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Coconut Cookie Crusted Cheesecake

by Tiana Yamamoto
Blueberry cheesecake with slice missing, cookies, and blueberries

It’s cake week! Also, known as birthday week because what’s a birthday without cake? What’s considered cake? Anything with the word cake in it in my opinion. So for my birthday week, I decided to throw it back to a dessert I remember my mom making all the time, with a little twist.

CHEESECAKE IS CAKE? RIGHT?

It’s one of my favorite desserts, and I remember cheesecake being my mom’s go-to dessert to bring to parties and potlucks. Everybody always loved them, and so did I. It’s one of the first things I remember baking with her as a little girl. She made little tarts though, the size of cupcakes with a vanilla wafer bottom. YUM. As years passed I’ve made some adjustments to the traditional toppings of blueberry and cherry pie filling my mom used, to even changing up the “crust”.

THE ONE WHERE…..

The beauty of this recipe is its full proof. If you are a Friend’s show lover you’ll know the episode of the one where Fibi discovers her grandma’s famous cookie recipe was the Tollhouse recipe on the back of the chocolate chip package. Well, this cheesecake recipe is exactly that, the OG Philadelphia cheesecake recipe printed in the box. The only thing different is the crust, and I halved the recipe because I don’t need all those calories with the years adding on ?. I went away from the traditional graham cracker and used these coconut cookies (I got them at Costco with their weekly coups, aka coupons). These cookies alone are amazeballs, make them into a crust for a cheesecake, get the heck out here. Also, you’re welcome.

Let’s get to the recipe though, cause my piece of cake is waiting for me.

Coconut Cookie Crusted Cheesecake

  • Servings: 4-12 slices
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Homemade cheesecake, need we say more?!

Ingredients

  • 2 pkg 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed coconut cookies
  • 3 tbsp melted butter

BLUEBERRY TOPPING

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • Squeeze half lemon juice
  • Splash of Vanilla
  • 2 tbsp flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (if using a dark nonstick pan) 325 if not.
  2. Crush about 15-20 cookies into crumbs. Mix with melted butter. Press into a parchment-lined springform pan to form crust.
  3. In a mixing bowl combine room temperature cream cheese and sugar. Mix until combined and smooth.
  4. Add in vanilla and eggs separately, mixing to combine after each addition. Do not over mix.
  5. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool and chill for 3hrs before serving.
  7. While the cake is baking or cooling. In a saucepan combine blueberries, water, and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a rumbling simmer for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.
  8. As the sauce begins to thicken lower heat add in lemon juice, vanilla, and flour 1 tbsp at a time. Mix until combined.
  9. Remove from heat and cool.
  10. After the sauce has cooled, top off the chilled cheesecake. Decorate with additional fruit or food-safe flowers.

Recipe Notes

  • Bring cream cheese to room temperature before beginning. It should be soft enough to mix the entire cake with a whisk.
  • Cream together sugar and cream cheese until no lumps.
  • Don’t over mix batter or your cake will crack.
  • If your oven doesn’t have a uniform temperature bake in a water bath.
  • If you are using flowers for decoration, please make sure they are edible flowers and pesticide-free.

I love this dessert, it is simple to make. Practically all the time is waiting for the cream cheese to soften then waiting for the cake to chill. Which is the hardest part, I just want to eat it out of the oven! The fresh blueberry topping and this new awesome crust is where it’s at. Try out my new crust, or substitute your favorite cookie for the crust and let us know in the comment section below what you used!

Happy dessert-ing,
TY

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