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Island Pecan Pie is loaded with pineapple, coconut, and pecans in a delicious creamy filling. A tropical twist on a pecan pie classic!
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I love how this Island pecan pie is a tropical treat you can make for any occasion. I tried it a few years ago for Thanksgiving instead of our classic pecan pie and it was a smashing success. This recipe originally came from an Arkansas diner that I tracked down on Pinterest. And boy am I glad I did! This is definitely my new favorite pie.
This different take on a pecan pie recipe is creamy and flavorful with sweet chunks of pineapple and crunchy pecans and coconut flakes. I’ve served it at Easter dinner, Christmas, and on warm summer Sunday afternoons. It’s versatile and a perfect recipe for any time of year.
And if you love tropical flavors, try some of these other delicious desserts with an island flair, like this pina colada poke cake, or these tempting coconut lime cheesecake bars.
Tips for Island Pecan Pie
- Homemade pie crust. Find the perfect unbaked pie crust recipe for homemade pie crust to save on time, you can find delicious ready-to-bake pie crusts in the freezer section of your grocery store.
- Edges. Crimp the edges of the crust with a fork or your fingers for an extra decorative touch.
- Whipped topping. I topped this pie with homemade whipped cream. Make basic whipped topping with heavy cream, sugar and add a little almond extract. It really complements the tropical flavors of the pie. Of course, store bought whipped topping works in a pinch, but homemade whipped cream just adds another level of creaminess to this already extravagant pie.
- Coconut. For added flavor, I like to top each slice with toasted coconut. Just spread a thin layer of coconut on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 325 degrees for about 5-10 minutes. The golden color really pops on top of a dollop of whipped cream.
- Ice cream. Scoop vanilla ice cream on top of your pie too!
- Storing. Store the pie in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It will alter the taste and some of the texture but feel free to try macadamia nuts or almonds for another island twist.
Place your island pecan pie into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Cover the pie with plastic wrap or foil to keep it fresh longer. You can either reheat the pie or enjoy it cold.
Depending on how you store it, the pie can stay fresh for three to four days in the refrigerator.
We don’t always recommend freezing pies but this pie is a great dessert to store in the freezer. Tightly wrap the pie in plastic wrap or aluminum foil then store in an airtight bag. Freeze for two to three months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator.
We are always finding ways to make our recipes gluten-free. This is a great dessert to make gluten-free! Use or make a gluten-free pie crust. For other ingredients make sure that the labels and product are gluten-free.
To avoid the cracking on top make sure not to overbake the island pecan pie. Take it out of the oven once the center is set.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
- Coconut Cream Pie – Coconut Cream Pie is a dreamy island dessert with a flaky crust with coconut filling that is made from scratch and toasted coconut sprinkles.
- Creamy Lemon Pie – This Creamy Lemon Pie is packed full of tart, lemon flavor and creamy goodness. This recipe is super easy to make and is always a crowd-pleaser!
- Butterscotch Pie – This creamy butterscotch filling is spread into a flaky pie crust and drizzled with butterscotch topping then sprinkled with butterscotch chips. It’s a butterscotch lover’s dream.
- German Chocolate Pie – This pie recipe comes straight from Amish country. The rich, gooey, chocolate filling is to die for!
- Key Lime Pie – Straight from Savannah, Georgia, this pie is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
- ALL OUR PIES
Island Pecan Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn meal
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 5 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 cup crushed pineapple thoroughly drained
- 1 cup coconut sweetened
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 pie crust unbaked
Homemade Almond Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup coconut toasted
Instructions
- Beat the sugar, cornmeal, flour, eggs, and salt together.
- Gently stir in the pecans, pineapple, and coconut (don't beat it). Stir in the melted butter and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven. Cover the crust edge with some aluminum foil to keep it from burning. Cook for 15 to 30 more minutes, or until the pie is set.
- Allow the pie to cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Homemade Almond Whipped Cream
- With a mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and almond extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form or until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Top with toasted coconut.
I made this pie a while back and it was AMAZING! I’m making it again today, then I’ll be making it AGAIN on Wednesday to take to my in-laws for Thanksgiving! We love it SO much! Thank you so much for posting this recipe – I have a feeling it’s going to be a holiday staple in my house for quite a while 🙂
By the way, for anyone interested: The first time I made the pie, I subbed applesauce for the butter and a bit of the sugar (only because I forgot to get butter at the grocery store and we always have applesauce on hand for the baby- hah!) and it worked fabulously! I think I did 4oz of applesauce and cut the sugar by half a cup? I wish I could remember exactly, but either way I had no idea how it would turn out and it was AWESOME. This time I am baking it per the recipe, no changes, and I’m very excited to see how it turns out 🙂
I’m making this pie tomorrow too! So glad you like it, it’s one of my favorites!
