Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars are a classic tropical treat that is sure to become a family favorite. The shortbread crust is covered by a thick layer of pineapple cheesecake then crowned with a buttery coconut topping. I’m in love!
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Key to Success #1 – Make Sure the Shortbread Crust is Even
The shortbread crust on these Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars are a simple mix of butter, sugar, and flour.
Make sure the butter is very soft (room-temperature) before you start mixing so that it will be easier to get the crust to come together.
The crust may be a little crumbly when you finish mixing it up but go ahead and press it into your greased pan.
Be sure to press the crust firmly into the pan and make sure it’s the same thickness throughout before you put it into the oven to bake.
Key to Success #2 – Drain The Pineapple Well
While your shortbread crust is cooling, mix up the cheesecake filling.
It’s very important to drain the crushed pineapple very well.
I like to pour the pineapple into a fine mesh strainer and use a spatula to press all the moisture out of it.
I use a large over-the-sink strainer, which may be a tiny bit of overkill for a can of pineapple, but there are smaller handheld strainers that would be perfect for this use.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened so that you will not get any lumps in your filling.
Add your sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix with your electric mixer until the cheesecake filling is light and fluffy.
Next, gently fold in the crushed pineapple into the cheesecake mixture.
Key to Success #3 – Butter that Coconut
To take this tropical dessert over the top, we’re going to top it with buttered coconut.
For this topping, we’re going to use sweetened shredded coconut.
Melt your butter in a small microwave-safe bowl then toss the shredded coconut with the butter.
Now it’s time to sprinkle this goodness over your pineapple cheesecake layer and immediately bake it in a 350 degree F oven.
I know that many similar recipes suggest that you can cook the filling for as little as 15 minutes, but this recipe uses raw eggs so you’ll need to make sure the filling is cooked to the proper temperature before serving.
The FDA advises that casseroles and other dishes that contain raw eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees F.
You can test your Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars with a digital thermometer to make sure it’s cooked to a safe temperature.
Better safe than sorry!
Pin this Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars image to your favorite Summer Desserts board or your Luau Party board!
Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
For the Pineapple Cheesecake
- 2 pkgs 8 oz each cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz can crushed coconut drained well
For the Buttery Coconut Topping
- 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9X13-inch baking dish.
- In medium bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, and flour until combined and crumbly. Press into prepared pan.
- Bake crust for 20 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly while you mix together the other ingredients.
- In clean medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth then add in 1/4 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gently stir in drained pineapple. Spread over baked crust.
- In small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter then toss in the shredded coconut to coat. Sprinkle buttered coconut over the pineapple cheesecake layer.
- Cover pan with foil and cook 30 minutes. Remove foil then bake additional 15-20 minutes until coconut is browned.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Sheila
Monday 12th of September 2022
Wow, these are amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe.