The Best Coconut Cream Pie
I’m very excited about this post- get ready coconut cream pie lovers! You will not find a better Homemade Coconut Cream Pie than this. It’s creamy, delicious and has a wonderful coconut flavor. It’s absolutely the BEST Coconut Cream Pie you will ever taste.
I love showing you how to make something you can buy at the store, homemade. At the end of this post you will be familiar with how to make a homemade pudding. A pie filling is just a homemade pudding. And it’s so helpful to know how to make one. This coconut cream pie recipe (oops, I mean the BEST coconut cream pie recipe!) will show you how.
I’ve taken quite a few pictures starting with the homemade pie crust and working my way down to how to make the delicious pie filling that will go into the crust. I think visuals are important for beginner bakers. Being able to see each stage as it happens helps you know what to expect when you make the coconut cream pie.
To you veteran bakers this will be old hat, bare with me: we have to think about the next generation of bakers. After all, I don’t want to be eating sub-standard baked goods when it’s my turn to go to the old folks home! Here we go Kids, we’re making The Best Coconut Cream Pie and you’re going to love it!
The first thing you’re going to need is a pie crust. Make your own, or use a pre-made crust. If making a homemade pie crust… Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Roll the pie dough out, place it in a 9 inch pie pan, crimp the edges, put it in the freezer for half an hour to help firm the dough and cause less shrinkage when you bake it.
Remove the pie crust from the freezer, with a fork, prick the sides and bottom of the dough.
Place foil or parchment paper on the bottom of the dough. Pour either 1/4 cup dried rice , dried beans or pie weights on the paper or foil and bake about 20 minutes or until nicely golden brown. If using a premade pie crust, bake according to package directions.
Remove the parchment paper and rice from the pie crust, cool on a wire rack.
You’re going to need one 13.5 oz can of Coconut milk for this recipe. You can find coconut milk in the Asian or Latin aisles of your grocery store. Or, if you are preparing for advance, you can even order coconut milk off of Amazon so you don’t have to adventure around the store trying to find it. I’m sure there are different brands, I just happened to have this one so I used it. Open the can and stir the coconut milk with a spoon.
Place the whole can of coconut milk into a large measuring cup. It will measure a little over 1 1/2 cups. Pour the Half and Half into the same measuring cup on top of the coconut milk until you reach the 3 cup measurement.
Stir to combine the half and half and coconut milk. Place the coconut/half and half mixture into a medium size heavy metal saucepan.
Place the 4 beaten egg yolks ,3/4 cup of sugar , salt and the 1/3 cup of corn starch into the pan as well. Whisk to combine. Turn your burner on low. Place the pan on low heat and slowly whisk . (I have a gas stove, I cooked this on low heat, all stoves are different. Use low to medium heat if that works best for you.)
Keep whisking, this is the part that needs just a little patience. It can take up to 15 minutes for the ingredients to thicken. DO NOT turn the heat up to speed up the process.
It needs to come up to a boil SLOWLY to thicken and set right. As you continue to whisk you will start to feel a slight resistance to the whisk as you make your way around the pot. The pudding is starting to thicken. Don’t walk away from the pot, when it starts to thicken it will happen all at once.
Keep whisking until the pudding starts to boil, it will release thick bubbles that will come to the top like a little volcano. It has to reach this stage for it to set up properly.
Once it starts to boil, whisk a little faster for a minute. Take the pudding off the heat and add the vanilla, butter and coconut. Mix to combine.
You just made a gorgeous homemade pudding/coconut cream pie filling.
Pour the pudding into the pie crust while it’s hot. It’s going to fill that pie crust to the brim! Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the pudding, pressing down on the surface of the pudding slightly so the plastic wrap sticks to it to prevent a film from forming on the pudding when it cools.
Refrigerate pie for about 4 hours. Top with homemade whipping cream or Cool Whip. I’m hoping you use whipping cream, it so deserves it.
Cooking or baking from scratch isn’t hard, it just takes a little patience. And the reward for your patience… a homemade pie filling, a taste of the rich goodness your mother and grandmother grew up on. Enjoy!
The Best Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
- One nine inch homemade pie crust or pre-made crust.
- One 13.5 Fl Oz Can Coconut milk
- High and Half - enough to make 3 cups combined with the coconut milk. about 1 1/2 cups
- 4 egg yolks beaten slightly
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- 1. Place the whole can of coconut milk into a large measuring cup. It will measure a little over 1 1/2 cups. Pour the Half and Half into the same measuring cup on top of the coconut milk until you reach the 3 cup measurement. Stir to combine the half and half and coconut milk.
- 2. Place the coconut/half and half mixture into a medium size heavy metal saucepan. Place the 4 beaten egg yolks ,3/4 cup of sugar , salt and the 1/3 cup of corn starch into the pan as well. Whisk to combine. Turn your burner on low. Place the pan on low heat and slowly whisk . Keep whisking, this is the part that needs just a little patience. It can take up to 15 minutes for the ingredients to thicken. DO NOT turn the heat up to speed up the process. As you whisk you will start to feel a slight resistance to the whisk as you make your way around the pot. The pudding is starting to thicken. Don't walk away from the pot, when it starts to thicken it will happen all at once.
- 3. Keep whisking until the pudding starts to boil, it will release thick bubbles that will come to the top like a little volcano. It has to reach this stage for it to set up properly. Once it starts to boil, whisk a little faster for a minute. Take the pudding off the heat and add the vanilla, butter and coconut. Mix to combine.
