Are you looking for a light, elegant dessert- perhaps for your Easter table, or for a Springtime brunch? How about this Orange Coconut Mini Cheesecake recipe? They are perfect little bites of bright citrus flavor. And they are so cute! I really like individual desserts for entertaining- they are so easy to serve because you don’t have to worry about cutting your cake/pie/whatever and trying to get it onto the serving plate in one piece :) Just set out the tray and you are set to go…
Orange Coconut Mini Cheesecake Recipe
- 18 Vanilla Wafer cookies (such as Nilla Wafers)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (regular or light)
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar + 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut, divided
- 2 oranges, washed well
- 15 oz can mandarin oranges
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with 18 paper cupcake liners. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each paper liner.
Zest 1 of the oranges (this will yield about 1 tablespoon of orange zest.) Juice both of the oranges. Strain pulp from the orange juice.
Beat together cream cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup coconut, orange zest, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Pour into paper liners.
Bake about 18-20 minutes, until set.
Remove cheesecakes from muffin tins and place on wire racks to cool.
Drain mandarin oranges, reserving liquid. Measure out the orange juice; add reserved mandarin orange liquid so that you have a total of 3/4 cup of liquid.
In a small sauce pan, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup orange juice/mandarin orange liquid, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute, still whisking constantly. Remove from heat.
Arrange mandarin oranges on cheesecakes. Use a pastry brush to cover mandarin oranges and tops of cheesecakes.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup coconut and toast for about 2 minutes until golden, stirring frequently and being careful not to burn. Allow to cool; sprinkle on cheesecakes.
Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.
Makes 18 mini-cheesecakes
Leftover glaze will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Try pouring it as is over pound cake, pancakes, or ice cream; you can also stir in some cut up fruit before pouring it on. Soooo yummy :)
(I forgot to sprinkle the coconut on the tops before I took the photos… but they still look pretty good…)
yum!! will be making these!! Just a little thing, recipe doesn’t say, but i am assuming use the pastry brush to cover oranges and cheesecakes with glaze. I’ll let you know and post pictures when I make!!
Yes,Sandy. Use a pastry brush :) They are quite simple!
Can’t wait to make these. Question – did you use flake or shredded coconut?
My bag says flake- is there much difference between the two? I think flake is the only kind my store carries.
There is a difference between the two. Flake is a shorter shred and shredded is a longer piece of coconut. Flake is neater and shredded often has shreds extending outside the cookie, tart, whatever one is making. There is also dessicated coconut that is called for in making true European Lamingtons. That can be found at cookie decorating stores but not at your grocery store.
Looking forward to making your orange coconut cheesecake mini cupcakes. I’ve never put coconut with them before. Sounds delish! Thank you.
Just signed up for one year of your Art of Home Club. Getting so excited for what is to come. Spent most of today browsing through all you are offering your members. I am so very, very impressed. Thank you so much, Jacquelynne!
I loved the photo of your table setting. I I’ve in Australia now and we are in Autumn so my Easter table setting is quite different-pumpkins and Indian corn!
I miss the the daffodils!
I’ll try to send you a photo of my Easter table setting from a few years ago.