When a holiday celebration arrives, there can never be enough pies on the table. In fact, in my family, you’ll rarely see just 2 or 3 pies during these kinds of gatherings. Once, we set a record at my sister’s Thanksgiving party where there were seven kinds of pie! And I’m that kind of girl who forgets the main course and simply piles up my plate with different slices of pies. I absolutely love baked treats! And our recipe for today is special to me because, hello! I’m a huuuge coconut fan. And this coconut cream pie here is every coconut lover’s dream! A plus is not having to temper the egg yolks because we simmer all the custard ingredients together. It comes in assorted flavors – vanilla, lemon, chocolate, peanut butter, banana, and, my favorite – coconut. This coconut cream pie features a creamy coconut pudding filling and a gorgeous whipped cream topping. I add a sprinkle of sweet toasted coconut to amp up the coconut.
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Toast the Coconut – Spread the coconut flakes on a piece of parchment paper set on a baking sheet. Bake them at 350℉ (175℃) for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside. (Photos 1-2) Prep the Crust – Roll out your store-bought or homemade pie dough and fill your pie dish. Lightly press the dough on the pie pan. Cut any excess dough around the edges. (Photo 3) Blind Bake – To prevent the dough from rising, place some beans inside the parchment-lined crust-filled dish. Blind bake the pie crust for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is dry and golden brown. Set aside. (Photo 4)
Make the Custard – In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt, coconut milk, whole milk, and eggs, and whisk until thoroughly combined over low heat. Bring it to a boil and keep stirring for 2-3 more minutes or until thickened. (Photo 5) Flavor – Stir in butter and mix thoroughly. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in vanilla extract and all but ¼ cup of the toasted coconut. (Reserve that for the topping). (Photos 6-9) Chill – Pour the coconut mixture into the pie shell and chill in the fridge until it firms up. That will take a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. (Photos 10-11) Serve – Spread or pipe whipped cream over the set pie before serving, and sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut flakes! Slice and enjoy. (Photo 12)
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Coconut cream pie holds up well in the fridge for 3-5 days, so feel free to make it ahead of time. Just keep it in a covered, airtight container. You can also make the pie crust and fill it the day before and then top it with whipped cream and toasted coconut when you’re ready to serve.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve this deliciousness chilled for optimum tastiness. Refrigerate leftover coconut cream pie in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
What Goes With Coconut Cream Pie
Serve coconut cream pie as a follow-up to tropical-themed meals like grilled tilapia topped with mango salsa. It also makes an excellent finish to any meal featuring classic Caribbean dishes like Jamaican jerk chicken. I like to serve it with a hot drink like coffee or ginger tea, but it would also go well with refreshing beverages like mango juice.
More Decadent Homemade Pie Recipes
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
