This no bake ube cheesecake with coconut is the perfect classic combination of stunning purple ube and creamy coconut. It's beautiful and delicious!
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This purple yam cheesecake delightful fusion of creamy no bake cheesecake and the unique sweetness of ube. The addition of ube creates a striking purple hue, giving you a no bake dessert that's visually stunning and totally Instaworthy!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy no bake cheesecake recipe, no need to turn on the oven.
- Classic flavor combination of purple yam ube and coconut.
- Beautiful natural purple ube color.
- Make it ahead of easy entertaining.
Looking for more fabulous Asian inspired desserts? Why not try my gorgeous no bake matcha cheesecake or creamy pandan ice cream. Delicious!
Ingredients
Ube flavoring: sometimes also called ube essence, is the simplest way to get ube flavor into this cheesecake and the most readily available, usually online, from specialty baking stores and Asian supermarkets.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe for that classic creamy cheesecake taste. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Desiccated coconut: is finely grated coconut, commonly used in baking. The fine texture mixes in well with the base and gives a lovely extra kick to this cheesecake. I don't recommend using shredded coconut, it will be too big and may not combine well in the base. If you are not a fan of coconut you can leave it out and replace it with a little more graham cracker crumbs.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Graham Crackers: are a type of sweet plain cookie with wholegrain which are the classic cheesecake base. It also works well with most types of sweet cookies, including Digestive, Nila wafers etc. For a chocolate kick you can use Oreos for the crust instead, separated with the filling removed.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. In this case it binds and sets the base.
To decorate the cheesecake (optional):
Coconut cream: not all coconut creams are created equal. I tested several different brands. Generally speaking the more 'natural' coconut creams were grayer in color and had a coaser texture which did not translate well to the whipped coconut cream. You may need to experiment to find the brand that works best for you.
And whatever you do do not skip chilling the cream, or it won't whip!
Purple yam powder: a dusting of ube powder makes a stunning and easy way to decorate this cheesecake, but you can level it off if you can't get it.
How to make ube cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the base
Grease and line your spring form pan. Crush up your biscuits into fine crumbs, either by breaking them up and blitzing them in a food processor. Or if you don't have one you can put them in a plastic bag on a chopping board, cover with a tea towel and carefully bash them with a rolling pin. At a pinch a heavy small heavy-based saucepan works too!
Heat up a skillet and dry roast the desiccated coconut until it smells great and is a lovely toasted golden color. As soon as its done take it off the heat and remove from the skillet immediately, it can burn quickly if you leave it in the hot pan once done.
Put the biscuit crumbs and toasted coconut into a bowl and mix well. Melt the butter in a microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. Add the butter to the crumbs and mix well. Tip into the prepared cake tin. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon and chill for at least one hour, and up to twenty-four hours before filling.
Hot tip: do not skip chilling the base. If it's too hot when you add the filling it can make the filling weep, resulting in a soggy cheesecake base. If you are pressed for time on the day you can make the base the day before and store it in the fridge until you have time to make the filling.
Put the can of coconut cream to decorate the cheesecake in the fridge to chill at the same time as the cheesecake base. The can of coconut cream needs to chill for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To make the filling
Hot tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour depending on where you live. If your cream cheese is too cold it won't mix in properly and is one of the main causes of lumpy or grainy cheesecake.
Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the sugar. Mix on low until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ube flavoring and mix well, taking care to mix in all the cream cheese at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl whip the cream until it forms firm peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix, taking care not to knock out the air from the whipped cream.
Tip the cheesecake mix into the chilled base, taking care to smooth out the air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with an offset spatula.
Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.
To decorate the cheesecake
Remove the set cheesecake from the springform tin, put into onto a serving board or plate and smooth down the edges with a spatula.
Carefully open the chilled can of coconut cream. The can should have separated into set cream on top and looser liquid on the bottom. Carefully spoon off the set coconut cream from the top. When you get to the liquid part down that bottom take care not to scoop out any liquid, or your coconut cream won't whip properly.
Whip the spooned-off hardened coconut cream in a stand mixer until medium peaks form. Sift in the powdered sugar and continue to whip until firmish peaks form. Do not over whip! Put the whipped coconut cream into a piping bag and pipe swirls of cream onto the top of the cake. Finally dust with a little purple yam powder just before serving and you're done!
How to serve
To serve this no bake purple yam cheesecake pop it onto a plate, slice and enjoy! To get nice clean slices it helps to gently heat a large knife, wipe dry and slice.
How to store
Undecorated this ube coconut cheesecake cheesecake will store well in the fridge for up to five days. It can also be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to two months, but best eaten within a month for best texture.
Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
What is ube flavor?
Ube, pronounced ooh-beh, is a type of purple yam. It's a root vegetable that's originally from the Philippines. Because of its strong distinctive purple color, it's become very popular to flavor and color desserts, everything from cheesecake to macaroons. Ube flavoring is made from a concentrated extract of ube.
What does ube cheesecake taste like?
Cheesecake made with ube has a distinct bright purple hue. The flavor is a subtle mix of nutty, vanilla like flavor combined with classic no bake cheesecake flavor.
Where can I get ube flavoring?
Ube flavoring is available from Asian supermarkets, specialty baking stores and the usual online places such as Amazon (not sponsored).
Can I make this with Oreos for ube Oreo cheesecake?
You sure can. Simply substitute the graham crackers and toasted coconut base for Oreos with the filling removed instead. You will need about 2 & ½ packs (133gms per pack/335 gms total, or about 37 Oreos in total, separated and filling removed). For more guidance on how to do this you can follow the process for the base of my black forest cheesecake.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
Why not try making
- Classic Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
- Pretty in pink Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
- Coffee Cheesecake (recipe coming soon!)
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📋 Recipe
Ube Cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm) or similar
- Electric hand held beaters or stand mixer *its usefull but not essential to have two mixing bowls.
- Stick/immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment or food processor
- food safe acetate and/or parchment paper
- piping bag and piping tip (I used a 2d)
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 2 & ⅓ cups (250gms) Graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (20gms) desiccated coconut
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup (110gms) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ube extract
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
To decorate the cheesecake
- 1 can (14oz/395gms) full fat coconut cream
- ½ tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon purple yam ube powder
Instructions
To make the cheesecake base
- Line the base and sides of a springform tin with parchment paper.
- Dry roast the desiccated coconut in a skillet until golden brown. Have a heatproof bowl ready to remove from the heat as soon as it's done as it can burn easily.
- Break up the cookies and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Melt the butter by cubing, adding to a microwave proof bowl and microwave for a minute or two.
- Add the cookie crumbs and toasted coconut to a bowl and mix well. Pour the melted butter in and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined springform tin and press down at the bottom to form the base. Do not press to firmly or your base may become to hard.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
- Put your can of coconut cream to chill in the fridge at the same time as your base. The coconut cream needs to chill for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To make the cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften. Add the sugar and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved. Add the ube flavoring and mix well.
- In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the rest of the cheesecake mix and gently fold in until well combined, taking care not to knock any air out of the mix.
- Put the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To decorate cheesecake
- Once set remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and smooth down the edges with an offset spatula.
- Carefully open your can of chilled coconut cream without tipping or shaking the can. Scoop the solidified coconut cream off the top, leaving the liquid in the bottom of the can.
- Whip the coconut cream until medium peaks form. Sift in the powdered sugar and whip until firm peaks form. Do not over whip! Add the whipped coconut cream to a piping bag and pipe pretty swirls around the edge of the cheescake.
- Dust with a little purple ube powder to finish and you're done!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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