Almond Joy Cheesecake Recipe

Cream Cheese – Use full fat, original cream cheese and make sure to take it out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before starting to bake. Don’t try to make the cheesecake “lighter” by using anything other than the original, full fat cream cheese. It will change the texture.

Eggs – take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before cooking to let them warm up to room temperature.

Oreo Cookies – if available, get the chocolate Oreo cookies for the richer chocolate flavor but if that’s not available, get the classic. If you need to keep this cheesecake gluten free, use gluten free Oreo cookies.

Coconut flakes – use sweetened coconut flakes or you can also make your own if you wish. Note, that if you want to make your own, they will be unsweetened, so you may need to add more sugar. (For the process to make your own coconut flakes, check out my coconut banana bread recipe.)

Cream of Coconut – Keep in mind that cream of coconut and coconut cream are not the same thing! Cream of coconut is sweetened and is what you’ll need to make this syrup recipe.

Almonds – for best results, use unflavored toasted almonds! If you cannot find toasted almonds without any flavor added, get raw almonds and toast them yourself. To toast almonds, spread them on a baking sheet in one even layer and bake them at 350°F for 10-11 minutes, make sure to toss them half way through baking.

Chocolate Bar – for decorating, use your favorite chocolate bar but not baking chocolate.

Heavy whipping cream – it’s best to use heavy whipping cream, do not substitute with anything less fat than that.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Pulse Oreo cookies, coconut flakes, and almonds in a blender until it’s just crumbs. Mix the Oreo crumb mixture with melted butter in a mixing bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Spread crumb mixture in the bottom of the prepared springform, evenly pressing it over the bottom and a little up the sides (1).

Beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Pour in sugar while beating and add eggs, one at a time. Beat it until smooth.

Pour in cream of coconut and vanilla extract and beat until all mixed very well. Lower the speed to low and beat in cornstarch until fully incorporated.

PRO TIP: Remember to stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl in between steps!

Transfer batter into the springform with crust and spread in evenly (3).

Preheat the oven to 325°. Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.

Bake for 85-90 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven (4). Take the foil wrap off the pan.

Cool cheesecake for an hour and then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Combine sweetened coconut flakes and crushed almonds with sweetened condensed milk and make sure to mix it very well (5).

Spread the coconut mixture (6) over the cooled cheesecake evenly and gently press it down. Cover the whole pan with plastic wrap, or preferred wrap, air-tight (7) and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (8).

Chocolate Ganache: Chop milk chocolate and place it in a small mixing bowl. Bring heavy cream to simmer, be careful not to let it actually boil. (You can do that in a microwave over a few seconds or on the stove in a small sauce pot.)

Pour 1/4 cup of hot cream over the chopped milk chocolate (9) and stir with a whisk until melted and smooth (10).

Pour the ganache on top of the cheesecake (11), in the center, and let it spread and drip off a little off the sides. If you need to, use a flat spatula to help spread the ganache (12).

Storing Suggestions

In the refrigerator, Almond Joy cheesecake will last for up to 5 days. To maximize the freshness of the cheesecake, be sure to keep it air-tight! Otherwise, the cheesecake will dry out.

You can keep it in the same springform you baked it, just make sure to cover the whole pan with plastic wrap or another preferred food wrap.

To freeze the cheesecake, do so without the ganache toppings. Ganache doesn’t hold up very well to freezing and thawing but the cheesecakes are well known for freezing wonderfully! It’ll stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How To Freeze a Cheesecake

It’s best to freeze the Almond Joy cheesecake whole since you will be adding ganache topping after thawing.

Once cheesecake has fully cooled to room temperature, gently run a butter knife along the inside of the springform pan to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Carefully place the pan with the cheesecake into the freezer and freeze for about an hour. (Set the timer!)

Next, take off the side portion of the springform. At this point, you can choose to either keep the bottom of the springform with the cheesecake on it, or transfer it onto a piece of thick cardboard cake holder covered with aluminum foil. 

Wrap the cheesecake and the bottom of the pan with plastic wrap. Use about 2-3 layers. Then, wrap the entire thing with foil. As another added protection from air, you can place the whole things in a large, zip-top freezer bag, but that’s optional. 

Make sure to date and label the plastic wrap (or bag) before placing cheesecake back in the freezer. Cheesecake will stay good in the freezer for approximately 2-3 months. 

To thaw a frozen cheesecake, make sure to do so slowly in the fridge! Take the cheesecake out of the freezer, take off the zip-top bag, place it into the refrigerator and allow it to slowly thaw overnight or for up to 24 hours.

More Cheesecake Recipes To Try

• Coconut Cheesecake
• Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Oreo Cheesecake
• Christmas Cheesecake