Creamy no-bake coconut cheesecake in a crisp, flaky mini fillo shell topped with a sweet pineapple topping and garnished with fresh pineapple and a maraschino cherry. A dessert twist on the popular Pina Colada drink.
I’ve teamed up with Athens Foods this month to share four delicious recipes. I posted the first recipe, Phyllo, Parmesan, Bacon Asparagus Bundles, earlier in the month; a savory recipe perfect to serve as an appetizer or side dish. The next three recipes are all mini desserts that are made with Athens Mini Fillo Shells.
I’ve turned tropical drink flavors in to luscious dessert bites, and dressed them up like you would tropical drinks. My tropical cheesecake bites, Pina Colada, Strawberry Margarita, and Orange Sunrise, would be fabulous any time of year, but especially fun for a New Years Eve party.
They’re super easy to make; filled with a creamy, no-bake cheesecake then topped with an easy-to make fresh fruit topping and garnished with fresh fruit skewers.
The first cheesecake bite recipe I’m sharing is my Pina Colada Cheesecake Bites. The cream cheese is flavored with coconut extract, sweetened shredded coconut, and just a little bit of sour cream to add a little bit of tanginess.
I used the whole juice button on my Blendtec blender to blend the fresh pineapple. I was surprised how well pineapple blended, and there was very little pulp that needed to be strained away. It makes me want to make fresh pineapple juice more often. It’s so much better than the canned juice, but you could substitute canned pineapple in a pinch.
If you have any pineapple topping left, I recommend using it to top pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.
These cheesecake are best eaten the day they are made, but you can make the filling and topping a day ahead, and then just fill the shells the day you’ll be serving the bites.
Happy holidays!
No-Bake Pina Colada Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Athens® Mini Fillo Shells 30 shells
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 15 marachino cherries for garnish
- 15 pineapple tidbits for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare pineapple topping: Puree pineapple in a blender or food processor to create mostly pineapple juice. Press pureed pineapple through a fine mesh strainer in to a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and cornstarch. Stir into the pineapple juice in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and is clear. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
- (Optional: Crisp up the fillo shells in a preheated 350° on a baking sheet for 3 - 5 minutes, until golden browned and crispy. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.)
- In a small mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and coconut extract until smooth. Stir in coconut.
- Fill each shell with the cream cheese mixture. Top each with one to two teaspoons of pineapple topping. Garnish with a pineapple tidbit and a cherry on a toothpick or skewer.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Athens Foods, but all opinions expressed are always my own. Visit Athens Foods for more great Fillo Dough recipes.
Be sure and check out my How to Cut a Pineapple post to make cutting the pineapple easy.
Here’s a fun collage for you to pin:
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
Can I have these cute cheesecake bites, please! These are just so adorable!
Nutmeg Nanny
Pina colada cheesecake inside crispy little fillo shells…yes please!
Tammy
Do you have to use pineapple and make your own juice to make the pineapple topping, or can you use pineapple juice or the juice you get in the canned pinepple? If so how much juice would you use in place of the 2 cups fresh pineapple?? Thanks
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tammy – sure, you can use canned pineapple tidbits. Use the tidbits to decorate the top and 2/3 cup of the juice from the canned pineapple to make the topping with the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Enjoy!