Mango Key Lime Cheesecake

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This Mango Key Lime Cheesecake has a coconut macaroon crust, layers of key lime and mango cheesecake and a mango cream and gelatin topping! There’s no shortage of amazing layers and it’s a labor of love, but it’s full of amazing flavor!

Best Mango Key Lime Cheesecake

This cheesecake is heavily inspired by the version of the same name at The Cheesecake Factory. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s a surprisingly delicious cheesecake. All the layers and flavors are just so great together.

After getting several requests for a copycat and doing LOTS of testing, I finally have a great cheesecake to share with you. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a true copycat, but it’s definitely inspired by it. The flavors in their version are really quite unique and hard to nail down, but I do think I got pretty darn close.

There were two things that I found most notable when tasting their cheesecake and trying to recreate it. One was just how sweet it was. In my first version, I just made some quick flavor adjustments to my classic Vanilla Cheesecake as a starting point and the difference was astounding. Their cheesecake is SUPER sweet. Even though I sweetened things up, it’s still not quite as sweet as theirs.

The other thing was that their cheesecake seems to be full of a good bit of artificial flavor. I initially started my testing with fresh and frozen mango, but the flavor and texture just wasn’t right. After lots of testing and searching, I found several helpful ingredients that gave me the right mango flavor and texture.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This cheesecake actually has several ingredients that you likely won’t have on hand. Most things can be found in the grocery store, but a few mango flavor related items were things I had to purchase online.

Cookie Crust

The macaroon crust alone isn’t enough stability for the cheesecake, so there’s a thin cookie crust at the bottom.

• Vanilla Wafer Crumbs: The flavor of the cookies was sweeter and closer to the original than using graham cracker crumbs.
• Sugar: For sweetness.
• Butter: To hold everything together.

Macaroon Crust

• Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Be sure to use one that’s moist, not dry.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar.
• Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
• Salt: Also for flavor.
• Egg Whites: To hold everything together. Hold onto the yolks for the cream topping later.

Cheesecake Filling

The filling starts out as one and then is split into two equal parts that are then flavored accordingly. One with key lime flavor and other with mango flavor.

• Cream Cheese: Should be room temperature so that you don’t end up with a lumpy filling. Be sure to use full fat brick cream cheese for the best results.
• Sugar: The original version from The Cheesecake Factory is super sweet, so this cheesecake is fairly sweet as well. It uses a combination of sugar and sweetened condensed milk for sweetness.
• All Purpose Flour: To help with a creamy consistency and to keep from getting cracks.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: As mentioned above, this adds sweetness to the cheesecake. Increasing the amount of sugar to fully sweeten the cheesecake both didn’t give quite the right flavor and didn’t create the right texture. The sweetened condensed milk adds to sweetness, texture and helps thicken the filling a bit, particularly the key lime layer.
• Sour cream: For added tang and creaminess.
• Coconut Extract: It may seem strange to add this, but it definitely seemed to fit the flavor needed to match the original version.
• Vanilla Extract
• Eggs: Large eggs.
• Mango Puree: I tried making my own puree with fresh mango, but it wasn’t the same. You definitely want to use the canned puree. It has a very unique flavor and smooth texture. I did also try reducing the mango puree to get a stronger mango flavor, rather than using the mango extract and flavors, but the final flavor and texture still wasn’t right.
• Mango Flavor and Mango Extract: Both of these are necessary. Just one or the other didn’t create the right flavor. The mango flavor was too artificial and almost over powering if I used only that. But the mango extract wasn’t enough flavor and didn’t taste artificial enough to replicate the original. The combination of both was perfect.
• Key Lime Juice: I used bottled key lime juice.

Mango Cream Topping

This is basically a mango flavored pastry cream. The Cheesecake Factory version says they use a mango mousse, but this cream is where I ended up. I think it has quite a similar taste and texture, but isn’t necessarily spot on.

• Egg Yolks: To thicken the filling and add richness and flavor.
• Sugar: For sweetness and volume.
• Cornstarch: To thicken the filling.
• Milk: I used 2%, but whole milk would work as well.
• Butter
• Mango Extract and Mango Flavor: Again, the combination gives the right flavor.

Mango Gelatin Topping

• Water: To allow the gelatin to bloom.
• Granulated Gelatin
• Sugar: For some sweetness
• Mango Puree: Again, you’ll use the canned mango puree.

How To Make Mango Key Lime Cheesecake

For detailed instructions, see the recipe card below. But here’s a quick rundown of how this beauty is made. There are a total of 6 “layers” in this cheesecake, so it’s a fair amount of work. But none of it is really hard.

To start, you’ll make the cookie crust. Combine the 3 ingredients in a bowl until well combined and evenly moistened, then press them evenly into the bottom of the springform pan.

For the macaroon crust layer, add the shredded coconut, sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a large bowl, stir to combine and set aside. Add the egg whites to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold about half of the egg whites into the coconut mixture, then add the remaining egg whites and fold together until well combined. Spread the macaroon mixture evenly over the cookie crust.

Bake the crust layers for 15-20 minutes or until the macaroon layer is lightly browned around the edges. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the filling, you’ll make one cheesecake filling to begin with. After adding most ingredients, including the eggs, you’ll divide it into two. Add the mango puree, mango flavor and mango extract to one half and add the key lime juice to the other half. Pour the cheesecake filling to the pan with the key lime layer on the bottom. Drizzle the mango layer over the key lime layer, making sure not to pour everything in one spot but the spread it around as you add it.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly. The outer 2-3 inches should be more set. Then turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well. Finally, crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and allow to cool to about room temperature. Refrigerate the cheesecake until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.

The final steps are to make the two toppings for the cheesecake and add them. One is a pastry cream made over the stove and the other is a quick gelatin-based topping. You could add them before or after the cheesecake has cooled, I just find it easiest to remove the cheesecake from the pan and then add the toppings.

Tips for Success

Not too familiar with homemade cheesecakes? The advice below is here to help.

• Stick With Low Speed: Always mix your filling on low speed. Otherwise, you could incorporate too much air into the batter and end up with a cracked cheesecake.
• Don’t Skip the Water Bath: I know the water bath can be a bit annoying, but it’s vital to the success of your cheesecake. It ensures that it doesn’t brown around the edges, sink in the middle or crack.
• Prevent Leakage: Make sure you don’t let the water in the outer pan go above the top edge of the foil surrounding the inner pan. For additional ways to prevent your water bath from leaking, check out my Cheesecake Water Bath Tips and Tricks.

Storage Instructions

Keep extra cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy it within 4-5 days.

Can I Freeze This Cheesecake?

Sure! Wrap the fully set cheesecake in plastic wrap or foil and freeze it in a heavy-duty storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it out in the fridge before adding the toppings and digging in.

More Great Cheesecake Recipes

• New York Style Cheesecake
• Margarita Cheesecake
• No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

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