I was still daydreaming of the scrumptious passion fruit cheesecake I’d savored on a magical vacation, when I received an unexpected message from a friendly fellow foodie recently: “Hey girl, I have passion fruits with your name on them… Interested?”

How could I say no? Not only was I thrilled about the generous offer; I was also excited to finally meet the kind and talented Brenda in person after months of interacting online. As I imagined, it was a great pleasure to gather face to face, and to learn that the passion fruits — which were bigger and more succulent than any I’d seen before — came from the yard of Brenda’s family right here in the bay area. I felt so fortunate to have a share.

While the mountain in my fruit bowl grew increasingly fragrant, all kinds of custards, cakes and cookies drifted through my mind. But I couldn’t shake the memory of that dessert in Barcelona, so I decided on a creation that would mirror it and give it a nod. I chose a bite-sized treat, beginning with a no-bake crust made with skillet-browned coconut and hazelnuts for a toasty flavor. A simple cream cheese filling would offer a creamy, tangy element with just the right density. And with a sweet, tart, gooey passion fruit topping, I knew the trio of textures and flavors would form a perfect harmony.

Passion fruit bites (makes around 32-36 bite-sized treats)

For the crusts:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (about 1.25 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3.75 ounces (110 grams) graham crackers (not cinnamon or flavored)
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• scant 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Line mini muffin pans with paper liners. In a skillet over medium heat, toast chopped nuts and coconut, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes or until fragrant and coconut is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Break graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor. Add the flour and salt. Whirl until small crumbs have formed. Add the coconut/nut mixture and pulse a few times.

Add melted coconut oil and vanilla, whirling until moist crumbs have formed. If texture seems too dry, add more melted coconut oil by the teaspoon (crumbs should stick together when pinched and be rather oily). Using a bit over a teaspoon per cup, place mixture into lined mini muffin pan cups, pressing in firmly. Place pans in freezer or fridge, first wrapping tightly in foil if not using the same day. (Crusts will harden as they chill, and can be stored in the freezer or fridge 2-3 days before filling.)

For the filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (not “spreadable” or “whipped”)
• 1/4 cup powdered/confectioner’s sugar (do not substitute with other sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, powder, or seeds from a pod

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl; sift the powdered sugar over it, then add the vanilla bean. Beat well, until ingredients are incorporated and texture is smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag or plastic bag with a small corner snipped off, and pipe a layer about 1/4″ thick onto the chilled crusts, all the way to the edge of the crust touching the paper liner. Be sure to leave at least 1/4″ of space between the cream cheese and the top of the paper liner for the fruit topping.

Immediately place in fridge, wrapping with foil if not topping with the fruit the same day. Thanks in part to the bit of cornstarch in the powdered sugar, the cream cheese will firm up as it chills, and can be stored in the fridge 1-2 days before adding fruit topping. (You may have a little cream cheese filling left over; I trust you’ll find a good use for it.)

For the passion fruit topping:

• 1.25 cups passion fruit pulp*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch

*Begin with wrinkly, ripe, purple-brown passion fruits. I was lucky to have large ones weighing about 2 ounces a piece, and used 6 to 7 for this recipe. About 14-16 ounces of any sized passion fruits should be about right to yield 1.25 cups pulp. Halve the passion fruits with a sharp knife, then scoop out seeds and juice, placing in a cup measure.

Transfer the 1.25 cups passion fruit pulp to a small saucepan. Into a small bowl, sift the sugar, then the cornstarch, and whisk together. Add to saucepan and bring heat to medium. Use a heatproof whisk to stir regularly, letting mixture come to a boil. Let boil for about 1.5 – 2 minutes, whisking constantly, just until mixture becomes frothy then visibly thickens into a jam-like consistency. Immediately remove from heat and let cool in pan for a few minutes, then spoon the warm topping onto the chilled cream cheese topped crusts. Fill each one to the top of the paper liner, then return to fridge to chill thoroughly. Serve chilled, keeping away from heat. Store covered in fridge up to 3 days.

These tiny treats offer big satisfaction: a sweet, tangy burst of passion fruit that strikes a scrumptious balance with the warm, creamy flavors beneath. The coconut-hazelnut crusts are crisp, rich and toasty — it’s hard to tell they’re not oven-baked. Barely sweetened, vanilla-flecked cream cheese makes for a smooth and decadent filling. And gooey fruit topping — complete with the delightfully crackly seeds — gives each bite a luscious complexity of texture with all the succulence of dreamy, fragrant passion fruit. Cheers to new friendships, sweet memories, and sheer deliciousness!

Maybe next time… To make these treats vegan, choose graham crackers that are free of animal products, and use vegan cream cheese for the filling. No hazelnuts on hand? Macadamias, pecans, or almonds are also nice. I like the simplicity of the no-bake process here, but for a more traditional cheesecake texture, you could whisk an egg into the filling and bake it in the crusts (as is or with butter swapped in for the coconut oil). Lime is a classic pairing with passion fruit, and a bit of its zest would be welcome in the crust or creamy filling. Finally, if you have extra passion fruits, I recommend doubling the fruit topping recipe and spooning it on toast, waffles, ice cream — you name it!