Easy Lemon, Mango and Coconut Cheesecake – Light and Refreshing Dessert

A Touch of Tropical

I made this Lemon, Mango & Coconut Cheesecake for our family Deepavali gathering recently. Even though it’s not summer yet, this cheesecake brought a bit of tropical flavour to the table. The coconut, lemon, and mango worked really well together. It was light and creamy with subtle delicate flavours.

My Take on the Recipe

I really enjoy Chelsea Winter’s recipes — they’re simple, easy to follow, and always look good on the table. I had to hunt around for fresh mangoes but finally found one perfectly ripe at Woolworths. I made the cheesecake the night before. It’s a no-bake, mix-and-set type of dessert, though there was a fair bit of pfaffing about with the different layers.

The biscuit base was quick to blitz and press into the tin. Then I beat the cream cheese until creamy, transferred it to a bowl, whipped the cream, and folded it in. Next came the mango topping — which meant retrieving the food processor (already washed and put away) from the garage shelves! Whew. (Note to self: read the whole recipe before starting.) Once the cheesecake had set in the fridge for a while, I blitzed the mango layer and spread it on top.

I decorated it with fresh mango just before serving, mainly because I didn’t have quite enough lemon juice to stop it from browning so timing was critical. It looked bright and colourful on the table — and it was nice to have something a bit different from the usual sweets we serve for Deepavali.

Nisha’s Input

As always, Nisha was my honest taste-tester. She gave it her thumbs up straight away and commented the bright look of the mango. She loved the tropical flavours together—soft, fresh, and bright—without being overly heavy. I always value her feedback because she tells it as it is, and it helps me know if I’ve got the flavours right… or not!

What I’d Do Differently

I didn’t get enough lemons — I used the zest and juice of one large lemon and grated that thing to within an inch of its life! But next time I’ll definitely get more, as the recipe says four lemons for good reason. I thought that sounded like a lot and couldn’t quite work out why it was needed, but it really does make sense — it would give the cheesecake that extra zing and a bit more punch. We were fine though, because the main meal had plenty of strong flavours, and this cheesecake made a lovely, soft finish to the meal. Still, next time I’ll step up the zing for certain!

Recipe

To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!

✨🥭🍰🥥🍋🥥🍰🥭✨

Lemon, Mango and Coconut Cheesecake

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: easy
Rating: ★★★★★
Print

A light and creamy cheesecake with a crisp coconut biscuit base, tangy lemon, and sweet mango topping. Easy to make and perfect for a refreshing dessert.

Tip: You can prepare the cheesecake a day ahead. Keep chilled and add fresh mango slices just before serving for best results.

Recipe Credit: Chelsea Winter, Kiwi Baker

Ingredients

1 packet Krispie biscuits (or 1 1/2 packets for a thicker base)
3/4 cup shredded or desiccated coconut
125g butter, softened

250g cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
Zest of 4 medium lemons
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups cream, whipped

2 x 400g tins mangoes, drained
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp gelatine (or Agar-Agar for vegetarian)
1/3 cup boiled water
1 fresh mango, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions

Make the Biscuit Base: Crush the biscuits finely using a food processor or rolling pin. Mix in butter and coconut. Press into a springform cake tin lined with baking paper. Chill while preparing the filling.
Prepare the Cheesecake Filling: Beat cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thick and creamy. Fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly over biscuit base. Chill 15 minutes.
Make the Mango Topping: Blitz drained tinned mango until smooth. Dissolve gelatine in boiling water with sugar, cool slightly, then stir into mango puree. Pour over cheesecake. Chill 1–2 hours or overnight.
Decorate: Toss fresh mango slices with 1 tsp lemon juice and arrange on top. Optional: brush with melted apricot jam for a shine. Serve chilled.