No-Bake Coconut Cream Pineapple Dessert
A showstopping tropical no-bake dessert that layers pillowy coconut cream, juicy pineapple, and syrup-soaked biscuits into a chilled icebox cake. Perfect for warm afternoons and family gatherings, it sets beautifully in the fridge with under half an hour of hands-on time.
Ingredients
Coconut Cream
- 500 ml cold heavy cream 2 cups
- 300 g cream cheese, softened 10.6 oz
- 120 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 g unflavored gelatin about 2¼ teaspoons
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 80 g shredded coconut about 1 cup
Pineapple
- 1 large can pineapple in syrup, drained
- 180 ml reserved pineapple syrup ¾ cup
- 3 slices pineapple, cut into small pieces for decoration
Biscuit Layers
- 350 g sweet coconut or vanilla biscuits 12.3 oz
- 180 ml reserved pineapple syrup ¾ cup, for dipping
For Decoration
- 100 g shredded coconut about 1¼ cups
- additional toasted coconut optional
Instructions
- Prepare the pineapple. Drain the canned pineapple well and reserve the syrup for later. Cut the fruit into small pieces, setting aside a small portion for decorating the top.
- Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 4 tablespoons of cold water. Let it stand for a few minutes until it looks spongy, then gently heat it just until it dissolves and turns liquid. Do not let it boil.
- Start the cream. In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar until it begins to thicken.
- Add the cream cheese. Mix in the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract. Blend gently until the mixture is smooth, firm, and creamy.
- Incorporate the gelatin. Slowly pour in the dissolved gelatin while mixing continuously so it distributes evenly throughout the cream.
- Fold in the extras. Gently fold in the shredded coconut and part of the chopped pineapple, making sure the fruit is spread evenly.
- Dip the biscuits. Quickly dip each biscuit into the reserved pineapple syrup for about one second per side. Do not soak them, or they will turn mushy.
- Build the first layer. Spread a layer of coconut-pineapple cream across the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish.
- Add biscuits. Arrange a layer of dipped biscuits over the cream, breaking some to fit the edges.
- Keep layering. Spread another generous layer of cream, scatter a few pineapple pieces, then repeat with biscuits and cream until the dish is full.
- Finish the top. End with a smooth, generous layer of cream spread all the way to the edges.
- Decorate. Cover the surface with shredded coconut and the reserved pineapple pieces. Add toasted coconut for extra texture if you like.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, though overnight gives the cleanest, most defined layers.
- Serve. Remove shortly before serving and lift each portion with a spatula so the beautiful layers stay intact.
Notes
Use very cold heavy cream so it whips faster and holds its structure. Let your cream cheese soften at room temperature to avoid lumps. Swap vanilla biscuits for graham crackers or digestive biscuits if that is what you have. Fresh pineapple works too, though you will need to make a simple syrup for dipping. Toasting the coconut adds a nutty depth. Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month, wrapped tightly and thawed overnight in the refrigerator.