Pina Colada Cheesecake Recipe - The Juicy Beauty Word

I'm all about eating low sugar, vegetarian healthy food, but sometimes, a girl's just gotta have cheesecake! My Piña Colada Cheesecake is full of cream cheese (which is a nice calcium dairy food), pineapple (rich in Vitamin C) and the trendy health craze ingredient coconut milk. It's practically health food, right? That's what I tell myself, anyway! I believe a small piece of a yummy dessert is good for our mental health especially if it contains a little rum!

I sometimes make this cheesecake for my husband's birthday since it's one of his favorites. It also is a lovely dessert for the Easter holiday.

This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free graham crackers for the crust. One of my daughters was gluten free for a time. She has gravitated away from gluten free but says she felt better when she was gluten free so I like to adjust my a lot of my recipes to accommodate a gluten free diet.

My Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

To get a rich tasting cheesecake with a lovely texture, I use regular cream cheese. You can use the lower fat Neufchâtel Cheese to lower the fat content in the cheesecake if you choose. I figure this is a dessert so I go for the gusto of full fat to create the most delicious dessert. I also use full fat sour cream. Again, you can lower the fat content by using lower fat sour cream. I don't recommend using anything fat free for a dessert. The fat is needed to create the best texture.

This recipe includes canned crushed pineapple. It must be very well drained. I use a 20 oz. of crushed pineapple in pineapple juice. Drain the pineapple in a colander and press it with a large spoon to squeeze out the juice. Then, measure the 1 cup of the pineapple. Make draining the pineapple the first step when you start preparing your cheesecake so there is plenty of draining time.  

I add dark rum to this cheesecake for authentic piña colada flavor. You can use rum extract if you choose. Use 1 or 2 tablespoons according to how much rum flavor you desire.

Toasted coconut adds a nice crispy texture to the cheesecake and tastes yummy. It also is very decorative on top of the cheesecake and around the plate. Coconut easily toasted in a pan on your stove top.

I like to wrap foil on the bottom of my springform cake pan to prevent any melted butter leakage from the crust. Believe me, I have way too much experience with smoke billowing from the oven from an overflow or pan leak burning on the bottom of the oven so I'm always looking for ways to prevent it from happening! Just ask my daughters!!!

Piña Colada Cheesecake
This creamy, yummy cheesecake full of pineapple and coconut flavor is a favorite of my husband! Toasted coconut is the perfect decorative accent and adds a nice crispy texture.

The Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, regular or gluten free
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

The Cake
4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 15 oz. can of cream of coconut
1 cup of crushed pineapple, well drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons of dark rum or rum extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice

The Topping
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Drain pineapple. Pre heat the oven to 350°. 

Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Press the mixture into a 10 inch springform cake pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

Cake:
Beat cream cheese at medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs, one egg at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add sour cream, cream of coconut, pineapple, cornstarch, vanilla, rum and lemon juice. Mix on low speed till nicely combined.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Open the oven and check to see that the cheesecake is just about set and it is golden on top. Close oven door and turn the oven off. Allow cheesecake to gradually cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow the it to continue to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Refrigerate for about 8 hours in the springform before serving time.

Topping:
Toast the flaked coconut in a dry pan over medium heat on your stove top stirring frequently until golden. Put the coconut is a glass bowl and allow it to cool. Cover and store at room temperature until it is time to serve the cheesecake. 

Remove well chilled cheesecake from the springform pan. Put on a beautiful plate and sprinkle toasted coconut on the cheesecake and on the edges of the plate. Serves 10 to 12. Slice and Enjoy!

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       Have a Beautiful Day! 

xo

Jill

Licensed Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Makeup Artist

 Wedding, special occasion or everyday makeup and skin care services available in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. Visit my makeup page for more information!

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