My Coconut Cream Pie is a smooth, creamy pudding with lots of vanilla and coconut, nestled in a graham cracker crust. While many cream pies involve tempering eggs, this filling is made in a single pot with eggs whisked into the mixture from the beginning.
Coconut Cream Pie at a Glance
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 🧊 Chill Time: 2 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hour 35 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 8
- 🍽️ Calories: 481
- 🌾 Main Ingredients: Milk, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, sweetened shredded coconut, butter, graham cracker crust
- 👌 Why You'll Love It: Coconut Cream Pie is made from scratch in one pot, without tempering eggs.
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Coconut Cream Pie was my grandpa's favorite pie, but my from-scratch recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker. It was the first coconut pie I tried (as recipe 203 of my 365 Recipe Challenge in 2010), and I've never wanted to try a different recipe.
After making it for 15 (!) years, I've streamlined how I make it so that the pie is stress-free to make. It ends up smooth and creamy, and I never have trouble eating half of this pie.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I love Coconut Cream Pie because:
- 🥣 It's easier than a standard cream pie filling! Whisking the eggs into the dry ingredients at the beginning means fewer dishes and no concerns about spilling eggs or hot milk all over the counter.
- 🥥 Chopping the coconut before stirring it into the homemade vanilla pudding means the pie has a smoother texture.
- 🔀 Since the filling's naturally gluten-free, it's easy to swap out the graham cracker crust for a gluten-free one.
Key Ingredients
Graham cracker crust: I prefer this over a standard pie pastry, but use what you like. I make a homemade graham cracker crust, but store-bought will work fine.
Milk: Use standard dairy milk; 1% or 2% milk, which I usually have in the house, works fine. I've never tried a non-dairy milk to make this pie.
Cornstarch: It thickens the pie, and mixes into the liquid better than flour does since you can use less cornstarch and it doesn't clump up as much. Using cornstarch means the filling is gluten-free.
Whole eggs: Eggs help thicken the filling, and the fat in the eggs also adds richness. Although the Betty Crocker recipe took egg yolks, I use whole eggs, just as I do when I make my grandma's Chocolate Pie.
Butter: Adds richness and texture to the filling, especially if you use lower-fat milk. Don't use margarine.
Vanilla: It's tempting to omit this - after all, it's a coconut pie - but it rounds out the flavor. Please don't skip it.
Sweetened, shredded coconut: The kind at almost every grocery store in the baking aisle. Use a freshly opened package for the best texture and flavor. Unsweetened coconut should work, but your pie will not be nearly as sweet or tasty.
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie
One: Have a completely cooled crust ready. A warm crust will become soggy when filled.
Two: Measure out the coconut, and use a big knife to roughly cut it into smaller strands, like I do for my Earthquake Cake from Scratch. Using smaller pieces of coconut improves the texture of the pie.
Three: Combine sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a 3-quart saucepan, and whisk to combine. Be sure that the eggs are mixed well; visible bits of egg that aren't mixed in will cook into scrambled egg.
Four: Whisk in the milk and the salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often. The mixture will start to stick to the bottom, the top will become less foamy, and it will steam and begin to thicken. Occasionally pause for a few seconds to see if the mixture is bubbling in the middle.
Five: Once the mixture has bubbles in the middle, set a timer for 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom. Be careful - bubbles will pop and spatter.
Six: After the 2 minutes is up, remove the pan from heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and coconut.
Seven: Pour the pudding into the prepared crust. Press a layer of plastic wrap onto the filling to prevent it from forming a crust.
Cool briefly at room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until set.
How to Make Whipped Cream
Only top the pie with whipped cream when you're ready to serve it. I sometimes use spray whipped cream for individual slices, but I make freshly whipped cream when serving the entire pie.
One: In a large bowl, combine heavy cream and a small amount of sugar. The volume will double, and cream spatters, so choose a larger bowl than you think you need.
Two: Use a hand mixer to whip the cream, to medium or stiff peaks. A wire whisk will also work, but will take longer.
Three: Pull the beaters straight out from the whipped cream, then turn them upside down. The peak should either stick mostly straight up or droop only slightly. If the peak flops over, keep whipping.
Proceed cautiously: cream can become overwhipped quickly. If it starts to look clumpy like butter, stir in a little extra cream to loosen it, and whisk slowly to start again.
Homemade whipped cream as a topping will stay inflated for longer in the refrigerator than spray whipped cream will when it tops a pie. However, as I mention with my Tres Leches Cake, whipped cream will deflate over time, so I recommend only topping however much of the pie you're ready to eat.
