No-Bake Mango Lime Cheesecake

By Nik Sharma

Total Time: 45 minutes, plus 6 hours’ chilling
Rating: 4(1,749)
Notes: Read community notes

This creamy mango cheesecake has the unmistakable scent and taste of fresh limes and cardamom — and, best of all, it doesn’t require you to turn on the oven. Avoid using fresh mango pulp here: An enzyme in raw mango can prevent the gelatin from setting. (Canned mangoes don’t have that enzyme; it’s destroyed when they’re heated to high temperatures to be preserved.) If you must use fresh mangoes, purée the pulp, then bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cool before using.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

For the Crust

¼cup/55 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), melted, plus more at room temperature for greasing the pan
5ounces/140 grams graham crackers or speculoos
2tablespoons dark brown sugar

For the Filling

1(¼-ounce/7-gram) packet granulated gelatin
¼cup/60 milliliters hot water (120 to 140 degrees)
1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
2(8-ounce/225-gram) packages cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
½cup/120 milliliters canned unsweetened, puréed mango pulp
1lime, zested and juiced
½teaspoon ground cardamom

For the Glaze

1(¼-ounce/7-gram) packet granulated gelatin
¼cup/60 milliliters hot water (120 to 140 degrees)
1cup/240 milliliters canned unsweetened puréed mango pulp
2tablespoons granulated sugar
1teaspoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon zest (from 1 lime)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Generously butter the sides and bottom of an 8- or 9-inch round springform pan. Line the base and the sides with parchment paper and grease again with butter. Chill pan in the refrigerator. (This helps the butter firm up and the cake release more seamlessly.)
Step 2
Start the crust: Pulse the crackers in a food processor until they’re a fine powder. Add the brown sugar and pulse to combine, then add the melted butter and pulse again until fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and use your fingers or a measuring cup to press it into an even layer. Freeze the pan for 10 to 15 minutes until completely chilled.
Step 3
Prepare the filling: Add ¼ cup/60 milliliters room temperature water to a small, wide bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit for 5 minutes, until gelatin granules swell. (There should be no dry flecks of gelatin.) Pour the ¼ cup/60 milliliters hot water over the hydrated gelatin and stir to dissolve.
Step 4
As gelatin hydrates, add the heavy cream and ½ cup/100 grams sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix at medium speed until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 5
Wipe down the stand mixer bowl and the whisk attachment. Add the cream cheese and remaining ½ cup/100 grams sugar, and whisk on medium-high until smooth, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the mango pulp and lime juice, and beat on medium-low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high once the mango is incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Step 6
Add the gelatin mixture and whisk over medium-high until completely incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the whipped cream, lime zest and the cardamom. Fold the cream into the mango mixture until there are no flecks of cream. (The mixture will be very light and airy, resembling a mousse.) Pour this mango mixture over the chilled crust, and level the top with an offset spatula. Return pan to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 7
As cheesecake chills, prepare the glaze: Add ¼ cup/60 milliliters room temperature water to a small, wide bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit for 5 minutes, until gelatin granules swell. (There should be no dry flecks of gelatin.) Pour ¼ cup/60 milliliters hot water over the hydrated gelatin and stir to dissolve.
Step 8
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the mango pulp with the sugar. Whisk in the gelatin mixture. Add 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest, and whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour this mixture over the top of the cheesecake, swirl the pan to coat evenly, cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cheesecake until the gelatin layer is completely set and firm, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
Step 9
When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, and carefully release the cheesecake from the springform pan. Slice the cheesecake with a sharp, serrated knife. (For cleanest slices, wash the knife with warm water, and wipe dry with a towel between each cut.)

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,749 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

anita km3 years ago

I can only find sweetened mango pulp-how much should I cut the sugar?

Barrett3 years ago

Maybe you used a different type of canned mango? I used Ratna Alphonso Mango pulp from my local Indian grocery...it was sweetened, but it didn't taste sweeter than a ripe mango so I figured it wouldn't make much difference in taste. This was the color - no editing (I made the cake in the photo).

Celeste3 years ago

I used canned red tart cherries with this recipe and it was fantastic. Worked well with both the lime juice and the cardamom. The tart cherries in a can have no sugar added and most other canned fruit I could only find in heavy or light syrup. Given that I couldn’t find the canned mango - this proved to be a great substitute. Very pretty as well. I used the same proportions of cherries and just puréed in Cuisinart.

adrienne3 years ago

Does frozen mango purée work?

Pete3 years ago

You can find unsweetened mango pulp in the baby food section.

