Coconut Cream Pie

A sweet and simple recipe for homemade Coconut Cream Pie!

Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO at the bottom of the recipe!

Course Dessert, pie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Chilling Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

Servings slices

Calories 645kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Ingredients

CRUST¹

⅓ cup roasted salted macadamia nuts (50g)
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (170g)
2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar firmly packed
½ cup salted butter melted (113g)

FILLING

1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup sugar (150g)
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1 cup coconut milk shake well before pouring (236ml)
1 cup heavy cream (236ml)
1 cup whole milk (236ml)
3 Tablespoons butter softened and cut into 3 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract optional, if not using substitute for an additional ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream ² ½ batch will be sufficient, unless you like a lot of whipped cream

Instructions

CRUST

Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
Place macadamia nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (or finely chop them with a large knife).
Add to a large bowl with graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar and stir to combine.
Add melted butter and stir until all crumbs are moistened. Pour into 9 ½” pie plate and firmly pack into the bottom and up the sides of the dish (I like to use the bottom of a clean measuring cup to help evenly and firmly pack the crust).
Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 325F/165C. Evenly spread coconut over a cookie sheet and transfer to 325F (165C) oven. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from oven and use a spatula to stir well. Return to oven and cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat until all coconut is toasted a light golden brown. Once toasted, set coconut aside and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare your filling.
In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
Add eggs, coconut milk, heavy cream, and whole milk. Whisk well. Turn heat to medium heat and whisk frequently until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
Once mixture begins to bubble, whisk continuously for 45 seconds, it should achieve a pudding-like consistency at this point and coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until combined after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and coconut extract (if using) and stir in 1 cup of your toasted coconut (reserve remaining ½ cup for topping).
Pour into prepared pie crust and place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pie, to prevent a skin from forming.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer pie (still covered) to refrigerator to chill 2-3 hours or overnight before topping with whipped cream and serving.

ASSEMBLY

When ready to serve, pipe³ or dollop whipped cream evenly over the top of your coconut cream pie.
Sprinkle with reserved toasted coconut. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

¹I love this macadamia nut-infused crust, but if you're looking for something more classic you can use my standard pie crust recipe or my graham cracker crust instead.

²While you can use store-bought whipped cream (you'd need an 8 oz container), I really recommend you check out my homemade whipped cream recipe instead. Only 3 ingredients, super simple, and so much better than store-bought.

³I used an Ateco 846 tip to pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie.

How to Store

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days after preparing. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutrition