This showstopper may take some reasonable effort and skill, but the results will be very much appreciated by your visiting (adult) friends and family. It has all the flavors of a Piña Colada drink in a set cheesecake: yes, there is even real rum….
Chef Tips:
- If you want the kids to enjoy this, you may be able to replace the rum with a rum-flavored extract. I have not tried this, but it’s handy to know and try anyway. However, I am not entirely convinced the kids will like it, so perhaps stick to “The Real Thing” with this one and dazzle the adults instead!
- When opening your can of pineapple pieces, do not be in a rush to drain them because we use the juice from the can to make our jelly layer. Keep an eye on the amounts needed: I used a small-medium can of pineapple pieces from our local store – and they need to be chopped smaller for a pretty presentation.
- Always let your powdered gelatin melt completely in a warm liquid to prevent any gelatin chunks.
- I used gluten-free plain cookies for the base, but these still feature real sugar. If you are living very low carb/keto, this recipe may not be for you. You could always opt for almond flour and dried coconut base, but the canned pineapple pieces are usually stored in a sugar syrup, so perhaps keep this treat for special occasions only!
Yield: Serves 8
Grain-Free Piña Colada Cheesecake
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour 30 minutes
Chilling & Setting Time:
1 day
Total Time:
1 day 2 hours 15 minutes
Transport your dinner guests to the tropics with this rich, creamy dessert. Filled with coconut, pineapple, and rum, this is an adult-only cheesecake that is quite the treat!
Ingredients
- For the base:
- 5.6 oz gluten-free vanilla cookies, or graham crackers
- 2.1 oz shredded coconut
- 3.2 oz grass-fed butter, melted
- For the cheesecake filling:
- 24 oz full-fat cream cheese
- 5.3 oz Swerve sweetener
- 5.3 oz coconut cream
- 2 large free-range eggs, whisked
- 2 tots of rum
- For the pineapple layer:
- 9.9 oz canned pineapple pieces, chopped smaller
- 3.5 oz reserved juice/syrup from the can of pineapple pieces
- ½ tsp powdered gelatin
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- For the base, preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and line the base and sides of a loose-bottomed, very deep and round, springform pan with parchment paper. Mine was 8.7 inches in diameter.
- Place the cookie crumbs (which can be done by blending them up in a food processor) into a bowl. Stir in the dried coconut. Add the melted butter and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, pushing down very well to create an even base layer.
- Place the pan onto a large baking tray/baking sheet and transfer the tray to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
- Reduce the oven to 350°F.
- For the cheesecake layer, use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese, sweetener, and coconut cream. Add the eggs and rum and continue to mix until you have a smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the tin over the cooled base and place it back onto a baking tray. I like to place it onto a tray because it makes for easier handling / rotating. More so, some springform tins still leak a little, so it’s handy to do this to keep your oven clean.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 90 min, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out relatively clean, and the baked cheesecake layer is not too wobbly and ‘wet’. I like to rotate the tray to ensure even cooking because many ovens have ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ spots. Remove and leave to cool completely. This can take up to 2 hours.
- When ready, make the top pineapple layer, drain your tinned pineapple pieces, and reserve the amounts needed for both the pineapple pieces and the juice as indicated above. Chop the pineapple pieces smaller and put the juice into a small saucepan.
- Add the powdered gelatin to the pan of juice and bring to a light simmer over moderate heat until you are certain the gelatin has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside. Add a little yellow food coloring or a pinch of powdered turmeric if you want a brighter color.
- Sprinkle the pineapple pieces over the surface of the set cheesecake. Carefully pour over the gelatin pineapple juice until it covers the surface. This will ensure your pretty pineapple layer adheres to the cheesecake in a set layer when slicing and serving.
- Transfer the cheesecake to the fridge to set it overnight.
- To serve, release the springform pan and peel away the sides of the cheesecake layer. Slice and serve into 8 decadent slices! Don’t forget about the parchment paper on the base, but this can easily be removed and discarded when serving…
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 530Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 300mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 8g
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