This easy no-bake coconut cheesecake recipe is a light and fluffy, tropical dessert with a simple vanilla wafer crust. Garnished with sweetened coconut, this delightful recipe takes only 45 minutes to prepare, and a few hours to set!
No-bake cheesecakes are my favorite desserts to make! I make cheesecake mousse to serve in cups and layered cheesecakes to serve in jars. I also love making cheesecake tarts! They come together so quickly and knock the socks off of my guests!
This coconut cheesecake is a dessert that people will be talking about for years. Believe me. Ever since I first served this at a spring family lunch, I’ve been hearing about it from family members that weren’t even there! They just heard about it from folks that were!
I sliced the cake into big pieces, and everyone got worried that it was too much, but every crumb disappeared. It’s not dense like a baked cheesecake, so it’s a perfect complement to any light spring or summer meal!
Most importantly, it’s so easy to make! You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in 45 minutes, and that’s even if you take some time to mix up a tropical cocktail to sip while you whip it up!
Ingredient Notes
Vanilla Wafers – I love Nilla Vanilla Wafers for the no-bake crust, but you can also use graham crackers too.
Butter – You can use salted or unsalted. I don’t find too much of a difference to the overall flavor of the cheesecake either way.
Sweetened Coconut Flakes – This recipe calls for garnishing with simple, sweetened coconut flakes, but feel free to toast them in a sauté pan for a few minutes for a richer flavor. I used Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut.
Coconut Extract – The brand of coconut extract that you use will greatly affect how much you add. I used Olive Nation Premium Coconut Extract for this recipe. If you have another brand, I suggest starting with just 1 teaspoon and tasting the cheesecake mixture before adding another one, as your brand may be stronger than mine.
Cream Cheese – Make sure to bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing, or you may get little clumps of cream cheese that are tricky to smooth out.
Cream from Canned Coconut Milk – Use canned, unsweetened coconut cream, and only the cream that rises to the top of the can. Don’t shake it before opening and don’t substitute with coconut cream in a bottle. If the cream gets mixed with the coconut water in the can, and it’s not creamy, use a mesh strainer to strain as much of the coconut water out of the cream as you can.
Powdered Sugar – We use both white granulated sugar and powdered sugar in this recipe because I find the powdered sugar helps to solidify the texture of the cheesecake perfectly.
How to Make This Cheesecake – Step by Step
1. Place cream cheese out to soften. It should be about room temperature by the time you get started. Use a food processor to chop 11 oz. vanilla wafers (an entire box) into crumbs.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs with 6 oz. butter, ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes, and 3 tbsp. white granulated sugar.
3. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cheesecake pan with parchment paper.
4. Pour the crumb mixture into the pan evenly.
5. Carefully spread the crumbs evenly up the sides of the pan with your fingers, leaving half of the crumbs on the bottom.
6. Press the crumbs halfway up the pan.
7. Use a bowl with a flat bottom to press the crumbs as tightly as you can to the bottom and sides. Set aside.
8. Use either a standing mixer or hand mixer and large mixing bowl to beat 1¼ cup heavy cream until lifting the beaters creates soft peaks. This can take between 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides with a spatula and make sure the cream is perfectly whipped.
9. Add 24 oz. softened cream cheese, ¼ cup canned coconut milk (just the cream that rises to the top of the can – don’t shake it before opening it), ½ cup white granulated sugar, 3 tbsp. powdered sugar and start with 3 tsp. coconut extract (if you used Olive Nation Pure Coconut Extract. If you used another brand, start with 1 teaspoon and taste the mixture once beaten to see if it needs more). Beat ingredients together until smooth.
10. Pour the coconut cheesecake mixture into the crust evenly. Cover with cellophane and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours.
11. Once ready to serve, sprinkle edges with sweetened coconut flakes and edible flowers (optional).
12. Remove from pan, slice, and serve. Cheesecake will keep its stiff texture for about 30 minutes before softening, so serve immediately after removing from the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
1. Make sure your whipped cream is whipped until you can create peaks when you lift the beaters. If it’s at all runny, your cheesecake will ooze out as soon as you remove it from the pan.
2. You can also use a food processor to whip the cream. It will whip faster with a food processor, than a hand mixer – but you’ll need that hand mixer or standing mixer to mix everything together after the cream is whipped. That’s why I just use the hand mixer to whip the cream.
3. If the coconut cream gets mixed with the coconut water in the can, and it’s not creamy, use a mesh strainer to strain as much of the coconut water out of the cream as you can. If it’s still too watery, you can substitute with more whipped cream.
4. Refrigerate this cheesecake until ready to serve. It can only be out at room temperature for about 20 minutes before it starts to soften. It’s the cold that keeps its shape and texture.
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No Bake Coconut Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 mixing bowl and mixing spoon
- 1 9-inch Springform cheesecake pan
- 1 hand mixer or standing mixer
- parchment paper cut to size of pan
- bowl with flat bottom or something to press crumbs into pan
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 11 oz. vanilla wafers – a full box
- 6 oz. butter – salted or unsalted
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes – and more for garnishing
- 3 tbsp. white granulated sugar
For the Cheesecake
- 1¼ cup heavy cream
- 24 oz. cream cheese – softened
- ¼ cup canned coconut milk – just cream from the top of the can
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 3 tsp. coconut extract – I use Olive Nation Pure Coconut Extract
- edible dry flowers – optional
Instructions
- Place cream cheese out to soften. It should be about room temperature by the time you get started. Use a food processor to chop 11 oz. vanilla wafers (an entire box) into crumbs.
- In a mixing bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs with 6 oz. butter, ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes, and 3 tbsp. white granulated sugar.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cheesecake pan with parchment paper. Pour the crumb mixture into the pan evenly. Carefully spread the crumbs evenly up the sides of the pan with your fingers, leaving half of the crumbs on the bottom. Press the crumbs half-way of the way up the pan. Use a bowl with a flat bottom to press the crumbs as tightly as you can to the bottom and sides. Set aside.
- Use either a standing mixer or hand mixer and large mixing bowl to beat 1¼ cup heavy cream until lifting the beaters creates soft peaks. This can take between 1-2 minutes. Scrape down sides with a spatula and make sure the cream is perfectly whipped.
- Add 24 oz. softened cream cheese, ¼ cup canned coconut milk (just the cream that rises to the top of the can – don't shake it before opening it), ½ cup white granulated sugar, 3 tbsp. powdered sugar and start with 3 tsp. coconut extract (if you used Olive Nation Pure Coconut Extract. If you used another brand, start with 1 teaspoon and taste mixture once beaten to see if it needs more). Beat ingredients together until smooth.
- Pour the coconut cheesecake mixture into the crust evenly. Cover with cellophane and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours.
- Once ready to serve, sprinkle edges with sweetened coconut flakes and edible flowers (optional). Remove from pan, slice and serve. Cheesecake will keep its stiff texture for about 30 minutes before softening, so serve immediately after removing from the refrigerator.
Mary
Can I freeze this cheesecake
Genevieve Morrison
Yes you can 🙂