Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Manuela now lives with…
These luscious, tropical-tasting coconut cheesecake bars are drizzled with chocolate to be a glorious dessert.
A super creamy thick layer of coconut cheesecake with a hint of almond flavor. On top of an easy-to-make chocolate graham cracker crust. All drizzled with melted chocolate and a touch of extra coconut.
Extraordinary things happen when chocolate and coconut come together. Especially in a refreshing and creamy cheesecake form.
For the bottom, I wanted a chocolate crust. And because it can be hard to find chocolate flavored graham crackers (and chocolate wafer cookies are way more expensive) I added some unsweetened cocoa powder to regular graham crackers, and it worked like magic. Crunchy, buttery and chocolatey. All at the same time!
For the filling, start with your basic cheesecake ingredients, with a touch of almond extract. If you like it, you’re going to love it in here! If you don’t, just skip it and the cheesecake will still taste delicious.
Beat well all the ingredients… but remember not to whisk too much once you add the eggs. And fold in shredded coconut at the end. Oh-so good!
As usual, the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for the cheesecake to chill in the refrigerator before you can cut in square. Then, and only then, you can neatly cut them in squares and top with an optional (but highly recommended) drizzle of extra chocolate. And enjoy!
Click here for the chocolate crust recipe.
PrintChocolate Coconut Cheesecake Bars
- Author: Manuela Mazzocco
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 inch (20 cm) square dessert cut in 16 small bars (or 9 larger) 1x
Description
These luscious, tropical-tasting coconut cheesecake bars are drizzled with chocolate to be a glorious dessert.
Ingredients
For the crust
- Click the link above
For the filling
- 16 oz 450 gr of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup 100 gr of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup 120 ml of whipping cream
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 packed cups (about 5 oz, 140 gr of shredded coconut)
For the top
- about 2 oz (60 gr of semi sweet chocolate chips)
- shredded coconut (to decorate)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper.
- Click the link above for the crust recipe.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar with an electric mixer for a few minutes until soft and creamy.
- Add the salt, vanilla and almond extract, whipping cream and beat well.
- Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Make sure not to beat too much or the eggs might create little bubbles of air inside the batter which might make the top of your cheesecake crack when baking.
- Fold in the the shredded coconut.
- Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Level the top if necessary.
- Bake in the lower part of the oven for 55 minutes or until the center is set and the top is golden.
- Open the oven door slightly and let cool inside for about one hour.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or longer before cutting into squares.
- I suggest to cut in 4×4 = 16 small squares. Or if you prefer larger serving size, you can always cut in 3×3 = 9 squares.
- To decorate, melt the chocolate chip in a double boiler, or in the microwave.
- Drizzle over the cheesecake bars and top with a little more shredded coconut if you like.
- Let the chocolate set in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before serving
- Prep Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Manuela now lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles, California. In her blog, Cooking with Manuela, she strives to share her passion for Italian food. As a mom of two young boys, most of her dinner preparations are done while checking homework, quizzing for science tests, and looking for Lego pieces. Her step-by-step recipes help readers create delicious food while on a busy schedule. There is nothing as special as ending your day with your family or friends sharing a good conversation and a tasty homemade meal.
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Thanks!