I love anything that starts with pineapple, coconut and pecans so I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for doing all the work and graciously sharing it with us!!
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Should the pie have that eggy taste? Or is 5 eggs too many
I have made it multiple times, I promise there isn’t an eggy taste.
Looks delicious your whipped topping is that cream that is whipped till thick. Thank you Emily will definitely make it I know my family will love it.
Thanks! You will definitely love it, it’s one of my favorites!!
Did you blind bake the pie shell prior to filling?
Nope, the pie crust is unbaked prior to cooking.
What size can of pineapple do you use?
You only need a cup, so I would get a can with more than 8 oz.
Can you use brown sugar instead of white?
I haven’t tried that but let me know how it works!
The picture looks a little dry. Is it or is it just me?
It’s definitely not dry, it maybe just appears that way.
could you use 3 eggs instead of 5?
You could try it with 3… we have only ever used 5 so I don’t know how it would turn out with 3
I made this pie. The mixture was too much to fit in the ready made crust that I bought so I divided what was left after the pie into two ramekins and baked it along with the pie. The ramekins were done about the time the foil went on the crust. Waste not want not. Yum! doubly good.
What are ramekins?
clear glass custard cups
What kind of flour for the Island pecan pie
just regular flour, you can use white or wheat flour.
But is it self rising or Plain flour?
plain flour.
Do you bake it 50-60 minutes and then cover the crust and bake for another 15-30 minutes?? So it could possibly take up to 1.5 hours? Does this make just one pie? Thanks!
Yes on the time, because it is cooked on such a low heat. Cooking times ail vary based on elevation and ovens. Yes, it makes 1 pie. It will be very full. You could definitely split it into 2 and your cooking time would be shorter.
How do i know when it’s set? When it’s not Jiggly
Yes, it shouldn’t be liquid-y and jiggly. Hope this helps!
Does this pie need to be refrigerated? I need to take a pie for thanksgiving and we have a three hour drive… Just want to know if I can make ahead of time to travel
Yes, it needs to be refrigerated but it would be fine on your drive. Especially if you keep it in a cooler.
I made this pie last night. It is WAY too sweet! –Will it mess up the recipe to use only one cup of sugar?
And how much do you beat the egg mixture? –Until it’s big and foamy, or just a little? I beat mine a bunch, and I ended up with enough filling for nearly two 9-inch pie shells. (Maybe I just answered my own question..)
I tried not to over beat it because I didn’t want the eggs to expand, then didn’t beat it at all when adding the other ingredients. You could definitely do a little less sugar if it was too sweet for you. Or try using fresh, instead of canned pineapple- it’s not as sweet and I think actually tastes much better. The canned is just easier. 🙂
Do you think this would work without the pineapple and what substitutions would I need to make? Thanks!
Yes, leaving out the pineapple would be fine. I would maybe try subbing it for something else like banana or another fruit.
Maybe some dark chocolate mini chips??
Corn meal? Just wondering if you meant corn syrup, which is in traditional pecan pie? Or corn starch for thickener? If not, what is the purpose of corn meal??
Yep. its corn meal! It acts as a thickener, but you can sub out with corn starch if you want.
I live in Florida and want to add this tropical pie for Thanksgiving.
Question-
self-rising or all purpose cornmeal???
Florida hugs,
Becca
All purpose corn meal works great. Your guests are going to love this pie! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
hi,is the cornmeal essential?i cant find that here in australia,or maybe a substitute suggestion?thank you!
Corn starch would work too.
hi,looks great! if i just buy a bag of flaked coconut,am i buying sweetened or unsweetened?thanks!
You could do either, I did the sweetened.
What did you put on top??
I just did whipped topping, and I mixed in a little almond extract. 🙂 Then I toasted some coconut to sprinkle over the top.
Thanks for the awesome tip!
WOW – this looks amazing! Pinned and sharing on my Facebook page later this evening! Can’t wait to try this!
Can you use self rising corn meal as well? Yellow or white meal?
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not?
I used self rising flour anď self rising corn meal mix because that is what I had on hand. I left out the salt because both already had it in them. I also used salted butter. I decided that the pie shell would not hold all the mixture, so I divided it in half and ended up with 2 pies. Baked the same amount of time. Tasty!!
Thank you for sharing your adaptions to this recipe, Linda!
It shows two cups of heavy cream in the filling but the instructions don’t mention them except for two in the topping?
For some reason it was displaying the ingredients for the whipped topping twice. I fixed it on the recipe. Theres no heavy cream in the pie filling.
I used self riding cornmeal and it worked well
i followed the recipe to the T and it made 2 PIES! lol
Wow! Good to know! The recipe does make a ton of filling. Thank you for sharing!
So do you do the same time as it states