Kosher for Passover Cheesecake with Coconut Macaroon Crust

Kosher for passover cheesecake on a cake stand with toasted coconut and strawberries around it.

Kosher for Passover Cheesecake with Coconut Macaroon Crust

A coconut macaroon crust makes this cheesecake both grain free and gluten free. With absolutely no matzo or matzo meal in the recipe, it's sure to be the best tasting dessert on your Passover seder table!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Jewish

Diet Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegetarian

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 2 30

Servings servings

Calories 441kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $15

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Coconut Macaroon Crust

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

16 ounces cream cheese (2 blocks) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream room temperature
2 tablespoons potato starch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
vanilla bean seeds, scraped from 1 pod

For the White Chocolate Mousse

1 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese (½ a block) room temperature
4 ounces white chocolate (1 baking bar) melted

For Decorating (Optional)

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
strawberries
toasted coconut flakes

Instructions

Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by spraying it with nonstick spray and adding a circular piece of parchment paper to the bottom. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Make the crust: Whisk together sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl until fully combined and frothy. Fold in the coconut until thick and evenly moistened.
Scoop mixture into bottom of the prepared pan. Press down until it forms a thin layer of crust on the bottom, working your way up the sides to cover thinly about a ½ inch up the sides.
Bake crust for 15 minutes until set on the bottom and lightly golden brown on the sides. Allow to cool completely. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Make the cheesecake filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a paddle attachment until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the sugar, sour cream, potato starch, vanilla, and salt and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Mix in the vanilla bean seeds until evenly incorporated, about 30 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Make the white chocolate mousse: Clean the bowl of your stand mixer. Then, add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat with whisk attachment until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and the peaks become stiffer, about 2 minutes.
Carefully scoop out the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
Again in the bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy.
Remove the bowl from your stand mixer. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the whipped cream into the beaten cream cheese by hand, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream.
Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake. Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
To decorate (optional): Clean the bowl of your stand mixer. Then, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and mix until the peaks become stiffer. Scoop whipped cream into a pastry decorating bag with a star tip. Set aside.
Thinly slice strawberries lengthwise. Start adding strawberries in concentric circles to the top of the cheesecake by arranging them around the outside with their “points” touching the edge, then working inward.
Continue layering the strawberries on top of one another until you reach the center.
Use the whipped cream to add additional decorations, like a border where the cheesecake touches the plate or swirls on top.

Notes

Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for the best smooth and creamy texture.
Potato starch is a common Passover ingredient. You can often find it in the Kosher foods aisle of your grocery store around March or April when the Passover items come out.
You can use cornstarch in place of potato starch if you're NOT making this cheesecake for Passover. You can also use a traditional graham cracker crust in place of the coconut crust, if not for Passover.
Vanilla beans are long, brown pods found in the spice aisle of the grocery store. They're expensive but SO worth the added flavor.
Add an additional 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you choose not to use a vanilla bean.
When making the white chocolate mousse, make sure the mixing bowl and all other ingredients are room temperature. If the bowl or ingredients are cold, they'll cause the melted chocolate to harden, resulting in a lumpy mousse.

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