Coconut lovers, this one’s for you. Ultra creamy with NO artificial extract, this coconut cream pie is jam packed with flavor. With Easter coming up this weekend, you’ll have a solid excuse to whip this up. But if I’m being honest, you don’t even need an excuse. Your coconut cravings are reason enough, right? Right.

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whole coconut cream pie with a small amount of whipped cream on top this recipe

This is actually a riff off of my favorite pastry cream and favorite homemade whipped cream recipes. Just like in banana pudding, the custard and the whipped cream are folded together to make a rich, velvety filling that still manages to be light and not overpowering.

I thought of using coconut extract, and honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. But with as many times as I’ve passed the coconut products in the baking aisle, I wanted to explore some different options for this pie. There had to be something I could use instead of just extract.

And I’m happy to report that after some testing, I hit the coconut cream pie jackpot.

The coconut flavor

Comes from 2 things, full fat coconut milk and coconut cream (sometimes called coconut whipping cream.) My grocery store sells both in 13.5oz cans, so I just used one of each. I found that using all coconut milk just wasn’t as rich and creamy as I wanted, while all coconut cream made things a little too thick, even after folding in some whipped cream. Equal parts of both struck the perfect balance.

slice of coconut cream pie with a bite taken from it
whole coconut cream pie with a small amount of whipped cream on top

I also added a nice heap of sweetened shredded coconut to the custard, too. You can leave it out if you don’t like that texture in there, but I really recommend keeping it in. It adds a little more coconutty flavor as the custard cools down and chills.

Thickener + more richness

Courtesy of both whole eggs and just yolks, a little cornstarch and some cold butter. After the eggs have been tempered (yes, this recipe makes you do that, but it’s SO worth it, I promise) the custard cooks for a few more minutes until it becomes thick, creamy and shiny. Once it’s off the heat, whisk in the butter to finish it up and make things extra smooth.

To finish and assemble

You could use both a graham crust or flour + fat, but I prefer the latter. Just something about those flaky crusts that makes the entire pie better. However, I can see a graham crust going well in maybe a bar or square version of this coconut cream pie. Stay tuned for those!

The recipe calls for 2 cups of whipping cream, which results in roughly 4 cups of finished whipped cream. Half of that gets folded into the coconut custard, and the other half garnishes the top of the pie. Once finished, you can serve it right away, since the custard is very stable. However, I always like to chill no bake pies like this for at least two hours before slicing.

Storage + shelf life

Store coconut cream pie covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. After that, it’ll begin to weep a little, as most pies like this will. But you shouldn’t have to worry about leftovers lasting that long!

slice of coconut cream pie
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slice of coconut cream pie being lifted from a white pie plate

Coconut Cream Pie

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  • Author: Megan
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Chilling Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 5 hours + 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Pies
  • Method: Oven, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Coconut lovers, this one’s for you! Ultra rich and creamy custard with ZERO artificial extract in the flakiest lard crust.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the crust (makes one 9 inch crust):

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cold lard
  • 8–10 TB ice cold water

For the coconut custard filling:

  • 1 large egg
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup + 2 TB cornstarch
  • One 13.5oz can full fat coconut milk
  • One 13.5oz can coconut cream (coconut whipping cream)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 TB unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed

For the whipped cream and to garnish:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. To blind bake the crust,Β whisk the flour and salt together in a medium mixing bowl, and use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the cold lard into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the ice cold water a couple tablespoons at a time, using a fork to work the water in completely before adding more. The pie dough is ready when it cleans the sides of the mixing bowl without sticking to your hands, and naturally forms a ball around the fork. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, it may take more or less water each time. Form the dough into a ball.
  2. Generously flour a clean work surface, and add the pie dough. Dust with flour, and roll out (flouring as needed as you go) to a circle that measures between 1/8-1/4 inch (.3-.6 cm) thick, and about 12 inches (30 cm) across. Carefully add the crust to the pie plate, and fit it snugly against the sides and bottom. Tuck the excess dough up between the edge of the pie plate and underneath the edges of the crust, crimping as you go. Preheat the oven to 350F/176C, and let the crust chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while the oven warms up.
  3. After 30 minutes, remove the crust from the fridge and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. 9 inch (23 cm) rounds work well here. Add dry rice, beans or pie weights to the top of the parchment, making sure to distribute them evenly. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, and then remove the parchment and weights. Use a fork to poke holes into the bottom of the crust, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, or until the crust is evenly golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling.
  4. To make the filling,Β whisk the egg, yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Set aside. In a medium saucepan or saucier, combine the coconut milk, coconut cream and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until wisps of steam start coming from the surface.
  5. Stream the hot coconut milk mixture into the egg/sugar mixture, whisking quickly and constantly to temper the eggs. Once all of the coconut milk has been whisked in, return the tempered mixture to the saucepan and place back over medium low heat. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the custard has thickened and the whisk leaves trails, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter immediately, whisking vigorously until melted and smooth. Stir in the shredded coconut.
  6. Add the finished custard to a shallow dish or bowl, and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to keep a skin from forming. Allow to chill completely in the fridge, at least 4 hours or overnight.
  7. When you’re ready to assemble the pie, remove the chilled coconut custard from the fridge and add to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or stiff spatula to loosen up the custard and set aside.
  8. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, (or electric handheld mixer) whip the cold heavy whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form, then reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the powdered sugar while the mixer is running, and when all of the powdered sugar has been added, increase the speed back to high and continue whipping until very stiff peaks have formed. Fold half of the finished whipped cream (about 2 cups) into the coconut custard, and add to the baked pie crust. Spread the filling evenly over the crust.
  9. Use the remaining whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut to garnish the pie. Chill for 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 560
  • Sugar: 18.2 g
  • Sodium: 340.3 mg
  • Fat: 39.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 20.4 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
  • Fiber: 0.9 g
  • Protein: 4.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 102.5 mg

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