Fluffy salted caramel cream filling and rich chocolate ganache in a delicious shortbread cookie crust and topped with the most heavenly caramel coconut topping!
Although this past year has been the year of “the new normal”, I didn’t realize how much the pandemic would affect so many things in our lives. Not only has it had an impact on how we work, shop, and gather with friends, but most importantly, it’s had an impact on Girl Scout cookie season!!
Normally this time of year, you can’t go anywhere without some Girl Scout using her puppy dog eyes to draw you into her iconic collection of cookies. Due to the Rona precautions, however, you won’t be seeing those Girl Scouts in the grocery stores. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Facebook statuses asking anyone to hook them up with a supplier of these must-have cookies.
So for those of you who are having a hard time getting through this season without your beloved Girl Scout cookies, I think I might just have something to tide you over until next year. Or at least until you score yourself a good supplier…
This Samoa Cream Pie has literally everything the iconic Samoa cookie has AND more. It starts with a sweet shortbread cookie crust, which is lined with a rich, velvety layer of chocolate ganache. Then it’s filled with THE BEST salted caramel cream filling–yes, it is literally THE BEST salted caramel cream filling! Finally, the pie is finished off with a border of salted caramel coconut topping and an extra drizzle of chocolate ganache.
Tell me this isn’t one of your wildest dreams come true…
Samoas have always been my favorite Girl Scout cookie, so making a pie of this magnitude sent my tastebuds into pure ecstasy. I mean, how can you not love the divine combination of caramel, chocolate, and coconut?? ESPECIALLY when you take it up another notch with homemade salted caramel! That’s truly what makes this pie so glorious on every single level.
While you’re more than welcome to substitute the homemade caramel with store-bought caramel, I’d highly recommend you give my homemade version a try. Not only is it a lot easier than you think, but there’s really no comparison when it comes to the richness in flavor you get from homemade. The caramel is also a major ingredient in this pie due to the fact that it’s used in both the cream filling and the coconut topping, so it’s pretty vital in achieving the best flavor.
I’ve actually used this salted caramel recipe in several other desserts over the years, and it’s never ever let me down. Not only is it the best-tasting caramel I’ve ever had (in my VERY humble opinion), but it’s not overly-complicated. In fact, it doesn’t even require a candy thermometer. Simply cook some granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan until the mixture reaches a golden amber color. Instead of using a spoon to stir, I just swirl the pan around occasionally making sure everything cooks evenly.
Once the right color is reached, remove the pan from the heat, pour in the heavy cream (it will boil up), and stir until smooth! If it’s still lumpy, you can place the pan back on the heat (over low), and stir until there are no more lumps or hard pieces of sugar. The salt is added at the very end. See? Making homemade salted caramel isn’t that painful now is it?
You’ll need to make the caramel first to allow it plenty of time to cool completely. This could take a few hours, but if you want to speed up the process, just stick it in the refrigerator!
While the caramel is cooling, you can get started on the rest of the pie. The crust is a simple no-bake pie crust made with crushed Nilla wafers, sugar, and melted butter. Once combined, this mixture gets pressed into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Now it’s time to make the chocolate ganache!
You’ll start by heating up some heavy cream until it begins to simmer. This can either be done on the stove or in the microwave. I prefer to heat the cream in a glass measuring cup in the microwave since it requires less dishes. Once you’ve got your hot cream, pour it over a bowl of semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped), cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth! If you still see a few unmelted pieces in the ganache, return the bowl to the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
After the ganache is poured into the crust, it goes into the freezer to firm up while you work on the salted caramel cream filling. Did I mention that this salted caramel cream filling is THE BEST? Oh yeah, like 2 seconds ago…anyway, to make the filling, you’ll whip up some heavy cream until nice and fluffy. Then you’ll take your cooled salted caramel and beat it with some cream cheese. Once these two ingredients are smooth and combined, the whipped cream is folded in before the whole thing is poured on top of the now-firm ganache layer. You’ll need to allow the filling to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that it can set up properly. I allowed my pie to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
I know I made a huge deal out of the salted caramel cream filling, but dayummmmmm….the salted caramel coconut topping is EXQUISITE. My mouth is literally watering just thinking about it. I seriously contemplated making up another batch of this topping just to eat with a spoon. It’s beyond heavenly. The great thing is that all you have to do is combine two ingredients–toasted coconut and salted caramel. And yes, toasting the coconut is a MUST for this recipe. Not only does toasting the coconut bring out more of its natural flavors, but it gives the coconut a nice crunch, preventing that stringy, chewy texture.
To toast the coconut, preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the sweetened coconut flakes out on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure even browning. Since you’re using sweetened coconut flakes, baking time will be less due to the fact that sugar speeds up the toasting process.
Now that you have your chilled pie and salted caramel coconut topping (and have hopefully managed to resist the temptation to devour the entire bowlful), it’s time to put it all together. Because there’s NO such thing as too much salted caramel, I decided to first spread a layer of caramel around the border of the pie. Then I used a couple of forks to evenly place the coconut topping on top of that caramel border. And to give this pie that iconic Samoa cookie look, I added a final drizzle of chocolate ganache to the top!
There you have it, folks! A Samoa Cream Pie that’s 100 times better than the cookie itself!
Samoa Cream Pie
Ingredients
Salted Caramel:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
Crust:
- 1 ½ cup Nilla wafer crumbs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
Ganache:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Caramel Filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup Salted Caramel from recipe above
Coconut Topping:
- 2 cups coconut toasted
- ½ cup Salted Caramel from recipe above
To Assemble:
- ½ cup Salted Caramel from recipe above
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and gently swirl (NOT stir) the pan around occasionally as it begins to boil. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat until caramel is smooth. Transfer to dish or glass measuring cup to cool completely. Caramel will continue to thicken as it cools.*
Make the Crust:
- Using a fork, toss the cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish and refrigerate while you make the ganache.
Make the Ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips into a medium bowl; set aside. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl (or glass measuring cup) and heat in the microwave until it starts to boil--keep a close eye on it.
- Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to set for 5 minutes, before removing the plastic wrap and stirring until smooth. If you still see unmelted pieces of chocolate, return the bowl to the microwave and heat 15-20 seconds more until completely smooth.
- Pour 3/4 (about 1 cup) of the ganache into the crust and spread into an even layer. Reserve the rest of the ganache to use later. Place crust in the freezer while you make the filling.
Make the Caramel Filling:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl in the refrigerator and return bowl to mixer. Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment.
- In the stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and salted caramel until light and creamy. Add 1 cup of the of the whipped cream, beating until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Pour the filling into the crust and use a spatula or butter knife to create a smooth surface on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the Coconut Topping:
- Stir the coconut and salted caramel together until combined.
To Assemble:
- Spread the salted caramel around the edges of the pie--leaving the center open. Top caramel border with coconut topping. Drizzle with the remaining chocolate ganache. Slice, serve, and enjoy!