Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad (No-Bake Potluck Fruit Salad)

Hawaiian cheesecake salad is a potluck dessert: pineapple, mandarins, mango and banana folded into a whipped cheesecake cream, with coconut stirred through and macadamia nuts on top. It is a sugar-and-fruit bowl, and we would sooner say so in the first line than in the fine print.

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What keeps it thick is dry fruit and stiff cream. Wet fruit turns a creamy salad into a pink, runny puddle by the time the bowl reaches the table. Get those two things right and the rest takes about as long as opening a few cans.

It suits cookouts, holiday buffets and any table where someone always asks for the fruity bowl. If you like this style of dessert, our 10-minute pineapple cheesecake fluff salad is a close cousin with fewer fruits.

What goes into the bowl

• Cream cheese: 8 oz, softened. It gives the cheesecake flavor and the body. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps, so let it sit out first.
• Sugar: 1/2 cup.
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp.
• Heavy cream: 1 cup, whipped to stiff peaks. It lightens the dressing so it coats the fruit without gluing it together.
• Pineapple: 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained.
• Mandarin oranges: 1 can (11 oz), drained.
• Mango: 1 1/2 cups, diced. Ripe but still firm mango holds its shape better when folded.
• Bananas: 2, sliced, added last so they do not brown or go mushy.
• Coconut: 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut.
• Maraschino cherries: 1/2 cup, halved and patted dry.
• Macadamia nuts: 1/2 cup, chopped, for the top.

How to make Hawaiian cheesecake salad

Start with soft cream cheese and cold cream. That one detail decides whether the dressing turns out silky or lumpy. Drain the cans in a colander while you work on the base so the fruit has a few minutes to drip.

• Make the cheesecake base. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until completely smooth. Scrape the bowl once so no lumps hide at the bottom.
• Whip and fold. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture with a spatula. Stirring knocks the air back out, so keep the motion gentle and turn the bowl as you go.
• Add the fruit. Fold in the drained pineapple, drained mandarins, mango, coconut and cherries. Go easy with the mandarins, which tear if you push them around.
• Chill, then finish. Chill for 1 hour. Right before serving, fold in the sliced bananas and top with the chopped macadamia nuts.

If you want a berry twist on this potluck bowl, try our strawberry banana cheesecake salad made in one big clear tub for 10 people.

Another creamy potluck bowl to try is this mandarin orange fluff with vanilla wafers folded in.

For a version topped with buttery graham crumbs, try our Hawaiian cheesecake salad with graham crumble .

Keeping the cream thick, plus a few swaps

A soupy fruit salad almost always fails the same way: liquid sneaks in from the fruit and thins the cream. Drain the canned fruit well and pat the cherries dry before anything touches the dressing. The recipe calls for the cherries to be halved and dried for a reason, since cherry juice bleeds pink streaks through white cream within minutes.

Toasting the coconut

Nothing here gets cooked, but toasting the coconut gives a nuttier taste and extra crunch. Use a dry skillet over medium heat, or spread it on a tray in the oven, and stir often until the edges turn golden. Shredded coconut goes from pale to burnt fast, so stay close. The air fryer is a poor fit, because the fan blows loose shreds around the basket. Let it cool fully before folding it in, or warm coconut will soften the cream.

Ways to change it up

Skip the nuts for a nut-free table and use toasted coconut on top for crunch instead. For a holiday spread, set it beside a pink Christmas cherry pineapple salad , or let the kids pick our banana split fluff as a second sweet bowl.

This is a dessert-style salad, so it sits best next to savory, simple food: grilled chicken, burgers, pulled pork or ham. A cool creamy dill cucumber salad balances the plate for anyone who wants something less sweet.

Making it ahead and keeping leftovers

Fridge: keep it covered and cold. It is best the day it is made, because bananas brown and the fruit slowly releases juice. If you expect leftovers, scoop out portions before adding the bananas and nuts, and add those fresh when serving.

Freezer: skip it. Whipped cream and canned fruit both turn watery and grainy once thawed.

Reheating: none needed. Serve it cold, and keep the bowl out of the sun at a picnic.

Hawaiian cheesecake salad questions

Can I make it the night before?

Yes, up to the chilling step. Fold in everything except the bananas and macadamia nuts, refrigerate, and add those just before serving so they stay fresh and crunchy.

Why did my salad turn watery?

Usually the fruit was not drained well, or the cherries went in wet. Under-whipped cream is the other cause. Whip it to stiff peaks and let every can drain thoroughly.

Can I use fresh pineapple?

The recipe is written for a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks, drained. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that can break down dairy over time, so if you try it, serve the salad soon after mixing.

Can I use whipped topping instead of heavy cream?

We have only made it with 1 cup of heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks, so that is what we recommend. Freshly whipped cream also folds into the cream cheese without a lot of extra sweetness.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us