I don’t make a lot of cheesecake. In fact, I think the last time I made cheesecake was over a year ago when I made this sweet potato cheesecake for my friend Jabari. And then he wouldn’t let me share the recipe with you, even though it “wasn’t as good as his aunt’s”…
This week’s cheesecake isn’t just any old cheesecake. It’s in bar form because it’s more fun and easier to eat and the crust is given a little lift with the addition of flaked coconut to the average graham cracker crust.
It’s also bursting with blueberries. There’s a good chance that every time you bite into one, you’ll get a little bit of blueberry juice running down your chin. Embrace it. Channel your inner 5 year old!
I brought some of these to a dinner I was having with a friend of mine and she gave them her approval. If you get the Taylor seal of approval, you’re doing something right!
So we’ve got a fancy coconut crust topped with cheesecake and sprinkled with blueberries. It’s a killer summer dessert!
Coconut Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Cheesecake:
- 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups blueberries
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2″ baking pan, set aside.
- Step 2 For the crust, in a small saucepan heat butter over a medium heat until the colour of light brown sugar. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Step 3 In a medium bowl, stir together the graham crackers, flour, coconut, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Evenly press into the bottom of prepared baking pan and bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until combined. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat until combined. Pour over the hot crust and sprinkle with blueberries.
- Step 5 Bake 20-25 minutes or until centre appears set. Cool in pan on rack. Cover and refrigerate, cut into bars/squares when cold and solid.
