No-bake pawpaw cheesecake (Asimina triloba) w/ toasted pecan crust
A delicious and decadent no-bake cheesecake featuring the flavors of raw pawpaw fruit. Made with a nut crust, this recipe is also gluten-free.
Servings 8
Equipment
- food processor (capacity 10+ cups - we used a 14 cup processor)
- parchment paper
- 9" x 3" / 10 cup spring form pan
Ingredients
For nut crust
- 8 ounces pecans (226 grams - equivalent to two standard bags in grocery store)
- 6 ounces almonds (170 grams - equivalent to one standard bag in grocery store)
- 3 tbsp organic light brown sugar (brown fine too)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, MELTED
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of nutmeg (or use microplane to scrape a bit from whole nutmeg – our preference)
For pawpaw cheesecake/filling
- 2 1/4 cups pawpaw puree
- 1 lb organic cream cheese, softened/room temperature - NOT cold! (500 grams or 2 blocks)
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
- 10 ounces organic heavy whipping cream (about 1 1/3 cups)
- 4 1/2 tsp gelatin powder
- 1/2 cup cold tap water
- a bit of butter (ideally room temp) to grease sides of springform pan in order to make parchment stick
For pawpaw gelatin topping (this part of the recipe is optional)
- 1 tsp gelatin powder
- 1/4 cup cold tap water
- 3/4 cup pawpaw fruit puree
Instructions
Making the nut crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Put all ingredients in food processor. Blend until nuts are ground and ingredients stick together. Scrape sides of food processor with a spatula then blend again to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
- Transfer nut mixture to a 9″ springform pan. Gently press down by hand or with spatula to form level crust on the bottom of pan.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then put crust in fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
Making the pawpaw cheesecake filling
- Once crust chilled, process pawpaw fruit and puree the pulp in a food processor or blender. Remove 3/4 cup and put in fridge in airtight jar/container (this will go in topping). Leave 2 1/4 cups of pawpaw puree in blender.
- Remove chilled crust/spring form pan from fridge. Cut strips of parchment paper wide enough to cover the sides of the pan. Butter the sides of the pan with your fingers, then push parchment paper strips into place lining the sides of the pan. Set aside.
- Begin preparing your gelatin by putting cold tap water in a microwave-proof bowl. SPRINKLE gelatin over water surface – do not dump it on water in a pile or it will clump. Immediately stir with a spoon to partly dissolve gelatin and let set for 5 minutes (set a timer) at room temp. After 5 minutes, place gelatin-water mix in microwave for 15 seconds on high. Remove, stir with a spoon, and put back in microwave for another 15 seconds. Remove, stir, then leave on counter for 5 minutes until ready to be added to pawpaw mixture.
- To pawpaw in food processor: add sugar, blend for 30 seconds, and let sit for 2-3 minutes so sugar has time to fully dissolve. Blend again for another 30 seconds, then let it sit for 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Then blend again. Add heavy cream and ROOM TEMP/slightly warm cream cheese to food processor, and blend for 1 minute (if cream cheese is cool/cold, it's likely to form lumps). Scrape sides and bottom of food processor with spatula and blend again to make sure no cream cheese lumps are present. Add gelatin mixture and blend for another minute until all ingredients combined and smooth.
- Pour pawpaw mixture over cold nut crust in spring form pan lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to even out the surface. Refrigerate in covered dish for 3+ hours until set.
Making the pawpaw gelatin topping (optional)
- Once cheesecake chilled, pour water into microwave-proof bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the surface, and stir with a spoon. Let set for 5 minutes. Then microwave on high for 10 seconds, remove and stir with a spoon. Place back in microwave for 10 seconds, remove and stir again. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Place reserved pawpaw puree in a bowl or small blender. (Small blender is ideal if you have one.) Pour in gelatin and whisk well (if doing by hand) or blend (if doing in blender). Immediately pour liquid pawpaw gelatin topping over top of cheesecake, tilting the pan around to spread evenly over top. Use a spatula to even out the final coating.
- Refrigerate cheesecake in a covered dish to reduce oxidation or absorption of odd flavors from your fridge (don’t let anything touch the surface though) for 12 hours+.
When ready to serve
- Release the spring on your spring form pan. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen between the pan and the parchment paper, then lift the side pan off the cake. Slowly pull the parchment paper off the sides of the cake.
- Transfer your cheesecake (with pan base still on) to its final serving plate. Use fishing line held taught between both hands to mark and cut your cheesecake into perfect cuts. (You may need to clean the fishing line between cuts.)
- Using sharp knife, carefully cut on the same lines you made with your fishing line, slicing all the way through to the bottom of the cake and through the nut crust. Slide a pie spatula/server under the crust of each piece, remove, plate, and serve. Best eaten within 48 hours of making for most vibrant color!