This homemade coconut cream pie has a flaky pie crust base and rich, creamy coconut custard filling topped with coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut! It's the perfect light, summery dessert!
You might also like these kumquat custard tarts or these coconut cupcakes!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this toasted coconut pie!
Pie Crust - Since this coconut cream pie isn't baked after filling, you need a fully baked and cooled pie crust. I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. You can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks! However, you can always use your own homemade pie crust or store-bought pie crust if you prefer.
Cornstarch - This is what helps thicken the coconut custard.
Egg Yolks - Using just yolks adds a super rich flavor the custard filling. I also love using yolks because I always have leftovers from making macarons.
Whipped Cream - It's not coconut cream pie without homemade whipped cream! I like to add some coconut extract to the whipped cream for extra coconut flavor!
Coconut Milk - Canned coconut milk has a thick, creamy texture that makes it perfect for making coconut cream pie!
Coconut - I prefer thick shredded coconut chips for this pie. However, regular sweetened shredded coconut flakes work too if that's all you can find!
Coconut Extract - To get more concentrated coconut flavor in the filling, I highly recommend using coconut extract! You can usually find it in the baking aisle next to the vanilla!
Rum Extract - This is optional, but I also like adding a little bit of rum extract to the coconut custard! To me it tastes like summertime!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Blind Bake Pie Crust
I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. You can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks!
Prepare one half of my perfect pie crust recipe according to directions. Form a disk and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the pie dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and be sure to poke the bottom a few times with a fork to allow air to escape during baking. Cut away any undesired excess crust and crimp, curl, or decorate the edges however you like!
Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
Let the crust cool completely before filling.
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the shredded coconut chips in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
Combine the coconut milk and heavy cream and then scald in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling. (I prefer the microwave because there is no chance of burning the milk).
In a large sauce pan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the coconut milk/heavy cream about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly.
As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of coconut milk/heavy cream and continue whisking.
Once all of the milk/cream is added and the filling has thickened (enough the coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat.
Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
Stir in the butter, coconut extract, and rum extract until smooth.
Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
Cool the filling for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell.
Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours) to let the filling set.
Right before serving, top the coconut cream pie with the coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut chips.
Tips for the Best Pie!
For all my pie recipes, I like to use my classic flaky pie crust! I have a whole blog post with tons of tips and tricks for perfect pie crust, but the most important are listed below. Be sure to check out the rest of our pie recipes too!
Keep it cold! The secret to a super flaky pie crust is keeping the dough cold at every step. Use cold butter and cold water while making the dough, and try to keep the dough as cold as possible while working with it. I often refrigerate my pies for at least 10-20 minutes after each step so that the dough stays as cold as possible. You want very cold dough going into a very hot oven for the best results!
Use a metal pie pan! Not all pie pans are created equal! Most pie pans on the market are either metal, glass, or ceramic. Overall, metal pie pans are the best of the best because they keep the crust very crispy and they're also the most durable and affordable. A fun alternative to classic aluminum pie pans that yields the same results is a cast iron skillet! I know ceramic pie plates certainly are pretty, but unfortunately the bottom crust just never gets crispy so I just don't recommend them.
Brush the crust with egg wash before baking! Brushing the crust with an egg was (just a beaten whole egg) before baking, gives a beautiful, glossy, golden brown appearance! For savory pies I like to sprinkle with flaky sea salt and for dessert pies I like to sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Par bake for extra crispy crust! For pies with more runny fillings (like a berry pie or custard based pie), par baking the crust before filling helps ensure a super crispy bottom! It also helps prevent overcooking the filling. Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is just beginning to brown. [Note: unfortunately this won't work with double crust pies]
Let it rest! Letting the pie rest for a bit after removing from the oven helps the filling thicken up and prevents a runny pie. For pies that you want to eat immediately while they're still hot, it's still best to let it rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting so that the filling can thicken up slightly. But for fruit pies or custard pies, letting the pie rest for at least 4-6 hours is ideal!
Recipe Notes
Instead of coconut whipped cream, you could use the leftover egg whites to top this pie with toasted meringue! You can use the meringue recipe from my purple sweet potato pie recipe (just add ½ teaspoon of coconut extract to it)!
The most important step in making the custard is tempering the eggs. I know that sounds scary, but I promise it's not that hard! Tempering just means that you'll slowly add a small amount of hot liquid to the beaten eggs so that the temperature rises slowly and they don't scramble (trust me, you don't want scrambled eggs in your custard!
Once the filling mixture is scalding hot, you'll remove about ¼ cup and place it into a glass measuring cup (the best for pouring hot liquid). Then slowly drizzle the syrup into the beaten eggs while whisking. Then you'll add the warm egg mixture back into the rest of the custard. Easy peasy!
Recipe FAQ's
This coconut cream pie will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Homemade Coconut Cream Pie
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Pie
- ½ perfect pie crust, substitute your favorite pie crust
- 1 ½ cups coconut chips, or shredded coconut
Coconut Custard
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract, optional
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
Instructions
Blind Bake Pie Crust
- I use my homemade flaky pie crust for this recipe. You can check out this blog post for all my pie crust tips and tricks!
- Prepare one half of my perfect pie crust recipe according to directions. Form a disk and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the pie dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie pan. Roll the pie crust into the pie pan and be sure to poke the bottom a few times with a fork to allow air to escape during baking. Cut away any undesired excess crust and crimp, curl, or decorate the edges however you like!
- Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking (if you skip this step, the pie crust will shrink). While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil inside the pie crust and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice or dry beans also work great).
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and pie weights then return the pie crust to the oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
- Let the crust cool completely before filling.
Toasted Coconut Chips
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the shredded coconut chips in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Coconut Custard Filling
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
- Combine the coconut milk and heavy cream and then scald in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling. (I prefer the microwave because there is no chance of burning the milk).
- In a large sauce pan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
- Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the coconut milk/heavy cream about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly.
- As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of coconut milk/heavy cream and continue whisking.
- Once all of the milk/cream is added and the filling has thickened (enough the coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
- Stir in the butter, coconut extract, and rum extract until smooth.
- Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- Cool the filling for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours) to let the filling set.
- Right before serving, top with the coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut chips.
- This coconut cream pie will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Connie says
YUM- Thank you for this recipe