tastes like sunscreen – it’s simply the correct amount for anybody who loves coconut desserts.

Should you’re heading to any cookouts this summer season, add this to your listing of must-take desserts together with lime coconut cake, key lime pie bars, and pineapple fluff for all your favourite tropical flavors.

Tips on how to make coconut cheesecake

Should you’ve by no means made a cheesecake earlier than, don’t be intimidated by the concept of creating this coconut cheesecake. I’ll stroll you thru the entire steps so you may really feel assured making this recipe!

Components you’ll want

The crust for this coconut cheesecake is a fairly normal graham cracker crust with some flaked coconut added to it. You’ll need:

• 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

You should buy graham cracker crumbs on the retailer, however I sometimes simply pulse full graham crackers in my mini meals processor. But when shopping for the crumbs is less complicated for you, go for it!

Should you solely have sweetened coconut, simply understand that the crust might be slightly bit sweeter than should you use unsweetened coconut.

For the cheesecake filling, you’ll need:

• 4 8-ounce packages of room-temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk 
• 3 massive eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut, pulsed a number of occasions in a meals processor

For the creamiest filling, be certain that your cream cheese is absolutely softened earlier than you begin making the filling. Should you neglect to set yours out forward of time, I’ve a number of tips about softening cream cheese to assist pace up the method a bit.

This filling makes use of coconut milk, coconut extract, and flaked coconut. Ensure you use the canned coconut milk; Thai Kitchen is my favourite model. Don’t use the cartoned stuff within the refrigerated part for this recipe.

This recipe solely makes use of 1 teaspoon of coconut extract. It’s sufficient to assist increase the coconut taste of the cheesecake with out making it style like sunscreen. Should you don’t have coconut extract, be at liberty to depart it out; simply understand that the coconut taste might be extra refined.

Similar to with the crust, should you solely have sweetened coconut, you should utilize it. It is going to make the filling sweeter, although. Should you don’t need a sweeter filling, scale back the quantity of granulated sugar by a few tablespoons.

Making this recipe

Earlier than you begin making this coconut cheesecake, get your pans prepared on your water tub.

You possibly can wrap the surface of your springform pan in foil, however right here’s my favourite approach to do a water tub as an alternative: place a 9-inch springform pan within an everyday 10-inch cake pan. 

Now you may place each cake pans in a roasting pan whenever you’re able to do your water tub. You’ll get the entire advantages of baking cheesecake in a water tub with out the danger of leaks! 

Spray the within of the springform pan with nonstick spray and set it apart.

For the crust, stir collectively the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and sugar, then add the melted butter and stir till the entire crumbs are moistened.

Press the crumb combination into the underside and ½-inch up the perimeters of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 8 minutes after which let it cool whilst you make the filling.

Utilizing a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese till it’s easy. Add the sugar and blend till mixed, then add the coconut milk and blend nicely.

Now add the eggs one after the other. Be sure that to totally incorporate every egg earlier than including the subsequent, scraping down the perimeters and backside of the bowl between every one.

Lastly, add the vanilla and coconut extracts, flour, and salt. Beat till easy, then stir within the coconut.

Pour the batter into the crust, then place the springform pan within the cake pan. Set all of this within the roasting pan.

Pour boiling water into the roasting pan till it comes midway up the perimeters of the cake pan. Bake the cheesecake for 65-70 minutes, till the sides are set however the middle nonetheless has slightly little bit of a jiggle to it.

As soon as the cheesecake is completed baking, flip off the oven and crack the door open. Depart the coconut cheesecake within the oven for 1 hour.

After an hour, set the cheesecake on a wire rack to complete cooling, then chill for no less than 8 hours earlier than serving.

I wish to serve my coconut cheesecake with coconut whipped topping or do-it-yourself whipped cream and a little bit of toasted coconut.

Storage ideas

Coconut cheesecake will maintain within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Wait to garnish it till simply earlier than serving in order that your garnishes keep fairly and contemporary.

You may also freeze coconut cheesecake for longer-term storage possibility. 

Place the cooled cheesecake on a cardboard spherical and canopy it tightly with plastic wrap. Then wrap it in a layer of foil and freeze it for as much as 1 month for greatest taste.

While you’re able to take pleasure in, thaw it at room temperature for a few hours or within the fridge in a single day.

You may also freeze particular person slices by wrapping them in plastic wrap and a layer of foil and storing them in a zip-top freezer bag for as much as a month.

Ceaselessly requested questions