Okay, so how can something so simple be so delicious? Well this is that something – Pina Colada Layered Dessert!
Pina Colada Layered Dessert
Piña Colada Layered Dessert
I always like to keep a couple cans of crushed pineapple in my pantry and a couple cans of coconut cream or full fat coconut milk in my fridge at all times. A little stash of wafer cookies isn’t a bad idea either! Because you never know when you may need to prepare a special dessert in a hurry!
You know how sometimes the simplest things surprise you with how delicious they are? This is one of those recipes.
This Piña Colada Layered Dessert, also known as a refrigerator cake, is my “go-to” recipe if I need something special but not complicated. It may look more difficult than it is, but it’s just one of those simple, tried and true recipes that fits the bill in the categories of quick, easy and delicious.
This recipe really has a lot going for it. Besides being fast and easy to make, it’s also a very pretty dessert especially when you can see the layers. It comes together very quickly and it stores in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
I’ve made this Piña Colada Layered Dessert in an 8″x 8″ glass baking pan before and also in pretty little individual glass serving dishes and it’s nice both ways. But, I have to admit that I’m a sucker for individual dessert portions. There’s something that feels way more special when you get one – at least to me it does!
The recipe below is for an 8″ x 8″ square pan but you can adjust it to work in any smaller sizes of serving dishes that you want to use. When you’re using smaller individual portions, I think it’s nice to use glass so that you can see the layers – just saying!
How to make Whipped Coconut Cream
Here is the Recipe:
Pina Colada Layered Dessert
Ingredients
- Thin wafer cookies of your choice: coconut vanilla, almond, lemon, orange, etc. *Make sure to check ingredients if you're vegan because some are made with eggs*
- 2 in cans crushed pineapple juice 20 oz. size
- 2 13.5 - 14 oz cans coconut cream or full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight NOT light coconut milk
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar or to taste. Can also substitute mild flavored sweetener of your choice like agave or evaporated cane juice
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Drain the juice from the crushed pineapple and set aside the juice for another use and refrigerate
- Scoop out the thickened coconut cream from your cans that you refrigerated overnight - DO NOT USE THE LIQUID
- **Whip the coconut cream**, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters until it becomes like whipped cream
- Lightly toast the coconut in a dry frying pan and set aside
- Start layering your dessert
- In an 8" x 8" glass baking pan add a layer of the sweetened whipped coconut cream, then add a layer of thin wafer cookies, top the cookie layer with crushed pineapple, top with coconut cream and then another layer of the wafer cookies, a layer of crushed pineapple, top with coconut cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut
- Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving and ENJOY!
- **NOTE - When using the full fat coconut milk instead of the can of coconut cream, take your cans from the refrigerator and flip upside down, open cans and pour the liquid into a container to be used later and refrigerate. Scoop out the firm coconut cream and use that for whipping**
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