Tarta de queso de lúcuma

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Tarta de queso de lúcuma is a Peruvian cheesecake that showcases the bright, sweet flavor of lúcuma—a native Andean fruit prized since pre-Columbian times. Made with a creamy cheese base (typically cream cheese), this dessert is blended with lúcuma pulp, often enriched with sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, gelatin, and citrus zest. The cake is commonly built atop a crumbly cookie or biscuit crust and is either lightly baked or prepared cold, sometimes incorporating rum or aromatics. The result is a soft, silky texture with a mellow sweetness and a distinct maple-like, dry fruit flavor unique to the fruit. In Peru, it is beloved in cafés and bakeries, where regional variations include topping with caramelized lúcuma purée, toasted coconut, or crushed nuts.