Coconut Cream Pie

This Coconut Cream Pie has luscious coconut flavor in every bite! Flaky crust filled with homemade coconut cream filling and coconut whipped cream, it’s a coconut lover’s dream!

This Coconut Cream Pie recipe is by far the best I have ever had. The coconut custard filling is made from scratch (no pudding mixes here!) and it makes all the difference. The rich and creamy texture is full of coconut flavor. This pie is so much better than anything you can get at a store!

Homemade pie always tastes best, and that couldn’t be more true with this recipe. But that doesn’t mean it’s hard to make. Even a pie making novice can put this pie together and everyone will think you put more time into it than you actually did. This pie is perfect for a family gathering or Easter dinner.

Ingredients in Coconut Cream Pie

Perfect pie recipes start with perfect crusts. For this recipe you can either bake a regular pie dough crust or a graham crackers crust. Try our homemade Perfect Pie Crust  or our Perfect Graham Cracker Crust recipes. Use a food processor to get the cracker crumbs to the perfect consistency. Or, give yourself a break and buy either a frozen or ready made crust at the store. Here’s what you need for the rest of the pies:

• Half and half – You can find this in the milk section of the grocery store. This is one recipe where you should not substitute whole milk or any other milk. Half and half will give you the creamy pie you want.
• Coconut milk – A little less than one can is needed for this recipe. Find canned coconut milk in the Asian foods aisle at the store.
• Eggs – Using large egg yolks will bind the pie filling together and create a creamy coconut custard filling.
• Sugar – Added for sweetness
• Cornstarch – This is known to be a thickener. At first it creates a crumbly texture but them makes a smooth and thick pudding like substance.
• Salt – Just a pinch!
• Toasted shredded coconut  – You can use unsweetened coconut flakes for the pie filling and maybe sweetened coconut for the topping.
• Coconut extract – If you can’t find coconut extract, you can always substitute vanilla extract. Coconut extract is found in the baking aisle next to the other extracts and is what gives coconut cream pies that unforgettable flavor.

Topping it Off

The topping is what makes this cream pie so delicious! It is light and tasty in every bite. This coconut pie is not complete without this creamy topping!

• Whipping cream – The kind you have to whip yourself, not the pre-made frozen Cool Whip, although you can totally use this in a pinch. Find the heavy whipping cream where you get the half and half, in the milk aisle. Whip it using a stand mixer or hand mixer until soft peaks form.
• Powdered sugar – Between a quarter to a half cup, to taste. This will help sweeten and thicken the topping.
• Coconut extract – Add in a hint of flavor that will take this pie to the next level! You’ll get flavoring from the creamy coconut filling as well as the topping.

Recipe Tips

You will love how quickly this creamy coconut pie comes together. It does have some time in the refrigerator to setup, become thicker, and have a little jiggle to it. These tips will make your coconut pie sing!

• This Coconut Cream Pie takes a little time to put together, as well as at least two hours of refrigeration time for the pie to set. So make sure to plan accordingly. It’s worth every single minute of prep time, I promise!
• When making the whipped topping, place heavy cream in a medium bowl and use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment or hand mixer to whisk the cream, powdered sugar, and coconut extract until stiff peaks form.

Coconut Meringue Topping

A delicious variation on this recipe is to top the coconut cream layer with meringue instead of whipped topping. For a quick and easy meringue recipe, see our Lemon Meringue Pie. If you prefer meringue to whipped topping, this works beautifully on the Coconut Cream Pie.

How to Toast Coconut

To get that perfect golden toasted coconut, just follow these simple steps:

1. First, preheat your oven to about 325 degrees.
2. Next, spread an even layer of sweetened coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for about 5-10 minutes, or until the color is golden brown. It can burn quickly, so keep a close eye on it. Give the pan a shake every couple of minutes to ensure even baking.
4. Let the coconut cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. It’ll continue to crisp up as it sits.
5. Store leftovers in the fridge or at room temperature for up to a week.

Coconut Cream Pie with Less Sugar Option

One of our dear readers, Karen, adapted this Coconut Cream Pie recipe to make it more diabetic-friendly. These are her substitute suggestions: 

“This is a great recipe but I wanted to make it with less fat and sugar; I am Diabetic. I substituted milk with 1 – 12 oz. can of Fat Free Evaporated Milk; used 1 – 13.5 oz can of Lite Coconut Milk; exchanged sugar for ½ cup Splenda, and poured it all into a homemade graham cracker crust made with Splenda. It came out fabulous. My husband loved it, said it was the best pie ever.” 

-Karen

Frequently Asked Questions about Coconut Cream Pie

Read More: The BEST Traditional Easter Dinner Ideas

More Recipes for Coconut Lovers

If you’re a fan of our Coconut Cream Pie recipe, try some of our other favorite coconut recipes:

Desserts

Coconut Cake

Desserts

Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars

Desserts

Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding)

Desserts

Coconut Macaroons

How to Make Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie

4.97 from 32 votes

Coconut Cream Pie is a silky smooth dessert with a flaky crust and a coconut filling, topped with coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut sprinkles.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chilling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Video

Ingredients

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• ▢ 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups coconut milk a little less than 1 can
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup corn starch
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup flaked coconut toasted
• ▢ 2 teaspoons coconut extract or vanilla extract
• ▢ 9 inch pie shell baked (see above for our pie crust recipes)

TOPPING:

• ▢ 1 pint whipping cream the kind you have to whip yourself, not the pre-made, frozen stuff!
• ▢ 1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar to taste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons coconut extract

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Instructions

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• In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over LOW medium heat (using a double-boiler works best), whisking constantly.
  
• When it starts to boil a little bit and thickens up to about the consistency of a thick pudding (this takes about 15-20 minutes so BE PATIENT), remove from heat.
  
• Stir in ¾ cup of the toasted coconut and the coconut (or vanilla) extract. 
  
• Pour into pie shell and chill for 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
  
• While pie is cooling, whip together topping ingredients with electric beaters. 
  
• When pie is completely cooled, top with whipped topping.
  
• Sprinkle on remaining toasted coconut.
  

Notes

 

• Nutrition information is for the whole pie filling, but not the crust.
• For a quick and easy meringue recipe, see our Lemon Meringue Pie. If you prefer meringue to whipped topping, this works beautifully on the Coconut Cream Pie.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 879kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 12gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 716mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 4.2mg

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