Berry Coconut No-Bake Cheesecake

By Yossy Arefi

Berry Coconut No-Bake Cheesecake
Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes, plus 8 hours' chilling
Rating
4(563)
Comments
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In the height of summer, turning on the oven should be considered off limits, but we still need dessert. For that, there's the no-bake cheesecake, which has all the richness of the baked version without any of the baking. Here, Biscoff cookies add a bit of spice, which pairs beautifully with toasted coconut, and we swap the heavy cream for rich, fluffy whipped coconut cream. The topping combines cooked and fresh berries for a wonderful variety of texture and flavor. Just about any varieties will work here, so use what looks best. A combination of blueberries and blackberries or raspberries is quite nice.

Be sure to plan ahead with this recipe. The cans of coconut milk need to be chilled at least overnight, and as does the finished cheesecake before it can be sliced.

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch cake

    For the Crust

    • ¾cup/60 grams shredded unsweetened coconut
    • 1¾cups/236 grams finely crushed Biscoff cookie crumbs (or 1¾ cups/236 grams graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon brown sugar), from about 30 Biscoff cookies or 15 whole graham crackers
    • 6tablespoons/86 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    • Pinch of kosher salt

    For the Filling

    • 2(14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight (see note)
    • 16ounces/452 grams cream cheese, softened but still cool
    • ⅔cup/133 grams granulated sugar
    • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • Pinch of kosher salt

    For the Topping

    • 3cups fresh blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
    • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • Toasted coconut chips, to taste, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the crust: In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast the coconut until deep golden brown while stirring constantly, 7 to 9 minutes. (Watch carefully to avoid burning.) Cool slightly.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine the toasted shredded coconut, Biscoff cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar), butter and salt. Stir until well combined, then pour the mixture into a 9-inch (23-centimeter) springform pan. Use a measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass to firmly press the mixture onto the bottom and about 1½ inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the filling: Turn the chilled cans of coconut milk upside-down and open them. There should be a layer of liquid visible. (If there isn’t, push aside the hardened cream to reveal it.) Pour the liquid into a storage container, and save it for another use. There should be a thick layer of coconut cream remaining in the can. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl, leaving behind any visible coconut oil, and use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat it until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

  4. Step 4

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Beat the mixture on low speed until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until just smooth, about 30 seconds. Take care not to overbeat, or the cake will not be firm enough when chilled. Add the whipped coconut cream and beat just until well combined and smooth, about 30 seconds more.

  5. Step 5

    Spoon the mixture into the prepared crust and use an offset spatula to smooth or swirl the top. Chill at least 8 hours.

  6. Step 6

    Prepare the topping: Combine 1½ cups of the berries, the sugar, the lemon juice and the zest in a small saucepan and crush the berries with a fork or potato masher. Cook over medium heat until thick and jammy, about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then fold in the remaining 1½ cups berries. Serve each slice of cheesecake with a spoonful of berries and, if using, a sprinkle of toasted coconut chips over the top.

Tip
  • The fat content of coconut milk varies quite a bit from brand to brand (and from can to can). Be sure to skim away any visible coconut oil to keep your finished cream as smooth as possible, and buy a bit more than you might need. Having an extra can on hand can help ward off last-minute disappointment.

Ratings

4 out of 5
563 user ratings
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Comments

Hummingbird7008

I used a can of coconut cream instead of two cans of coconut milk. Seemed easier than going the coconut milk root. That is the only change I made in the recipe, it worked well and tasted great!

Mark

The coconut milk process seems like a lot of bother. "Coconut cream" is easily available so why not just use that? What you have here is a very imprecise measurement, seeing as how you aren't actually using the full contents of 2 - 14 ounce cans of coconut milk. If the recipe called for coconut cream you wouldn't have to refrigerate it and you wouldn't have to guess as to how much non cream liquid is left in any given can of coconut milk.

Matthew

Try it with sweetened condensed coconut milk instead, leave out the sugar or add less per your desired sweetness. More coconut flavor! Sets better and more reliably.

Keith

Really nice. I used 2 suggestions from others and it worked! One 14oz can TJs coconut cream, one package of Knox gelatin melted in 2T water. Whipped it all with a balloon whisk (after softening the cream cheese in stand mixer) until blended completely. Refrigerated covered over night. The crust was nice and firm in the bottom but the sides mostly fell apart. Maybe next time I’ll follow a 3rd suggestion from commenters next time and bake the crust like a regular cheese cake. But still it was a hit!

Marta

I’m obsessed with this cake. Instead of keeping the coconut milk in the fridge, I actually warmed up mine with two tablespoons of powdered grass fed gelatin, and then blended with the rest of the filling. It was super yummy and very jelly-like in texture.

Siobhan

This was delicious! A great balance of flavours between the different elements. Will definitely make it again. I used a small carton of coconut cream instead of the coconut milk and only 2/3 the amount of cream cheese, and it set perfectly.

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