Coconut Cheesecake with Lime Glaze

Smooth coconut cheesecake covered with a refreshing lime glaze baked over a sweet graham cracker crust.  Tropical bliss!

Do you mind if I interrupt the fall fest to share this little tropical delight?  I know I should probably wait until spring or summer to to share this heavenly coconut lime cheesecake, but I just can't wait.  I just had to make it NOW.  Like right now.  This one is for people like me who can't wait for summer to enjoy a delicious summery dessert, and for my friends in the southern hemisphere who are just coming into warmer weather.  And for those of you who want to enjoy seasonal food that applies to the season you are actually in, then don't forget to pin this one for later!

The idea for this recipe came when I was watching an episode of Worst Cooks in America on Netflix recently.  In one of the finales, Bobby Flay had his recruit make a coconut lime tart.  Seeing as how I love lime, as I mentioned in my key lime pie post, and coconut and lime are fabu together, I knew that this coconut and lime cheesecake had to happen soon.

This cheesecake couldn't be easier.  If you are intimidated by cheesecake that has to be baked, don't be.  The trick to baking a great cheesecake that isn't as likely to crack is to bake it in a water bath.  Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil to keep the water from seeping into your cake.  Put the springform pan(s) in a baking pan or cookie sheet with sides.  Then pour water into the bottom of the baking pan or cookie sheet.  It is helpful to pour the water in once the pan is halfway into the oven, then carefully slip the pan into the oven.  That way you won't have to carry a pan of water across the room and run the risk of spilling water into your cheesecake(s).

I enjoy making small individual sized cheesecakes, but if you want to make one big cheesecake, you can press the crust mixture into a 9-inch. diameter springform pan.  One variation that I would suggest is to add ½ cup of chopped macadamia nuts to your crust mixture before you bake it.  That will give it an extra tropical boost!  I thought about doing that but decided to save my macadamia nuts for a different application.  If you don't want to make your own crust, you can also buy a 6 oz. prepared graham cracker crust.

I wanted this cheesecake to be lighter and wispier in texture than my apple pecan cheesecake, so I separated the eggs, beat the egg whites, and folded them into the batter.  I couldn't be happier with the result.

I hope you love it!  Cheers 🙂

Recipe

Coconut Cheesecake with Lime Glaze

Smooth coconut cheesecake covered with a refreshing lime glaze all over a sweet graham cracker crust. Tropical bliss!

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: entertaining

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 441kcal

Equipment

• 3 4-inch mini-springform pans or one 9-inch springform pan

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ cup butter melted

Filling

• 2 eggs separated
• ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
• ½ cup cream of coconut You can usually find this in the liquor section of your grocery store with the drink mixes.
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. coconut extract

Glaze

• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• ½ cup lime juice approximately 4 medium limes
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tbsp. water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Crust

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into 3 mini springform pans (4 in. diameter). You can also use a 9-inch springform pan to make one large cheesecake. The crust should be about ¼ inch thick. If you are using the mini springform pans, you will probably have some of the crumb mixture left over. Bake 8-10 minutes, until crust is firm and lightly browned. Once cooled, wrap the bottom of each pan with aluminum foil, about halfway up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Filling

• Separate eggs and place egg whites in a medium bowl with cream of tartar. Beat until egg whites form stiff peaks. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, cream of coconut, sugar and coconut extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add egg yolks and mix until well blended. Gently fold in egg whites.
• Pour mixture into prepared pans and place the pans in a baking pan or cookie sheet with sides. Pour in hot water until water is just below the top of the foil on each pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Once cool, place in the refrigerator to finish setting, about 4 hours or overnight.

Glaze

• In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water. In a small, non-reactive pan (stainless steel or glass), stir together sugar, lime juice, and ¼ cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and keep stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator.
• Once cheesecake has set and the glaze is chilled, spoon glaze over the cheesecake and smooth out.

Notes

Coconut cheesecake recipe adapted from Kraft.

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg