Our Coconut Cream Pie recipe is for the coconut lovers! This cool, creamy pie is easy to make and has been a holiday favorite for decades.
We recently enjoyed a slice of pie for dessert while eating at a local restaurant. There were so many cream pies on the menu, which made it hard to choose which one to have! Ultimately, we settled on coconut cream pie, and while it was enjoyable, we prefer this outstanding homemade version.
In This Post
Coconut Cream Pie Ingredients
If you’ve ever made a homemade creamy pie, these ingredients will look familiar to you. I replaced some of the whole milk with canned coconut milk and added coconut extract. See the recipe card for the ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pie.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling.
- Coconut Milk: Adds a delicious coconut flavor.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor and texture.
- Egg Yolks: To thicken the pudding and give it that rich, velvety texture.
- Butter: Adds flavor and helps make the pie filling smooth.
- Flavoring Extracts: Vanilla extract and coconut extract to add flavor to the filling.
- Coconut: Use shredded coconut in the filling, and toasted coconut on top.
- Pie Crust: I used homemade pie crust, but store-bought also works.
- Whipped Cream: Top with whipped cream or use Cool Whip in a pinch.
How To Make Coconut Cream Pie
This recipe for coconut cream pie doesn’t take long. The hardest part is waiting for the pie to chill in the refrigerator!
- Pudding: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt to help disperse the cornstarch to prevent clumping. After combining the canned coconut milk, whole milk, and egg yolks, slowly whisk the mixture into the dry ingredients. Then, cook the pudding until thickened, constantly stirring while scraping the bottom and sides to prevent clumps.
- Coconut: Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the sweetened shredded coconut, butter, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Cool the pie filling in a bowl of ice water or in the refrigerator.
- Pie: Spread the coconut pie filling into the prepared pie crust and chill in the refrigerator. Top with whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut.
Variations
Everyone loves a classic creamy pie, but sometimes switching things up a bit is fun! Here are some additional coconut cream pie recipes to try.
Coconut Cream Meringue Pie
Once you’ve filled the pie shell with the hot coconut pudding, you can top it with meringue!
- Use a stand mixer to whisk six egg whites with 1/2 a teaspoon of cream of tartar until foamy.
- Slowly add 3/4 cup of superfine sugar on medium speed, a little at a time.
- Then, beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Finally, beat in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Spoon the meringue over the filled pie shell and bake at 350˚F for 12-17 minutes, until lightly browned.
No Bake Coconut Cream Pie
For a no-cook, no-bake version, make the pie filling with instant vanilla pudding!
- Whisk two 3.9-ounce packages of vanilla instant pudding with 2 cups of milk.
- After the pudding sets, fold in two cups of thawed Cool Whip and one cup of sweetened shredded coconut.
- Top the pie with the remaining cup of Cool Whip and garnish with toasted coconut.
Coconut Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
- Mix together 1 2/3 cups of crushed graham crackers, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 5 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Press the mixture into a pie dish and bake at 350˚F for 5-7 minutes.
- Let the crust cool completely before filling it with your pie filling.
More Pie Recipes
- Banana Cream Pie has sliced bananas in a creamy pudding with a cookie crust.
- This easy French Silk Pie has silky chocolate mousse and a graham cracker crust!
- This Peanut Butter Pie is silky and smooth with a hidden layer of chocolate inside.
- Our Chocolate Pie has a smooth, rich, creamy chocolate filling!
Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 13.66 fl oz can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 pie shell 9 inch
- 3 cups whipped cream
- ½ cup toasted shredded coconut
Instructions
- Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the can of coconut milk and the egg yolks.
- Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the sugar mixture in the saucepan.
- Cook medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat. Add the sweetened shredded coconut, butter, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Stir until combined. Cool in a bowl of ice water or in the refrigerator.
- Spread in a 9-inch pie shell. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until firm.
- Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Video
Notes
Leftovers and Storage
Refrigerator: Loosely wrap the leftovers and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezer: While you can freeze coconut pie, we do not recommend it as the ingredients tend to separate, and the filling can become watery.Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut cream pie is made of a homemade coconut cream pie filling, a traditional pie crust, shredded coconut, and whipped cream.
This recipe uses cornstarch as the primary thickener. The pie filling ingredients are cooked on the stovetop until thickened.
If your pie is runny or watery, either you didn’t measure the thickener correctly (cornstarch in this recipe), it wasn’t cooked long enough to thicken, or it wasn’t cooled properly. We also suggest using full-fat ingredients for the best results.
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