Name: 3 Ingredient No Bake Mandarin Ginger Pie Dessert
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 16 oz ginger nuts or gingersnap cookies (probably will have a few leftover); 2 cups heavy cream (1 pint or 473 mL); 2 15 oz cans of mandarin oranges (drained, preserve some syrup)

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Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe for No Bake Mandarin Ginger Pie Dessert came from my podcast guest, Kate Jack. Make sure you listen to her episode Christmas in South Africa while you make this 3 Ingredient Mandarin Ginger Dessert!

closeup shot of ginger mandarin no bake layered dessert. garnished with sliced oranges, crushed gingersnaps, citrus peels, and fresh mint leaves with individual dessert glasses in background

Think of this as a cross between a trifle and a deconstructed mandarin orange pie with a gingersnap crust.

It is an original recipe from Kate's family and is a new recipe for me but has quickly become one of my favorite desserts! I took this to a get-together and had nothing left to take home! This is one of the easiest dessert recipes you will ever make, with only three ingredients, and - extra great for busy schedules! - it is a no bake dessert recipe.

Note: Naartjie is the Afrikaans word for mandarin orange and is used colloquially instead of mandarin in South Africa, where Kate is from.

P.S. Looking for other no-bake desserts? Check out Kate Jack's other No Bake South African dessert, Peppermint Crisp Tart. You could also try this Thambuttu (No Bake Indian Banana Dessert) recipe or this Kalter Hund (No Bake German Chocolate and Cookie Cake) recipe!

Kate's Memories of Making Ginger Naartjie Pie

This ginger naartjie pie was what we used to make for my dad's birthday - he didn't like overly sweet, or chocolatey desserts. He passed away 15 years ago. We occasionally make it for our birthdays, or as a way to remember my father.

-Kate Jack

side by side macro images of creamy whipped cream and mandarin segments

Ingredients & Substitutions

Ginger Nuts - this will act as the "pie crust" in this easy recipe. Substitution: ginger snap cookies or graham crackers
Heavy cream or whipping cream - add nothing. The best part of this dessert is that its not overly sweet. The gingersnap cookies add enough for my palate.
Canned mandarin oranges - called naartjies segments in Afrikaans

closeup shot of indivdual serving glass with creamy whipped cream, crushed gingersnaps, and juicy mandarin sections. Garnished with colorful fall flowers and Thanksgiving colors.

Instructions

In a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Set aside.
Crush or crumble the ginger nuts (or ginger snaps) and place at the base of a pie dish.
Add a layer of mandarins (and some syrup from the tin).
Put a few spoonfuls of whipped cream over the naartjie and ginger biscuits, and smooth over.
Repeat layers until there is no remaining filling left.
Leave in the fridge until the cookies are soft.
Optional Garnish: Sprinkle some fine crumbs from the leftover cookies and arrange mandarin orange slices and fresh mint leaves to the top for decoration.

closeup beauty shot of ginger mandarin no bake layered dessert. garnished with sliced oranges, crushed gingersnaps, and fresh mint leaves.

Ginger Snaps vs. Ginger Nuts

They are the same thing! South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK call these cookies Ginger Nuts while North America refers to them as Ginger Snaps. The different names refer to the same crisp, ginger cookie.

overhead shot with focus on citrus twist of 3 individual servings of mandarin ginger pie

Whipped Cream vs. Cool Whip

If you want to make this dessert even easier, you can buy your whipped topping such as Cool Whip at the store so you won't even have to make the cream! Keep in mind that if you substitute the whip cream for whipped topping will have added sugar so it will make your dessert sweeter.

Equipment

Storage

Any leftover pie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

More Pie Recipes

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