Serving and Storage
Spread the whipped cream all over the pie when ready to serve. Optionally, sprinkle additional shredded coconut over the whipped cream before serving.
Store the pie, covered, in the refrigerator, whether or not it's topped yet. Cream pies will pick up off flavors, so keeping it protected is important. Serve the pie on the same day you make it, or on the next day. Remove the pie from the fridge only when topping with whipped cream or serving, and promptly return it to the fridge since it contains dairy.
Many cream pies weep after being cut, and this is no exception. I have no issues on the day I make it, or on the day after I cut it. On the following (3rd) day, the pie sometimes leaks a little, and by Day 4, the crust can be a little soggy; however, my most recent pie held up fine. If this will bother you, I recommend you eat it within the first few days.
Tips for Coconut Cream Pie Success
🥚 Whisking eggs into the sugar and cornstarch before adding liquids mixes them evenly and eliminates stray pieces of egg; combining this with the liquid means they heat slowly and cook evenly. This eliminates the frustrating step of tempering eggs.
🔎 Be patient and pay attention while you heat the mixture before it boils. If what's on your whisk seems too clumpy or thick but the center isn't bubbling, turn down the heat a little and take your time.
🚶♀️ Don't walk away while your pudding boils. Scraping the bottom of the pan constantly as you cook the filling ensures your pie isn't lumpy - just like in my Ermine Frosting recipe.
⌚ Proceed cautiously if you're new to making puddings or pie fillings. Betty Crocker said the cook time was 15 minutes; even now, I sometimes take longer.
Coconut Cream Pie FAQs
This pie filling contains such a large amount of dairy, and non-dairy milks will act differently. I recommend finding a dedicated recipe for a dairy-free pie.
No, eggs provide richness to this coconut cream pie filling and act as a thickener. I have not tested this recipe without eggs, so for an egg-free pie, I recommend using a different recipe.
Yes! The filling is naturally gluten-free since it's made with cornstarch instead of flour. Substitute a gluten-free crumb crust for the graham cracker crust. And as always, double-check your ingredients to be sure there's no hidden gluten.
In my experience, a crust that's immediately soggy usually results from underbaking or filling it while it's still warm. I also suspect that overcooking the filling, even slightly, will lead to weeping over time. Be sure your crust is fully baked and cooled, and do not overcook the filling.
More Creamy Desserts
If you love creamy desserts like I do, you'll also enjoy these. Anise and Honey Ice Cream is made with the traditional tempering technique but is worth it, while Chocolate Yule Log is filled only with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.
📖 Recipe
Coconut Cream Pie
Equipment
- wire whisk (affiliate link)
- 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (120 grams, packed)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133 grams)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (32 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups milk (781 grams / 24 ounces) (1%, 2%, whole dairy milk all work equally fine)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 grams, melted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (10 grams)
- homemade graham cracker crust (9-inch) (store-bought is fine too)
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream (227 grams/8 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (13 grams)
Topping
- sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- If preparing a crust, be sure it's cooled to room temperature.
- Roughly chop the coconut with a big knife. This will give your pie a better texture.
- Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucepan. Add eggs and whisk well to combine, until everything is well mixed and there's no pieces of egg remaining.
- Add the milk and the salt, and stir well to combine.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often with a wire whisk (affiliate link). The mixture on the bottom will start to stick to the whisk. The filling will steam, the bubbles will disappear, and the milk will start to thicken. Reduce the heat if the bottom seems to thicken too much but the mixture isn't bubbling yet.
- Pause for a few seconds to see if the mixture is bubbling in the center. When it does, set a timer for 2 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking constantly.
- After the filling has cooked for 2 minutes, remove it from heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and coconut.
- Scrape the filling into the graham cracker crust. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a crust from forming.
- Cool the pie briefly at room temperature, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
- Make and top with whipped cream immediately before serving.
Whipped Cream
- Place heavy cream and sugar in a large bowl. It will expand as you whip it and cream spatters, so choose a larger bowl than you think you need.
- Use an electric mixer or a wire whisk (affiliate link) to mix together the cream and sugar. Beat until medium or stiff peaks form.
- To check, pull the beater straight up from the cream. Turn it over so that the peak faces up. If the peak doesn't droop or only droops a little, it's ready. Otherwise, beat a few more seconds at a time until the whipped cream is ready.
- Top the pie with the whipped cream, then sprinkle with extra shredded coconut if using.
- Serve immediately. Promptly store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Whipped cream will deflate somewhat with time. Eat within a couple of days.
Leona Konkel says
I've always loved this recipe, but I really love that I made it even easier to make. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!