Easy Coconut Cream Pie
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This Coconut Cream Pie recipe is a thick, incredibly delicious creamy pie with high mounds of sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut. It’s dreamy, filled with coconut flavor, and simpler to make than you might imagine.
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It begins by blind baking a crust (homemade or store-bought) and cooking a coconut filling on the stovetop in minutes. And after time spent chilling in the refrigerator, it’s a deliciously creamy pie you’ll love to enjoy and serve!
What to Love About Coconut Cream Pie
- A classic favorite (much like banana cream pie)!
- It doesn’t require an hour in the oven.
- Crust can be ready-made or homemade.
- Whipped topping can be ready-made or homemade.
- Perfect for making ahead.
Coconut
Coconut is a flavor many either love… or hate. Which camp do you fall in?
If you’ve read this far, I’m assuming you love it!
I’m a die-hard coconut fan. Its distinct, tropical, sweet, and slightly nutty flavors are almost addictive. It’s just that little bit of something extra that elevates all other ingredients.
Considering this love of coconut, you will find recipes here ranging from Coconut Rice to smoothies, cookies (like the Nordstrom Royale cookies that are hard to miss), coconut mug cakes, an authentic Hummingbird Cake, and so many soups and sauces.
So here is yet another coconut recipe to add to the collection. It’s utterly delicious, perfect for any occasion, and easy to make too. It doesn’t get better than that.
3 Steps to Making Coconut Cream Pie
There are three steps or three parts of this Coconut Cream Pie. It can be completely made by scratch or a semi-homemade version, whichever works best for you.
- Pie Crust: I’m using a ready-made pie crust in this recipe to show you how simple it is to make this pie. But you can make your own crust very simply. See my Rhubarb Pie recipe for my favorite pie crust and make 1/2 of the recipe or freeze half of it for another pie. The crust will need to be fully blind-baked.
- Creamy Coconut Filling: A simple to make filling on the stovetop in minutes.
- Whipped Cream: This can be made from scratch (as I’ve done here), or you can use a ready-made whipped topping for quick and easy application. The toasted coconut on top gives it a nice texture and is pretty too.
How to Blind Bake Crust for Coconut Cream Pie
We will fully blind-bake the crust before filling it with coconut cream.
For a homemade pie crust:
- Make pie dough ahead, form it into a disc, and chill until completely cold.
- Once chilled, roll out and fit into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.
- Chill once again to prevent the crust from shrinking in the oven.
- Line the chilled crust with parchment and fill it with pie weights — you will need two packages for a 9-inch crust or you can use dried beans.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove the pie weights, and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork.
- Return to the oven and bake until the pie crust is golden brown, about 14-15 minutes more.
- Cool completely while making the filling.
For a ready-made pie crust:
You can use a frozen pie crust or a refrigerated ready-made pie crust that comes in rolls. Follow the “blind baking” instructions on the package. Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts instructions are:
- Heat oven to 450ºF and let pie crust come to room temperature.
- Fit dough into a pie plate and crimp or flute the edges.
- Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.
- Cool before filling.
Coconut Cream Pie Filling Ingredients
Unlike many recipes using a pudding mix with coconut flavor, this coconut cream pie is made with classic, homemade filling ingredients.
But it’s simple to make with quality ingredients you will love. (Exact ingredients measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post).
- Egg Yolks & Cornstarch: These ingredients thicken the pie and give it structure.
- Canned Coconut Milk: You will need canned coconut milk (not refrigerated coconut milk in a carton).
- Half-and-Half is preferred but whole milk can work too.
- Granulated Sugar sweetens the coconut and brings all the flavors together.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut lends texture and sweet coconut flavor that is soft and moist to the pie.
- Butter: Brings a velvety texture to the pie.
- Vanilla Extract & Coconut Extract: If you don’t have coconut extract on hand, you can eliminate this ingredient but oh my, it adds SO much flavor to the pie. I keep it on hand for many recipes.
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie Filling
Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here is a quick overview:
- Whisk cornstarch and egg yolks together.
- In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, half and half, sugar, and salt together; bring to a boil, whisking occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Temper the eggs by whisking a portion of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks.
- Pour the tempered eggs back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring back to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the shredded coconut, butter, vanilla extract,, and coconut extract.
- Transfer the filling to the baked crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Tips for Making Homemade Whipped Cream
- Beat together heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until peaks form.
- Check the progress of the cream and its whipping; you want it to hold its shape and be slightly sturdy.
- Piping dollops of whipped cream over the surface of the chilled pie makes for a beautiful presentation. I used a 1M size piping tip.
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Easy Coconut Cream Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust store-bought or homemade (see notes for recipe)
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 14-ounce canned coconut milk full fat is best for texture
- 1 cup half and half (or whole milk)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract optional for added flavor
For topping:
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- toasted coconut flakes for serving
Instructions
Blind Bake the Crust
- Fully blind bake the crust. If using a ready-made crust, follow package instructions for blind baking. If using a homemade pie crust, make and chill the dough until cold. Then roll out into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edges and chill until cold. Line the unbaked crust with parchment, add pie weights or dry beans and bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, prick the bottom of the crust, and bake until golden; another 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Whisk cornstarch and egg yolks in a medium sized bowl until completely smooth.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, stir coconut milk, half and half, sugar, and salt together and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occassionally. Boil for 2 minutes before removing the saucepan from the heat.
- Temper the eggs by whisking small amounts of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks (about 1/2 cup). This helps gently warm the eggs without scrambling them.
- Pour the tempered eggs back into the saucepan, return to the heat, and continue whisking and cooking until the custard returns to a boil. Cook until it thickens; about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the shredded coconut, butter, vanilla extract and coconut extract.
- Transfer filling to the baked crust, cover with plastic wrap directly over the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight until chilled and thickened.
Whipped topping:
- Toast coconut in a heavy small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat whipping cream on high speed (with an electric mixer or whisk attachment in a stand mixer) until foamy; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, beating until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe whipped cream on each mini pie.
- When ready to serve, top each Coconut Cream Pie Bite with freshly whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.