Delicious Coconut Cream Pie with Cashews and Gems Sprinkles: Recipe Guide

Here, we’re going to give you a detailed recipe so you can make a coconut cream pie with cashews and Gems sprinkles. It’s a beautiful combination of tropical sweetness, nutty crunch and colorful chocolate. It’s a classic in some ways, but also experimental and unique because of the topping choices.

The dessert is a host of different textures that make each bite a satisfying experience. The buttery, crumbly crust gives way to a creamy coconut custard, which is topped with a light and airy whipped cream, on which are crunchy cashews and those little chocolatey bursts of Gems. Every bite is full of multitudes.

The coconut milk that the recipe calls for adds depth and structure to the dish, adding, but not conflicting with, the natural sweetness of the pie and the Gems. The Gems, besides adding color and crunch, also make the pie look celebratory and exciting, making the dish a great fit for birthdays, summer parties or simple weekends that need a little personality.

So here’s how you make this dessert:

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1½ cups digestive biscuits or graham crackers, crushed
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the coconut cream filling:

• 2¾ cups whole milk
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped roasted cashews
• 2 tbsp colorful Cadbury Gems
• Extra shredded coconut (optional, for garnish)

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 175C or 350F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the crushed biscuits, sugar, and melted butter until the texture resembles wet sand. Make sure the butter is warm but not too hot or it’ll be runnier than needed. Press this mixture into the base and up the sides of a pie pan. Use your fingers to press the mixture in and make sure it’s even. Bake for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks over medium heat. Stir continuously as you do to prevent lumps. Add in the eggs one at a time, fully mixing one in before adding the next one and so on.
• Once the mixture thickens to a custard consistency, which should take about 8 minutes, remove from heat. Stir in the shredded coconut, butter, and vanilla extract. Let it cool for 10 minutes before pouring into the pie crust.
• Smooth the top of the filling with a spatula and cover it gently with cling film, pressing it lightly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you have the time.
• In the meantime, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to beat the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form. It should hold its shape but not be too stiff. Gently spoon or pipe the whipped cream over your chilled pie in dollops, lines or whatever pattern you like.
• Now, for the topping, sprinkle your roasted cashews generously over the whipped cream. Then scatter the colorful Gems across the top. You can also add a sprinkle of extra shredded coconut or any other topping that you like.
• Slice with a sharp, warm knife for clean cuts, and serve it chilled. It pairs beautifully with a cup of black tea or coconut water, or even goes well with a glass of chilled wine.

Notes:

• The butter used in the coconut cream filling needs to be unsalted. If you only have salted butter, adjust the added pinch of salt accordingly.
• The butter in the filling needs to be at room temperature. If it's straight out of the fridge, it’s going to be hard and won’t mix in properly with the ingredients, leading to a clumpy mixture. And if it's exposed to too much heat, it will melt and the resultant mix will be too runny. So make sure you let the butter sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes before you start. This way, the butter will be naturally soft, and mix in more evenly with the other ingredients.