No Bake Coconut Cheesecake

A coconut cheesecake slice garnished with coconut and flowers on a plate.

5 from 1 vote

This 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!

Prep Time45

Setting Time8

Total Time8 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: International

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: slices

Calories: 894kcal

Author: Genevieve Morrison

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.

Notes

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nutrition