This delicious White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake is the perfect make-ahead dessert for when you want something simple that still looks impressive. The combination of tangy passion fruit and sweet white chocolate is just so good - I would challenge anyone not to go back for seconds!
Cheesecakes do have a reputation for being a bit unpredictable, but opting for a no bake, no gelatine option makes it super easy and takes all the stress out of the equation… You know I am all about fuss-free recipes, especially when it comes to desserts, so if you want something even quicker and simpler than this White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake, you simply must try my No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake. My zesty Lemon Posset is another super easy dessert recipe with the most refreshing flavour.
Why you will love this White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake:
- It is a real show stopper of a dessert which is bound to impress your friends and family.
- It can be made ahead so is ideal for entertaining.
- It is so quick and easy to put together.
- Full of tropical flavours making it the perfect summer dessert.
You’ll Need The Following Ingredients:
Gingernut biscuits - the warming ginger notes add a lovely flavour to the crisp biscuit base, but you can use other biscuits if you prefer (scroll down for suggestions).
Butter - melt gently in a small pan or the microwave before using.
Good-quality white chocolate - white chocolate has to have a minimum of 20% cocoa butter, try to go for one nearer to 30% for best results.
Full-fat cream cheese - I recommend Philadelphia. Opt for the full-fat variety and make sure it is at room temperature before using.
Double cream - you must use double (heavy) cream in this recipe, single cream won’t whip up or set as well.
Passion fruits - one of my favourite tropical fruits. It has a vivid orange colour and wonderfully zesty flavour.
See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements
Substitutions and Variations
Gingernut biscuits - the warming ginger flavour works beautifully with the tropical passion fruit and sweet white chocolate, but you could use other biscuits like digestives, lotus or hobnobs (you may need to add a little more melted butter depending on how dry/moist the biscuit is).
Passion fruits - you could swap the passion fruits for fresh mango in the decoration and use a mango coulis in the cheesecake mixture. A handful of fresh raspberries also works really well.
Here's how to make this No-Bake White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Use a food processor to blitz the gingernut biscuits into a fine crumb. Pour in melted butter and whizz again.
TWO: Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and pat into a smooth and compact layer using the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
THREE: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth and melted.
FOUR: Once melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
FIVE: Whisk together the cream cheese and double cream until just holding its shape. Pour in the melted chocolate and passion fruit juices, then continue to whisk until just combined.
SIX: Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base in an even layer, finishing by smoothing over the top. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or until set.
Cooking Tips:
How to prepare passion fruit - don’t worry, it is much more simple than many people think. Using a sharp knife, cut the passion fruit in half. Scoop out the seeds and flesh into a bowl. If preparing them for a recipe that calls for them to be deseeded (like this passionfruit cheesecake), scoop into a sieve over a bowl and push the seeds against it using the back of a spoon to release as much juice and flesh as possible.
How to make a biscuit base without a food processor - simply, place the biscuits into a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs, then tip into a large mixing bowl and mix in the melted butter until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
Mastering temperature - the key to a successful no bake cheesecake lies with managing the temperature of your ingredients. You must bring the cream and cream cheese to room temperature (I know that cream whisks up better straight from the fridge, but you need to make an exception just this once). Equally, you need to let the white chocolate cool to room temperature before adding to the cream mix - otherwise it will clump as soon as they touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! One of the reasons why I love this White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake so much is that it doesn’t involve worrying about gelatine (we have all been there with rather ‘rubbery’ desserts after adding too much…). The combination of the whipped cream, cream cheese and white chocolate, coupled with the setting time in the fridge, ensures it sets firm enough to slice whilst still giving the most beautiful creamy, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
I like to top with gently whipped cream and more passion fruit (cut into slices and with the juices drizzled over). White chocolate curls look very pretty too.
There are lots of different types of cheesecakes… many of which use the oven (like the iconic New York Cheesecake or Spanish Burnt Basque Cheesecake). However, there are plenty of simple no bake cheesecake recipes which are ideal if you are looking for an easy dessert to build your confidence. This White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake is the perfect recipe to get you started.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like chocolate and fruit recipes, my rich and fruity Chocolate and Raspberry Cake is not one to miss, although if white chocolate is more your thing, why not try my Frozen Berries with Hot White Chocolate Sauce? Although if you came here for the cheesecakes, my quick and easy No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake is like heaven in a glass (not forgetting my Mini Egg Cheesecake which is my non-negotiable Easter dessert).
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
PrintWhite Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake
This delicious White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake is the perfect make-ahead dessert for when you want something simple that still looks impressive.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 6 hours to overnight
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: Serves 10-12 1x
- Category: Pudding
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
- 200g gingernut biscuits
- 60g butter, melted, plus extra to grease
- 400g good-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
- 600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 150ml double cream
- 3 passion fruits, halved
To decorate:
- 300ml double cream
- 3 passion fruits
Instructions
- Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
- Tip the gingernut biscuits into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and pat into a smooth and compact layer using the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir occasionally until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Scoop the insides from the 3 passion fruits into a sieve over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down to extract as much juice as possible and catch all the seeds. Set aside.
- Whisk together the cream cheese and double cream until just holding its shape. Pour in the melted chocolate and passion fruit juices, then continue to whisk until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base in an even layer, finishing by smoothing over the top. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or until set.
- To decorate: whisk the double cream until you have medium peaks. Spoon over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with the remaining passion fruit pulp and slices, if wished.
Notes
Biscuits: if you don’t have gingernut biscuits, you can swap for others like lotus or digestives. Just be aware you will have to adjust the butter (see ‘Substitutions and Variations’).
Decoration: you can decorate with a whole host of different fruits - mango and pineapple stays with the tropical theme, but a few raspberries will add a beautiful pop of colour and delicious flavour too.
Room temperature: it is really important that your cream cheese is at room temperature so that it combines properly with the cream. It is also really important that you let the white chocolate cool to room temperature before adding it to the rest of the ingredients, otherwise it will start to clump as soon as it touches the cold cream.
Whipped cream: take care to whip the cream just to medium peaks for the decoration - if you over whip, it will split and you will eventually get something akin to butter.
Lauren says
Really delicious recipe and super easy. I used coconut biscuits for the crust and the flavour combination was great. The passion fruit flavour in the cheesecake was subtle but the passion fruit seeds spread over top really tied it all together. Would make again!