Dessert Recipes

In a Cretan zacharoplasteion (sweet shop), we were so intrigued by these coconut pastries (among the newer breed) that I tried them at home. You can expect the potato pastry to be a bit difficult to manipulate, and you can also anticipate compliments on the results. Attractive and tasty, not excessively sweet.

Oatmeal coconut cake with a soft cinnamon-spiced crumb and a broiled brown-sugar coconut-nut topping that bubbles into a chewy caramel crown. Lazy Daisy-style, the way grandma made it.

Lacy Florentine cookies made with ground pecans and coconut, sandwiched together with melted dark chocolate. Thin, crispy, and freezer-friendly for up to a month.

Crispy deep-fried dessert wontons with three tropical fillings: coconut-lemon, macadamia-ginger, and banana-honey. Hand-rolled dough twisted like candy wrappers and dusted in powdered sugar.

Giant Texas-sized cookies loaded with oats, cereal, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Scooped with an ice cream scoop for massive, chewy, everything-in-it cookies.

Tropical bread pudding layers French bread with sliced bananas and flaked coconut, then bakes in a vanilla custard. Caribbean-inspired twist on the classic comfort dessert.

A cherry pie with an easy to prep. coconut crumb topping.

No-bake chocolate cookies with melted chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, coconut, and chopped nuts. Three steps, 15 minutes, zero oven time needed.

Chocolate oatmeal pie with coconut, rolled oats, and chocolate chips in a corn syrup custard, baked in a press-in oil crust. A chewy, fudgy Southern-style pie with crunchy texture.

No-bake peach pie with a raw almond-date crust, fresh sliced peaches tossed in maple syrup and almond extract, topped with shredded coconut. Naturally sweetened and gluten-free.

No-bake marshmallow candy balls with ground candied cherries and blanched almonds rolled in shredded coconut. A vintage Christmas-tin confection that's chewy, sweet, and oven-free.

No-bake frozen coconut cream pie with cream cheese, shredded coconut, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. A creamy, tropical freezer dessert with just 10 minutes of prep.

Pineapple coconut pie with a graham crust and a no-bake gelatin filling folded with rum-extract, whipped topping, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. A tropical icebox dessert built for hot weather.

Pecan and chocolate bars with a buttery shortbread base, toffee brickle bits, coconut, and melted chocolate on top. Three layers of crunch, chew, and richness in every square.

Chocolate Bundt cake hides a cream cheese, coconut, and chocolate chip tunnel inside. Hot coffee in the batter deepens the cocoa, and buttermilk keeps the crumb tender under a glossy glaze.

Orange dream cake with fresh orange and lemon juice baked into a tender crumb, topped with a coconut whipped cream frosting spiked with citrus zest. Chilled and refreshing.