Sue3 years ago

Some folks (myself included) don't care for the texture of agar-agar, so if that's you, too, powdered arrowroot will also work just as well. You'll achieve a more custardy, less jelly-wobbly result.

monika from Vail3 years ago

Lucky me! My 15-year-old son made this for me for my birthday. Best birthday cake I have ever had. Some slight additions and pairing downs. No cardamom, seem too fussy. Instead of mango purée I highly suggest passion fruit concentrate. The acidity of the passion fruit makes it insane and contrasts very nicely with a creamy cheesecake. I have to say I’m not a traditional cheesecake fan. Too thick, to Rich, not really delicious. But this one. OMG. Light and fluffy and absolutely fabulous!!

kooking3 years ago

Agar-agar or kanten (both derived from seaweed) can be substituted for gelatin in equal amounts (1 tsp powdered agar = 1 tsp gelatin), dissolved in a little boiling water.

Barbara McCarthy3 years ago

Not a huge fan of Graham cracker crust- I prefer crust made from gingersnaps. Look for gingersnaps that list chili powder as a minor ingredient. Pow-Zap- Yum!

M3 years ago

In case you missed it - the recipe headnote explains how to use fresh: "An enzyme in raw mango can prevent the gelatin from setting. (Canned mangoes don’t have that enzyme; it’s destroyed when they’re heated to high temperatures to be preserved.) If you must use fresh mangoes, purée the pulp, then bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cool before using."

Agnieszka3 years ago

Excellent, next time just a touch more gelatin in the cream cheese and touch less in the topping. Used really large Limes and fresh mango(heated first to destroy that pesky enzyme). Cardamon really intensified after 2 days in the fridge. Lovely balance of flavours.

John2 years ago

Made this yesterday and it was delicious! I didn't have perfectly clean lines like the photo, but that was fine. Wish I had used more ginger snaps, though. Thanks to helpful commenters here, I made the following changes: Using two 1/4 oz. packages of gelatin, I used 1/2 package for the topping and 1-1/2 for the filling; used half the sugar called for, as I seem to do with every NYT dessert recipe. You can find excellent mango puree at the Milk Street store online. Thanks Mr. Sharma & commenters!

Barrett3 years ago

I actually used sweetened for the one in the photo and it was totally fine - I did not cut the sugar because the sweetened mango wasn't overly sweet out of the can - it just tasted like a really ripe mango. The cake came out perfect!

Lloyd3 years ago

Made this with passion fruit pulp instead of mango.... and it was the bomb!

Barrett3 years ago

60 cold and 60 hot so 120 total - I agree it's a little confusing.

kat leon2 days ago

I don't get it. Do I need 1/4 hot water in the beginning and end. So 1/2 cup all together

J1 week ago

I have made this successfully as written, vegan, and now I am trying with passion fruit puree instead of mango. This is such a good recipe always a hit.

Kiba Kibbs1 month ago

I didn't read the note about fresh mangoes not setting unless they were cooked until I was completely done and it was chilling in the refrigerator. Thankfully mine set and it was delicious! (So glad I didn't toss it in frustration) I wouldn't adjust anything in the recipe, crust was the perfect thickness, the cheesecake wasn't too sweet. It was a hit. Note: this wasn't even close to 45 minutes. Easily took 1.5 hours.

Jane1 week ago

Typical NYT recipe then (they always take me double the estimated time) :p Glad the fresh mangoes worked for you!

Melissa1 month ago

I'd love to do this with passion fruit puree. Is there a reason why it wouldn't work?

jbk1 month ago

This was so amazing I’ve made it twice in the past week. This second time I did not use a spatula to scrape the hydrated gelatin into the cream cheese mix and the resulting cheesecake was much softer and oozier - definitely get all of the gelatin added for best texture.

Dena2 months ago

This was a huge hit, but there's a little too much of everything to fit comfortably into the pan, especially because the crust is so thick. Next time I will decrease the crust by a third (by the way, I used Trader Joe's Triple Ginger cookies for the crust, which worked out great).

Bobbie Hall2 months ago

could you use another fruit besides mango?

Alan Bowman2 months ago

Alternatively, for the base, use digestive biscuits (cookies.)

Nice2 months ago

This was outstanding. I followed the recipe exactly and the party crown loved it! Nice & light for a summer dessert.

Isabella2 months ago

Would cornstarch in place of gelation work for vegetarians?

Zoosie2 months ago

Can I make individual ones and freeze them?

Tanya2 months ago

I’ve made his recipe at least 5 times and love the flavors and textures! I buy canned unsweetened mango slices (they are sold at any grocery store) and pure them myself with an immersion blender after discarding the liquid. The results are great!

Emily3 months ago

This is really delicious. I only wish I had done a baked crust so it holds together a little bit more. Also wasn’t sure how to get it off the parchment paper bottom. It’s a really beautiful cake.

kateolive3 months ago

This is excellent, and always a hit at parties. I usually use ginger snaps and coconut sugar for the crust to build on the Indian flavors. If making for vegetarians, I have used vegetarian jel with success, but you must use 2.5 times the amount the recipe calls for to get the same result as regular gelatin.

Coda4 months ago

Delicious. Used canned mango for convenience - drained the syrup, pureed the chunks, and cut the sugar in the filling and topping in about half, and the sweetness was about right. The crust was very thin (I used a 9 inch pan). If making it again I would make 1.5x or even 2x the amount of crust

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