About this recipe
Growing up, going to Chili’s was a lifestyle. And I’m a little sad that I never had the chance to order their Paradise Pie because the flavors and presentation looked and sounded incredible. So we’re going to make up for that with my own homemade version that—while I can’t say for sure—I think does the original justice.
This copycat Paradise Pie starts with a buttery Biscoff cookie crust, then gets topped with a rich brown butter blondie batter flavored with a touch of espresso powder to deepen all those caramel notes. From there, it’s loaded with toasted shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and a generous amount of chocolate chips for the perfect balance of chewy, crunchy, gooey goodness.
Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and finished with chocolate sauce and salted caramel sauce, this certainly screams over-the-top and feels like its straight from the Chili’s menu. But imagine indulging in this while sitting in the comfort of your own home, relaxing on your couch and enjoying every delicious bite… yeah, nuff said!
Key Ingredients
Toasted Coconut & Walnuts – Bring a delicious tropical flavor to these blondies. The coconut adds sweetness and texture, while the buttery, rich walnuts provide a satisfying crunch. Together they enhance make this paradise pie even more irresistible.
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – Add rich, gooey pockets of melted chocolate throughout the blondie base, creating a more indulgent texture and deeper flavor. They also balance the sweetness of the brown butter blondie and Biscoff crust while complementing the toasted coconut and walnuts for a perfectly decadent dessert.
Brown Butter – One of the secret ingredients that takes the blondie base of this pie to the next level. As the butter cooks, the milk solids caramelize, creating a rich, nutty flavor that adds depth and warmth to every bite. It pairs especially well with the all the other nutty ingredients.
Espresso Powder – Enhances the flavors of the brown butter and chocolate by adding depth and a subtle roasted richness without making the blondies taste like coffee. It helps intensify the caramel, nutty, and chocolate notes, creating a more complex and indulgent dessert.
Brown Sugar – Contributes moisture, chewiness, and a subtle caramel flavor. Its rich molasses notes complement the brown butter and create the soft, fudgy texture that makes blondies so irresistible.
Granulated Sugar – Helps balance the richness of the brown sugar while contributing to the blondies’ lightly crisp edges. Together, the two sugars create the perfect texture and sweetness.
Cornstarch – A small amount of cornstarch helps create an extra tender, soft blondie base. It keeps the bars from becoming too dense and contributes to their melt-in-your-mouth texture.
All-Purpose Flour – Provides the structure that holds the pie together while still allowing it to remain soft and chewy. Be careful not to overmix once the flour is added to ensure the best texture.
Flaky Sea Salt – Balances the sweetness and highlights the flavors of the brown butter, coconut, walnuts, and wchocolate. It also pairs beautifully with the ice cream, chocolate and salted caramel sauce that is drizzled on top just before serving!
FAQ’s
Helpful Tips
Brown the butter carefully: Watch it closely once it starts foaming—those golden brown bits are where the flavor is. Remove it from the heat as soon as it turns a deep amber and smells nutty.
Don’t overmix the batter: Once the flour goes in, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the blondies dense instead of soft and chewy.
Let the brown butter cool slightly: If it’s too hot, it can melt the sugars and change the texture of the batter. Let it cool until warm, not hot, before mixing.
Use parchment paper with overhang: This makes it easy to lift the blondies out of the pan cleanly for neat slicing.
Cool before slicing for clean cuts: If you want bakery-style squares, let them cool completely before cutting.
Don’t overbake: For the best chewy texture, pull from the oven when the edges are set and lightly golden but the center still looks slightly underdone. The pie will continue to set as it cools in the pan, and this is what keeps it soft, fudgy, and moist instead of dry.
Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top: A final pinch of flaky sea salt right after baking enhances the brown butter and chocolate and keeps the sweetness balanced.
Don’t skip the toast or the brown butter: Toasting the coconut and browning the butter creates standout flavor and amazing texture. Please don’t skip these steps! They are worth it!
More Recipes!
Here are some more bar recipes you might enjoy!
Lime & Toasted Coconut Blondies (With Brown Butter!)
If you try this recipe, I would love your feedback! Please leave a star rating, a comment below or on the reel in Instagram! Also please share what you made and tag @eatatmaudes !! Thank you so much for stopping by and making yumminess with me!
Chili’s Copycat Paradise Pie
Servings
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Equipment
Ingredients
Biscoff Base
- 12 biscoff cookies
- 3 tbsp (43 g) melted butter
- 1/2 cup (80 g) semi sweet chocolate chips
Blondie Layer
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp (241 g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tsp (2.5 g) espresso powder
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, chopped fine
- 3/4 cup (60 g) toasted sweetened coconut (unsweetened also works if you prefer less sweet)
- 3/4 cup (128 g) semi sweet chocolate, plus more for topping
- Flaky sea salt for topping (highly recommended)
Instructions
Enable Step-by-Step Mode- To begin, place biscoff cookies in a food processor. Pulse until they become a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse again.
- Preheat oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang (for easy removal later).
- Pour the biscoff mixture into the pan. Using a glass or spatula, press into an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 10 minutes- remove from the oven and gently spread the melted chocolate into an even layer. **Its okay if its not perfect, but be gently as you spread, you don't want to tear up the biscoff crust. Set to the side to cool.
- To brown the butter- Add 1 cup of butter to a light-colored saucepan or skillet and place it over medium heat. (Reserve the additional tbsp of butter for after the browning stage.) *A light-colored pan makes it easier to see when the milk solids begin to brown.
- Allow the butter to melt completely, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the butter will start to foam and sputter- this is normal. Continue stirring.
- As the foam begins to subside, you'll notice golden-brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan and a rich, nutty aroma developing. Keep a close eye on it at this stage, as the butter can brown quickly.
- Once the milk solids are a deep golden brown and smell toasted and fragrant, remove the pan from the heat immediately. Pour the browned butter, including all of the flavorful browned bits, into a large heat-safe bowl. We don't want the butter to continue to cook. Add the additional tbsp of butter and mix until the tbsp has melted. Add the espresso powder, mix again. Let the butter cool for about 15 minutes.
- To the large bowl, add the brown and granulated sugars. Using a rubber spatula, mix well. Then add in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract. Vigorously whip the mixture for about 30 seconds- the mixture will become pale in color.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined (don’t overmix). Then fold in the toasted coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the blondie batter on top of the biscoff crust in the prepared pan. Tuck in a few chcoolate chips on top. Bake for 28-33 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few wet crumbs. ( i like these blondies to be a little underbaked and gooey). Note: Ovens do vary so please focus more on visual cues than time. A good rule of thumb, start checking these blondies at 25 minutes.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let blondies cool completely in the pan (this honestly takes about 90 minutes) on a wire rack. Then lift out the blondies with the parchment, cut into squares. Serve with ice cream, chocolate sauce and salted caramel. If you are looking for a good homemade caramel sauce you can find one here