Serve this mango cheesecake recipe for Mother’s day, summer barbecues, or any time you want a light and bright dessert. You can even make this recipe using defrosted frozen mangoes; making it a fantastic option any time of year! For more delicious fruit cheesecake recipes, check out my homemade strawberry cheesecake, easy blueberry cheesecake, and lemon cheesecake recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Mangoes – choose fresh mangoes for the ultimate flavor and smooth texture, although defrosted frozen mango chunks are also a great pick. If using fresh, choose mangoes that are ripe and have skin that gives just slightly when pressed gently but firmly with the pad of your thumb. If using defrosted, drain off the extra juice before blending. Cream Cheese – softened to room temperature. Only use full-fat cream cheese. Reduced-fat or low-fat cream cheese won’t add sufficient fat, which the filling needs to set properly and to make it luscious, creamy, and silky. Graham Crackers – classic or honey graham crackers are both great picks. Choose full sheets of graham crackers and pulverize in a food processor or make this no-bake recipe with pre-made graham cracker crumbs. Lime Juice – the fresh acidity and floral notes of lime juice are a dreamy complement for sweet mango flavor. Use fresh lime juice for the best results. Substitute with lemon juice if needed. Gelatin Powder – opt for unflavored gelatin powder. You will need two packets for this recipe– one for the cheesecake and one for the mango topping.
How to Make Mango Cheesecake
- Make the Crust. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Pulse until the crackers are ground into fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9-inch springform pan. Using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Freeze the graham cracker crust while preparing the filling.
- Make the Mango Cheesecake. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the cold water. Set aside to hydrate, about 5 minutes.
- Once the gelatin is hydrated completely, microwave in 5-second intervals until melted. Stir and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, fresh mango puree, sugar, and lime juice on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times during mixing. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour the cooled gelatin in to the cream cheese mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Pour the filling into the chilled crust and chill until the filling is set, about 4 hours.
- Make the Mango Topping. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the cold water. Set aside to hydrate, about 5 minutes. While the gelatin hydrates, combine the mango puree and lime juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Heat until it is warm to the touch.
- Gently whisk in the hydrated gelatin until fully dissolved. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the topping over the chilled cheesecake filling and gently shake it into an even layer. Refrigerate until the topping has set, about 2 hours or up to overnight. Top with more fresh mango before serving, if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Let the gelatin fully hydrate. This will take approximately 5 minutes. Additionally, always hydrate the gelatin in cold water. If you don’t hydrate it before adding to the filling or topping, it can become grainy and clump together, creating an unpleasant texture and can also keep the filling and topping from not setting up properly. Let the cheesecake filling completely set before topping it. Chill until firm, approximately 4 hours in the refrigerator. My recipe actually works well frozen! So, if you need to speed up the chilling process, you can freeze the base. Variation options. For an ultra-rich cheesecake filling, add ½ cup sour cream to the filling. You could also substitute a tablespoon or two of the mango puree in the filling or topping with passion fruit syrup or puree for some extra tropical flavor.
If you’ve tried this mango cheesecake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
