A bright and tangy passionfruit cheesecake that is inspired by Ted’s Bakery on the North Shore of Oahu. It’s a great way to virtually transport yourself to the Hawaiian islands!
Last month, I had the privilege of spending an entire month in Hawaii. My family and I stayed in a rental home in Kailua, and believe me when I tell you that we ate our way around the island.
Of all the wonderful foods that we indulged in, poke, shave ice and malasadas are the ones that we consumed the most. We probably visited Leonard’s 4 times (twice to a food truck in Kaneohe and twice to the original downtown Honolulu location), shave ice around 10 times (we went to Wilson’s in Kailua a total of 4 times), and we had countless poke throughout the month.
One bakery that we wish we could have visited more is Ted’s Bakery near the North Shore of Oahu. Ted’s is known for their chocolate haupia pie. When we tried a slice, we thought it was OK, and I honestly think I could make it better myself. However, the one dessert that we ooohed and ahhhed over was Ted’s lilikoi (passionfruit) cheese pie. Essentially, it was a passionfruit cheesecake.
Ted’s crust was very croissant-like, where it consisted of flaky layers. The middle was a New York cheesecake-style filling, and then on top of that was a layer of passionfruit puree that was gelatin-like. I vowed to make a replica once we returned home, so here I am.
While my family liked the cheesecake, they weren’t fans of the graham cracker crust. They said that it tasted too overdone, and it wasn’t as light or flaky as Ted’s. The rest of it, however, was on par.
Even though this isn’t an exact replica of Ted’s version, it’s a good alternative. I’ll keep scouring the internet to see if there’s another version we can try, but until that happens, I’ll happily eat this.
Husband’s rating: 4 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Lilikoi (passionfruit) cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 package plus 2 strips graham crackers crushed (I used a food processor. If you don't own one, you can use a high powered blender or even a rolling pin)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese softened
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
Lilikoi topping
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 14 ounces passionfruit puree or pulp
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar you can decrease this to ¼ cup if you want your cheesecake to be tarter
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the crushed graham crackers and the butter. Your mixture should resemble wet sand. Press the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 5 minutes and set aside.
Make the filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat 1 package of the cream cheese with ½ cup of the granulated sugar and the corn starch on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer down to low and add the remaining cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the whipping cream. Do not over mix this or else your filling will have too much air in it and cause your cheesecake to crack. Mix until everything just comes together.
- Transfer the filling into your baked crust and bake for 60-85 minutes or until the center is slightly jiggly but the sides have set. Don't worry, your cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.
- Allow the cheesecake to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours until it is cool enough to place in the refrigerator. Allow the cheesecake to cool fully overnight.
Make the lilikoi topping
- The next day, make the lilikoi topping. In a medium sized saucepan, mix together the water, corn starch, puree, and sugar over medium heat.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil while you constantly stir. The sauce will thicken and lose its milky appearance. It will then appear translucent and darken a bit.
- Let the mixture cool slightly and then pour this over your cooled cheesecake. Let it cool in your refrigerator for at least another 2 hours before slicing and serving. If desired, serve with whipped cream.