No-Bake Bahamian Guava Cream Icebox Squares with Toasted Coconut

Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang on the long sides so you can lift the finished slab out cleanly.

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 full sheets)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 10 ounces guava paste, cut into small cubes
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted until golden

Instructions

1. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang on the long sides so you can lift the finished slab out cleanly.
2. Stir the graham crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt together until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Press it firmly and evenly into the pan using the flat bottom of a measuring cup, then chill for 20 minutes to set.
3. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese in a large bowl until completely smooth with no lumps — this takes a full 2 minutes and cannot be rushed, because cold cream cheese never fully smooths out later.
4. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and vanilla until glossy and thickened.
5. In a separate cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, keeping as much air as you can.
6. Spread the filling over the chilled crust in an even layer and return the pan to the refrigerator.
7. Combine the cubed guava paste and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 7 minutes until the paste melts into a smooth, pourable glaze. Let it cool for 10 minutes — pouring it hot will melt the cream layer.
8. Pour the warm-but-not-hot guava glaze over the filling and tilt the pan gently to spread it into an even, glossy sheet.
9. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, until fully firm all the way through.
10. Lift the slab out by the parchment, shower the top with toasted coconut flakes, and cut into 12 squares with a hot dry knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
11. Guava duff is the Bahamas' most famous dessert — a rolled, steamed pudding served in a butter-rum sauce — but summer in the islands calls for something that never sees a stove for more than seven minutes. These icebox squares borrow the same essential pairing of dense guava sweetness against rich dairy, and hold beautifully in a cooler, which is why they turn up at every beach potluck from Nassau to Harbour Island.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 445 kcal
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 36g
• Sodium: 245mg