These coconut lime cheesecake bars are creamy, tangy, and so scrumptious! They’re simple to make with loads of candy tropical taste, a splash of lime, and toasty coconut baked over a buttery shortbread crust. Good for potlucks!
These coconut lime cheesecake bars are the right simple dessert to carry a style of the tropics to your subsequent social gathering! They’ve a creamy coconut cheesecake layer zested up with lime, baked over a crunchy shortbread crust. Right here’s why you’ll love them:
Candy, creamy, tangy. Creamy coconut and zesty lime wrapped up in a cheesecake is the BEST mixture. The flavors are piña colada-meets-key lime cheesecake in the absolute best means.
Straightforward to make. The cheesecake batter places a contemporary spin on my favourite baked cheesecake that wants solely 5 substances. Right here, I swap the bitter cream for cream of coconut and add a splash of lime. It’s extremely wealthy with the right stability of candy and tangy in each chunk.
Celebration-ready. When you have a summer time potluck arising or one other event that requires a tasty, crowd-friendly dessert, let these coconut lime cheesecake bars knock your socks off. It’s just about assured to occur! Plus, they’re make-ahead pleasant.
Elements You’ll Want
We’re placing the lime within the coconut– coconut lime cheesecake, that’s (does anybody else’s thoughts instantly go to the Coconut track, or is that simply me?). It takes only a handful of substances to make these cheesecake bars from scratch. Beneath are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card under the put up for a printable checklist with the total quantities.
Cookie Crust – The crust is my 3-ingredient shortbread cookie recipe. All you want is sugar, flour, and room-temperature butter. I add a bit of vanilla, too. You can too make these bars with a graham cracker crust should you’d like.
Cream Cheese – You’ll need to use the cream cheese that is available in blocks and take it out of the fridge forward of time to let it soften to room temperature.
Cream of Coconut – To not be confused with coconut cream. Canned cream of coconut amps up the richness, and the coconut taste shines by means of in a means that’s tremendous surprising and scrumptious. Be sure you’re shopping for the correct product! See under for particulars.
Sugar, Eggs, and Vanilla – Only a few fundamentals. I like to recommend utilizing granulated sugar and actual vanilla extract for the perfect texture and taste.
Lime Juice – Since there’s only a small quantity, bottled lime juice is ok. If you will get your fingers on contemporary limes, although, that’s even higher!
Shredded Coconut – I sprinkle the tops of my bars with sweetened toasted coconut. Unsweetened coconut additionally works should you choose.
Coconut Cream vs. Cream of Coconut
Regardless of the (very) comparable names, canned cream of coconut and coconut cream are NOT the identical factor. Coconut cream is principally coconut milk with the next fats content material and no sugar. In the meantime, cream of coconut is a candy and syrupy model of coconut cream. For this cheesecake, ensure you’re utilizing sweetened cream of coconut, in any other case your dessert will find yourself bland.
How you can Make Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars
Cheesecake bars are a few of my favourite desserts, not solely as a result of you may mess around with enjoyable flavors, like caramel apple and strawberry lemon. These bars are one of the simplest ways to fulfill a cheesecake craving with out baking in a water tub, or letting the cheesecake relaxation in a turned-off oven for ages.
Right here’s how one can make creamy coconut lime cheesecake bars in just some fast steps. Take a look at the recipe card for printable directions.
Make the crust. Begin by beating collectively the shortbread substances. Afterward, press the crust right into a lined 9×13-inch baking pan. It’ll have to par-bake for about 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Combine the cheesecake batter. Whereas the crust is within the oven, mix cream cheese, sugar, and cream of coconut. Then add eggs, lime juice, and vanilla and blend to make the filling.
Assemble and bake. Pour the cheesecake batter into your cooled par-baked crust. That goes again into the oven, this time for 40-50 minutes.
Toast the coconut. In the meantime, flippantly toast the coconut in a skillet on the range. It’ll toast shortly, so control it and stir usually.
End and chill. Sprinkle toasted coconut over the freshly baked cheesecake bars, after which cool. Transfer the bars to the fridge after an hour. They’ll want to relax in there for a very good 3-4 hours (I like to do that in a single day).
Recipe Ideas and Variations
Use contemporary lime juice. For the perfect taste in these bars, nothing beats freshly juiced limes. Key limes can have a barely sweeter taste, whereas common limes are tangier, though as soon as they’re baked right into a cheesecake it’s laborious to inform the distinction.
Let the crust cool. Let the par-baked crust cool for quarter-hour earlier than including the cheesecake filling. It doesn’t should be fully cooled to room temperature, nevertheless it shouldn’t be scorching from the oven.
Finances sufficient time for the bars to relax. These coconut lime cheesecake bars want no less than 4 hours of chilling within the fridge earlier than serving. In any other case, they’ll be too tender when slicing.
Attempt a pretzel crust. Borrow the pretzel crust from my key lime bars for a enjoyable twist.
How you can Retailer
Fridge. Cowl these coconut lime cheesecake bars tightly and refrigerate them for as much as 5 days.
Freeze. You can too freeze these cheesecake bars for as much as 2 months. Defrost them within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving.
Coconut lime cheesecake bars are creamy, tangy, and scrumptious. They’re simple to make with loads of candy tropical taste and toasty coconut baked in a buttery shortbread crust. Good for potlucks!
Shortbread Crust
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Lime Coconut Cheesecake Layer
2 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 (14-ounce) can of cream of coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 massive eggs
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Shortbread Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Put aside.
Within the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar collectively for 1 minute on medium pace. Add vanilla and blend for an extra 30 seconds. Flip the mixer to low and slowly add flour, mixing till simply included. Press the dough into the ready pan and bake for 20 minutes or till flippantly golden.
Permit the crust to chill for quarter-hour.
Cheesecake: In the meantime in a clear bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and sugar till easy. Add cream of coconut and blend for 1 minute, or till no lumps stay. Add eggs, lime juice, and vanilla and blend till evenly included, scraping the edges of the bowl as mandatory.
When the crust has cooled barely, pour cream cheese combination on prime. Bake for 40-45 minutes, till the sides are flippantly golden.
Whereas the cheesecake is baking, toast coconut in a nonstick skillet over low warmth till golden. Stir regularly and watch carefully, as coconut can go from brown to burned shortly.
As quickly because the cheesecake is completed, take away it from the oven and sprinkle it with toasted coconut instantly.
Permit the cheesecake to chill for an hour, then cowl and refrigerate for no less than 3 hours, or in a single day.
Notes
Retailer hermetic within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Freeze hermetic for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge.
