Hawaiian Macadamia-Coconut Cheesecake with Mango, Papaya, Pineapple & Passionfruit
A no-bake celebration cheesecake: buttery macadamia-coconut crust, vanilla-coconut filling layered with fans of mango, papaya and pineapple, and a glossy deep-orange passionfruit top.
Yield: one 8-inch springform (serves 12–16) · Active: 45 min · Total: 7 hr (mostly freezing; best made the day before) · Season: passionfruit (lilikoi) peaks late summer through fall in Hawaii, Florida and Southern California. Mango runs May–September, and pineapple and papaya are good year-round (pineapple peaks March–July). Frozen passionfruit pulp works any time. · Cuisine: Hawaiian-inspired, no-bake · Best eaten: afternoon or early evening at a warm-weather celebration
It’s perfect for summer birthdays, beach weddings and any party with a tropical theme, and it waits in the freezer until you need it. For an everyday version, see my Raw Macadamia-Mango Cheesecake Bars. For a tropical dinner to go before it, try the Hawaiian Macadamia-Crusted Wild Fish with Mango-Passionfruit Salsa.
Ingredients
Macadamia-coconut crust
1½ cups raw macadamia nuts (Hawaiian-grown if possible)
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
8 medjool dates, pitted
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Zest of 1 organic lime (optional)
Vanilla-coconut filling
3 cups raw cashews, soaked 4–8 hours and drained
¾ cup thick coconut cream (the solid part from a can of full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight)
⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla bean powder for visible flecks)
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
⅓ cup raw macadamia nuts (optional, blended in for more macadamia flavor)
Tropical fruit layers
1 ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
½ small ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into thin slices or small wedges
(Divide the fruit in half: one fan for over the crust, one for under the topping.)
Passionfruit (lilikoi) topping
¾ cup passionfruit pulp, with seeds (8–10 fresh fruit, or frozen unsweetened pulp, thawed)
3 tbsp raw honey or pure maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp agar powder
2 tbsp filtered water
Garnish
Shredded or toasted coconut
Macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts, finely chopped
Lime zest
A drizzle of raw honey
A spoonful of fresh passionfruit pulp
Edible flowers (optional): hibiscus, orchids or organic rose petals
Swaps
Different nuts: pecans or pistachios can replace the macadamias in the crust.
Milder topping: use mango purée in place of passionfruit.
Gelatin instead of agar: use 2 tsp grass-fed gelatin bloomed in the 2 tbsp water, but only if your top fruit layer is all mango. Fresh pineapple and papaya contain enzymes that stop gelatin from setting.
Allergy note: contains tree nuts (macadamia, cashew and Brazil nut) and coconut.
Method
Make the crust
Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment and lightly grease the sides with coconut oil.
Pulse the macadamias into a coarse meal, about 8 short pulses. Don’t overdo it, or they’ll turn into butter.
Add the coconut, dates, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and lime zest and pulse until it comes together into a sticky dough. Press firmly and evenly into the pan. Freeze while you make the filling.
Make the filling and first fruit layer
4. In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, maple syrup, lime juice, vanilla, salt and optional macadamias on high for 3–4 minutes, scraping down as needed, until completely smooth like silken cream cheese.
5. First fruit fan: arrange half the mango, papaya and pineapple slices in an overlapping fan over the chilled crust.
6. Pour the filling over the fruit and smooth the top. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
7. Freeze at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until firm.
Add the second fruit layer and topping
8. Second fruit fan: arrange the rest of the fruit in a fan over the firm filling. Return to the freezer while you make the topping.
9. Make the passionfruit topping. In a small saucepan, whisk the passionfruit pulp, honey, lime juice, water and agar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, and simmer 2 minutes; agar needs to boil to activate. Take it off the heat and cool 3–5 minutes, until warm but still pourable. Agar sets quickly as it cools, so don’t wait too long.
10. Pour the warm topping evenly over the fruit and filling, tilting the pan to cover. It will start to set on contact with the cold cake.
