A No Bake Passionfruit Cheesecake is the perfect special occasion dessert. This recipe is free from refined sugars and naturally sweetened with stevia, however it is luxuriously rich, creamy, smooth and silky with sweet tart jelly on top and a walnut and date base. This is a healthier take on a classic cheesecake fit for any dinner party, birthday or high tea celebration.
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I love making deserts with passionfruit, they are such a refreshing and tasty fruit that it always makes me feel like I'm on holiday. Living in Queensland on the Sunshine Coast passionfruit are often in abundance being available all year around, in all the different varieties, from gold passionfruit to green passionfruit to purple passionfruit.
If you love no bake desserts, you might like this wickedly delicious and not too sweet No Bake Chocolate Tart which also happens to be dairy free and sweetened with dates. Or, perhaps this Date Sweetened Raw Caramel Slice with only 7 ingredients - it's addictive. Or this Pineapple Fridge Tart with Whipped Cream and Fresh Pineapple Chunks for special occasions!
I have to admit that purple passionfruit are my favourite because I love the sweet tartness and tang of them. They are also really high in antioxidants and vitamin C and this recipe has over 1 cup of passionfruit pulp. It's a creamy tropical indulgence, lighter in calories and fat, but bang on for flavour, and texture.
What Is A No Bake Cheesecake
A no bake cheesecake is a cheesecake made without the use of an oven. Instead of using eggs and heat to bind the ingredients together, gelatine is used as the setting agent.
PRO TIP 1: Use real (fresh) passionfruit for the filling as opposed to the tinned variety. There is less liquid and the flavour in fresh passionfruit is more potent and bold. It will result in a more full flavoured cheesecake.
Are you a mad cheesecake lover like me? Check out my other cheesecake recipes ----> Chilli Chocolate Cheesecake, Jaffa Cheesecake, Mini Lime Cheesecakes, and this delicious Fruit Salad Tart that will leave you asking for seconds.
Must Haves for Making a No Bake Cheesecake
- A Springform cake tin, lined both on the base and sides. I like to fasten a square sheet of baking paper in between the base and side so it is easier to slide the cheesecake out. It is also important to line the sides on the tin with baking paper as this ensure it will come out of the time with smooth sides.
- Food Processor /High Speed Blender: this is for the walnuts and dates to make the cheesecake base
- Powdered gelatin: I use McKenzie gelatin, available from Woolworths supermarkets in Australia, but any powdered gelatin would be fine. The trick is to use a bowl, not a jug, add the water first, and gently and slowly sprinkle the gelatine into the water. Then let it stand for 5 minutes so it can become gelatinous. If there are any lumps, microwave for 10 seconds and press them out with the back of a spoon if necessary.
- Mortar and Pestle: This is my secret weapon for making no bake cheesecakes. I use it to further ground down the granulated stevia to remove a lot of the grittiness before adding it to the cheesecake filling. Doing this extra step ensure a smooth and silky finish every time.
No mortar and pestle? Instead pop the granulated sweetener into a ziplock bag, get a soup tin (or similar), turn it onto its side, press down and roll back and forward over the sweetener for a couple minutes, or until it starts to look a little finer.
PRO TIP 2: When making the passionfruit jelly, it might look very watery, and you may be a little nervous about tipping such a watery thing onto your stunning looking (but undressed) cheesecake.
But don't worry, just go with it, and pour it on, tilting the tin side to side to spread it out and with the gelatine in the jelly, it will set to become firm after the required 8 hours in the fridge. Just make sure you have not microwaved the gelatine for longer than 10 seconds, otherwise it will be too hot for the cheesecake.
Well, we have the in laws visiting this week who live about 12 hours north and there is still plenty of cheesecake to be eaten. We'll be having some special family dinners this week and passionfruit cheesecake will be the perfect way to finish off the meal.
This no bake passionfruit cheesecake is not hard to make. The steps are quite basic and straight forward and perfect for making the day before a special event. Put this one on your dinner party list - your guests won't even know it's sugar free.
No Bake Passionfruit Cheesecake
Ingredients
Base:
- 10 medium Medjool dates
- 2 cups Walnuts, crumbled/packed tightly
Filling:
- 3 large Passionfruit
- 4 ½ teaspoons Gelatin powder
- ½ cup Cold tap water
- 2 cups Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temp - (2 blocks)
- ½ cup Granulated sweetener, that measures like sugar
- 1 cup Whipping cream, full fat
- ½ cup Ricotta, full fat
Passionfruit Jelly
- ¾ cup Passionfruit Pulp
- ¼ cup Tap water
- 1 teaspoon Gelatin Powder
Instructions
- Base: Remove seeds from dates and soak in boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Drain the dates and add along with walnuts add to a food processor or high speed blender and blitz until a wet crumb is formed.
- Using a 22.5 cm heavy gauge springform cake pan, release the bottom and place a square piece of baking paper in the bottom (side corners will stick out) and then fasten the clip to tighten the round side piece back into place. Line the sides of the cake pan with baking paper as well. This step helps to remove the cheesecake much more easily when it is ready to be eaten.
- Once the cake pan is lined, press the date/walnut mix into a tart dish with your fingers or the back of a spoon, making sure you go right to the edges.
- Prep: In a mortar and pestle, place the granulated sweetener and grind the granules for 2 minutes so that it becomes smoother.
- Filling: Using a food processor or high speed blender, add the cream cheese, cream, ricotta and sweetener and blitz until all combined.
- Gelatin: in a dessert bowl, add the ½ cup water and gently sprinkle the gelatin powder into the water, stirring with a spoon as you go, trying to keep it as smooth as possible. Set aside for a few minutes so it can form and become gelatinous.
- Meanwhile, with filling still in the food processor/blender, add the passionfruit (do not blitz yet).
- Microwave gelatin mixture for 10 seconds and stir with a spoon. Spoon gelatin mix into cheesecake filling and blitz for 30 seconds.
- Spoon the filling into the cake pan, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Passionfruit Jelly: in a dessert bowl, add the ¼ cup water and gently sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin powder into the water, stirring with a spoon as you go, trying to keep it as smooth as possible. Set aside for a few minutes so it can form and become gelatinous
- Microwave gelatine mixture for 10 seconds and stir with a spoon. Add the passionfruit pulp to gelatin mix and stir in.
- Pour passionfruit jelly mix over the top of your chilled cheesecake. Use back of a small spoon to smooth out or tilt side to side to spread it evenly over the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 10 hours.
- Serve freshly sliced mango or a few raspberries/strawberries.
- Keep cheesecake covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an air tight container in the fridge for upto 4 days.
Notes
- I use Natvia Stevia Sweetener available from most mainstream supermarkets in the baking aisle. For best results, and to get it superfine, I grind it down further in a mortar and pestle as this ensure a completely smooth cheesecake with no grittiness. Alternatively you could buy powderered sweetener which won't need any grinding down. My favourite brand of is Lakanto monkfruit Powdered Sweetener, available from Woolworths in Australia
- I use a springform cake tin 22.5 cm in diameter.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
shruti patil says
Tried this recipe and it turned out to be super delicious also its very easy to make