Description
Treat yourself to a taste of aloha with these Creamy Lilikoi Cheesecake Bars!
Boasting 3 irresistible layers—a buttery macadamia nut shortbread crust, a light and luscious no-bake cheesecake filling, and a tangy-sweet liliko‘i (Hawaiian passion fruit) topping—each bar bursts with bold, tropical flavor.
This easy dessert recipe is a cherished family favorite—truly, the sweetest slice of Hawaii. 🌺
Ingredients
Scale
for the macadamia nut shortbread crust:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, diced into ½-inch cubes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted macadamia nuts
- pinch kosher salt
for the cream cheese filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (two 8-ounce bricks), at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened lilikoi puree (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
for the lilikoi topping:
- ½ cup unsweetened lilikoi puree (see Recipe Notes)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (see Recipe Notes)
- cornstarch slurry: 2 tablespoons cornstarch whisked into ½ cup water
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F ensuring a rack is in the center position. Spritz a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the macadamia nut shortbread dough: Add the flour, sugar, macadamia nuts, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the cold diced butter to the food processor. Pulse to cut the butter into the flour mixture, stopping as soon as the butter is broken into small pieces and coated in flour—the mixture will sort of look like fluffy parmesan cheese; 25-30 quick pulses is typically about right. Do not overmix, which leads to tough, greasy shortbread.
- Form the shortbread crust: Transfer the macadamia nut shortbread dough to the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer, then press crumbs down form the crust. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs in very well—it’s easiest to start around the sides and work your way towards the center.
- Bake the macadamia shortbread crust: Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake 18-20 minutes, just until the edges are slightly browned. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely for assembly.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Meanwhile, prepare the filling. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and lilikoi puree and mix to combine well. With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly pour in the cold heavy whipping cream. Once all of the cream is added, add the salt and turn the speed up to high and beat until medium stiff peaks form. Set aside for assembly.
- Prepare the lilikoi topping: To a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the lilikoi puree and sugar. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture begins to bubble, slowly add in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly. Cook for one minute to thicken, then remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely for assembly.
- Assemble the lilikoi cheesecake bars: Once all of the components are prepared and cooled, assemble the bars. Add the cream cheese filling to the pan and use a spatula to spread it out into a smooth layer over the macadamia nut crust. Pour the lilikoi topping over top and ase an offset spatula to spread it out into a smooth layer over the cheesecake filling.
- Chill: Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely or at least 2 hours before serving.
- Serve: Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Use a sharp knife to slice the cheesecake bars into 12-15 slices; for prettiest presentation, rinse the knife with hot water between cuts. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Lilikoi puree: Liliko’i is the variety of passion fruit grown in Hawaii. Like other varieties, lilikoi is a citrus fruit with intensely tart-sweet flavor. To make this lilikoi cheesecake bar recipe, you need about ¾ cup unsweetened passion fruit puree (not to be mistaken with fruit juice or syrup). If you have access to good-quality fresh passion fruit, it is pretty easy to make homemade passion fruit puree—check out this simple 10-minute DIY tutorial for more guidance. Here in Minnesota, I typically purchase frozen passion fruit puree online (my personal favorite is Perfect Purée, but this is another good option), but you can also typically find it stocked in the freezer aisle at a nice Mexican or Latino market. Best substitutes: If you cannot find unsweetened passion fruit puree, the next best options for this recipe are lightly sweetened puree or passion fruit juice concentrate.
- A note on sugar measurements: If you end up using a sweetened passion fruit puree or juice concentrate, you will want to scale back on the amount of sugar you use in the lilikoi topping. The amount of sugar used depends on the level of sweetness of your passion fruit, so adjust to taste. When my family makes this recipe using juice concentrate, we eliminate the added sugar altogether.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing:
- Make-Ahead and Storage: These lilikoi cheesecake bars will keep for up to 5 days after assembly—feel free to make it ahead of time or store your leftovers to enjoy later. Cover the pan in plastic wrap or transfer the bars to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Lilikoi cheesecake bars are also incredibly freezer-friendly. Set the chilled bars on a baking sheet and freeze solid before transferring to a freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before re-serving.