11. Set in the fridge or freezer for at least 1 hour.
Serve
12. Take the cheesecake out of the freezer 20–30 minutes before slicing, so the fruit layers soften and aren’t icy. Run a thin knife warmed under hot water around the edge and release the springform.
13. Garnish with shredded coconut, chopped macadamia and Brazil nuts, lime zest, a drizzle of raw honey, a spoonful of passionfruit pulp and edible flowers.
14. Slice with a hot, dry knife, wiping it between cuts. Serve chilled.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4–5 days, or freeze up to 1 month (the fresh fruit layers are best within the first few weeks). Thaw frozen slices 20–30 minutes before serving. The passionfruit color is brightest in the first day or two. For 24+ guests, make two 8-inch cakes, or double the recipe in a 9×13 pan.
Honey note: the honey in the topping isn’t raw once heated, but the drizzle on top stays raw. Honey isn’t safe for babies under 12 months.
Serve it with chilled coconut water with lime, my Hibiscus Cold Brew, sparkling water with a spoonful of passionfruit, or a small glass of dry sparkling wine.
Nourishment Notes
Macadamia nuts are about 80% monounsaturated fat, similar to olive oil. They’re among the lowest of the common nuts in omega-6 and one of the few foods with meaningful palmitoleic acid (an omega-7 fat), plus thiamine, manganese and copper. Native to coastal Australia, where Aboriginal peoples ate them for thousands of years, they arrived in Hawaii in the 1880s and became the islands’ signature nut. Their buttery sweetness is perfect with coconut and tropical fruit.
Coconut in three forms (oil, cream and flakes) brings rich saturated fat, mostly lauric acid, plus fiber from the flakes. Virgin coconut oil keeps its gentle coconut aroma. Cashews bring magnesium, copper and zinc, and soaking them is what makes the filling silky.
Passionfruit brings vitamin C, beta-carotene (its deep orange color), fiber from the seeds and piceatannol, a polyphenol related to resveratrol that’s being studied for heart and metabolic health. Its natural pectin helps the topping set glossy.
Mango brings beta-carotene and vitamin C. Papaya brings vitamin C, folate and papain, an enzyme that helps break down protein. Pineapple brings vitamin C, manganese and bromelain. Those enzymes are why fresh pineapple and papaya keep gelatin from setting, and why this recipe uses agar.
Agar is a plant-based gelling agent made from seaweed and used across Asian cooking. It sets firm at room temperature and isn’t affected by fruit enzymes. Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium; just one or two cover a day’s needs, so a sprinkle on top is plenty. Lime adds vitamin C and brightness.
For your cycle: in the follicular and ovulatory phases, bright tropical fruit and its vitamin C fit those lighter, higher-energy weeks. In the luteal phase, the macadamias, cashews and coconut bring fat and magnesium to keep sweet cravings steady, and a little selenium from the Brazil nuts supports thyroid health.
Sourcing
Macadamia nuts: raw, Hawaiian-grown, from Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. or MacFarms (both Hawaii)
Cashews: raw, organic, from a bulk supplier with good turnover
Medjool dates: Joolies or Mariani
Coconut oil: virgin cold-pressed, from Nutiva or Dr. Bronner’s
Coconut milk: full-fat, guar-gum-free, like Native Forest Simple
Coconut flakes: unsweetened, organic, from Let’s Do Organic
Maple syrup: pure, from Crown Maple or Coombs Family Farms
Honey: local raw honey
Passionfruit: fresh Hawaiian or Florida lilikoi in season, or frozen unsweetened pulp from a Latin market (Goya)
Mango, papaya and pineapple: ripe and fragrant, organic where possible
Agar powder: Eden Foods or NOW Foods
Vanilla: Heilala or Singing Dog Vanilla
Edible flowers: labeled food-grade and pesticide-free, from an organic farmers’ market or an edible-flower supplier like Marx Foods
Sea salt: Baja Gold
— Anna aka Food Marshall