Name: Tropical Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1 cup sugar; 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened; 1 (16 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, well drained; 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

As the weather warms up it’s time for backyard barbecues. It’s that time when I celebrate the backyard fun with friends and family with some delicious recipes. These tropical cheesecake bars are no exception. Besides, what says summer more than pineapple and coconut?!

If you’ve ever made a traditional cheesecake before, you know a water bath, or bain marie, may be involved. That’s not necessary with these tropical cheesecake bars. Plus, since there’s that delicious toasted coconut on top, there are no worries about cracks.

Pressing the crust into the pan is a bit of a challenge. Work it with your clean fingers to get it as even as possible. It will not be a thick crust.

Using an offset spatula, spread the pineapple cream cheese mixture over the crust. Once it’s even, sprinkle the coconut on top of the pineapple filling. Gently press the coconut into the filling. There will be some coconut that doesn’t stick and that’s OK. It’s a bit of a thick topping.

Whenever I serve this dish, it’s usually one of the first desserts to go at a pot luck. If you have any leftovers you can refrigerate them.

Some of our favorite BBQ dishes include Gigi’s Baked Beans, Colby Jack Cheeseburgers, and Grasshopper Brownies, to name a few.

It’s BBQ week and I’m sharing recipes this week that would be perfect for a back yard gathering at your house or elsewhere. My blogger friends also share yummy dishes that you can find below. Thank you to my co-host, Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Tropical Cheesecake Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Taste the tropics in these tropical cheesecake bars.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Pineapple Cheesecake Filling

1 (16 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, well drained

Buttery Coconut Topping of Coconut

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the flour, sugar and butter until well mixed and crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake for 14-19 minutes until it starts to turn golden. Remove and let cool slightly.
While the crust cools, beat the cream cheese until smooth and airy, then add the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Gently stir in the well drained pineapple. Spread over the baked crust.
Combine the coconut and cooled melted butter. Sprinkle over the pineapple layer filling and gently press into filling. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the foil after 20 minutes. Bake an additional 20 - 25 minutes until the coconut begins to brown all over.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing. Store leftovers in refrigerators.