These coconut key lime cheesecake bars feature a fluffy no-bake key lime cheesecake filling on a coconut graham cracker crust with lots of toasted coconut on top!
Things are entirely out of control in the cheesecake department today and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, key lime pie + coconut + cheesecake = the dream team of flavors and makes these the queen of all cheesecake bars.
Plus, this is a ALMOST no-bake cheesecake meaning that we’re only baking the crust and the rest of it is letting the fridge work its magic.
Y’all, this is a cheesecake bar that’s so loaded with tropical flavors, you won’t even need the beach nearby to be happy. This is all you need in life.
These Cheesecake Bars feature…
- A golden, buttery graham cracker coconut crust
- Rich and fluffy cheesecake filling
- Lots of fresh key lime juice and toasted coconut
- Easy to make ahead of time for gatherings
Making the Cheesecake Bars
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Flaked coconut
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Key limes
- Coconut cream
- Heavy whipping cream
Choosing Your Pan
We recommend using a square 9-inch pan for this recipe as we found that this size was ideal for achieving that perfect crust-to-filling ratio and gives you 9 good-sized cheesecake bars for serving.
For best results, we recommend lining your pan with parchment paper to make for easy removal + cutting once you’re ready to serve the bars.
Tips for Perfect Cheesecake
- Pre-bake crust – this sets the graham cracker crust up perfectly and makes for clean slices.
- Whip cream cheese and sugar – we recommend using either a paddle attachment with a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer.
- Fold whipped cream into cream cheese – very gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese – this makes for a light and fluffy cheesecake texture.
- Use lime juice and zest – this makes for a big punch of lime flavor!
- Toast coconut for topping – we love the nutty flavor the toasted coconut gives these bars! Toast your coconut by tossing around in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 2-3 minutes.
- Refrigerate bars 8 hours – this gives the filling plenty of time to set. We usually prefer to chill them overnight.
- Use parchment paper to remove bars from pan – grasp the parchment paper overhang and gently remove bars from pan and transfer to a cutting board.
- Clean knife between cutting bars – Use a kitchen towel to wipe the knife off between each cut for smooth, clean lines.
Recipe Variations
There are so many different directions you can go with this recipe! Feel free to make it even more tropical by topping bars with sliced bananas or fresh diced pineapple.
If you can’t find key limes, this recipe will also work just fine with regular limes.
Storing Instructions
These bars store well in the refrigerator up to 6 days. You can slice them ahead of time and place on a plate or keep them in the pan.
For best results, keep bars refrigerated until just before you are ready to serve to prevent the cheesecake filling from collapsing.
These cheesecake bars are a pure slice of paradise and no one can tell me otherwise. The key lime juice + toasty coconut are unreal together while the cheesecake filling is impossibly light and fluffy, and the graham cracker crust serves as the perfect base to hold all this goodness.
Just accept your fate that you’ll probably eat half the pan solo.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More cheesecake recipes to try next!
- Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Curd Strawberry Cheesecake Tart
- Rhubarb Rose White Chocolate Cheesecake
Coconut Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
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Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons key lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
- 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-in square pan with parchment paper, letting a little bit overhang the sides.
- Place shredded coconut in a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped. Pulse in graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until combined.
- Press crust mixture evenly in the bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust at 350F 8-10 minutes until a light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Cheesecake Filling
- Place cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer. With the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat on medium speed 1-2 minutes until completely creamy, scraping down sides as necessary. Beat in lime juice, zest, and coconut cream until smooth.
- Very gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until just combined. Spread filling evenly over graham cracker crust smoothing top. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate bars 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove pan from refrigerator and top with toasted coconut. Use a knife to cut into bars, cleaning knife between each cut for clean lines. Serve bars and enjoy!
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