- 4. Pour the pudding into the pie crust while it's hot. It's going to fill that pie crust to the brim! Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the pudding, pressing down on the surface of the pudding slightly so the plastic wrap sticks to it to prevent a film from forming on the pudding when it cools. Refrigerate pie for about 4 hours. Top with homemade whipping cream or Cool Whip.
Video
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I made this last night for my husband’s birthday – we haven’t cut into it yet, but based on my taste test of the filling (gotta make sure it’s good, right?) it is the best coconut cream pie I’ve tasted. I toasted my coconut, because that’s the way my husband likes it, and topped it with stabilized whipped cream and more toasted coconut. Can’t wait to cut into it today – thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe! 🙂
You don’t know how happy this makes me Lori! I hope you love it as much as we do! Thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me you made it, I love it!
Can I make this in a 10 inch pie plate or would it be too thin?
Marg I really think it would be too thin for a 10 inch pie plate.
I use a similar recipe for banana cream pie. However, you mix all ingredients except yolks, vanilla and butter and coconut and cook in microwave–start with 2 min., stir, and then 1 min., stir and 1 min.,stir. Whip yolks a little and add some hot mixture to temper them–mix quickly and add to milk mix and stir briskly. Cook another min. (more or less depending on your microwave) until large bubbles. My oven runs hot, so it takes less time. Then stir in vanilla, butter and coconut and proceed as above. This is incredibly faster and doesn’t burn on the bottom!! I also mix the sugar and cornstarch together before adding to liquid–seems to prevent lumps.
Wow Barbara I had no idea you could make a pie filling in the microwave, that’s fantastic! Thank you, it will be so helpful for anyone else wanting to make it that way.
Your welcome Rejean!
Bunny can you use this filling for a ‘poke cake’? I was thinking about a dark chocolate sheet cake, poked, with this poured on just after it finishes, before the custard cools. Would that work or should I pull it just before it gets done?
You know that might work Teresa, but as you said do it before the pudding cools. Let me know if you do it sweetie, that sounds delicious!
Made this for a school fundraiser. Turned out great, but it took well over a half hour to reach the bubbling boil stage, and even then it didn’t bubble much. I had the heat on medium low. Also, I used a disposable pan for my crust and was only able to find a 10″ pan…had plenty of filling and left a little room for the whipped cream.
Hi Tammy, I guess the filling decided to take it’s good ole time thickening didn’t it. Besides that, I’m happy it turned out great for you.
Delicious! This was my first time making a coconut cream pie and it turned out great. I liked how you add everything together instead of incorporating the yolks later. Do you have a recipe for custard I could use in cream puffs?
Hi Debbie, pastry cream is what people usually use to fill cream puffs. Here’s a recipe from King Arthur Flour for pastry cream….https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cream-puffs-and-clairs-recipe
Actually, I use the coconut cream recipe for my cream puffs! And I get rave reviews! I use the coconut milk but not the shredded coconut. It’s so delicious!
Fantastic Bonnie, thank you for taking the time to comment and letting us know!
Can you beat the egg whites and put a traditional meringue on this pie?
My family likes meringue! 🙂
Absolutely Connie! My husband doesn’t like meringue, that’s why it has whipped cream LOL!
I think I’ll take the coconut pudding without the pie. It must taste amazing!
I made this yesterday! My family loves it so much! They keep on asking me to make more! I told them I’m going to make on the weekend. Thank you so much for sharing!
Wonderful Heather!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me. I appreciate it!
I made this pie a few times already last year and all my co workers love it they have asked me many times when am I going to make it again. I want to say THANK YOU so much for sharing with us. This is my all time favorite pie. I even made this into the sugar cookie cupcakes everyone loved it too..you are the best
I want to thank this blogger for sharing this coconut cream pie. I am a follower after this recipe. I have made it now 4 or 5 times, it is my all time favorite desert (especially when I want old fashioned comfort desert), but this is elegant too. I would proudly serve at a fine dinner party because everyone I’ve shared a piece with has raved about it. My 80 year old Mom has even said, “that pie was better than Mamaws”-and let me tell you that is saying a lot. Kudos to the nice descriptions in the recipe for making the custard perfect every time. So easy ad good
Thank you Bruce.
Great recipe. Made one last weekend and everyone loved it.
Great! Thank you Cindy!
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
This pie is delicious! I made it a day ahead of time for Thanksgiving. I topped it with homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut (like your pictures) and it’s AMAZING!! It was SO easy to make and it held together perfectly! I was afraid it might be gooey but it set beautifully. It’s not too sweet. Thank you so much, this pie is amazing! Not to mention beautiful!
I’m sorry, i forgot to give it 5 stars! I’d give it 30 if I could.
Made this just like the recipe & used the same Goya brand coconut milk. It was delicious! My husband said “There’s not a bakery in town that could make one any better.” (aww) I used the Pilsbury ready made dough even.
Fantastic Lori! Now when you get a compliment from your husband like that , you know it’s good!
I too have made Bunny’s coconut cream pie recipe and it was spectacular. The best I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe exactly ( rare for me😂)
Thank you Bruce, I appreciate you coming and taking the time to comment. I’m so happy you loved it!
This was the 1st time to make a home made a coconut pie.
It is so good!!!
Thank you so much for your receipe.
I made this coconut cream pie for a special Father’s Day dinner 3 years ago and it was beyond amazing! My Father’s favorite pie but way better than normal coconut cream pie. I’m preparing another special Father’s Day dinner this weekend and was so happy that I’d pinned it 3 years ago. Wonderful job, thank you.
Wow, see I love comments like this. You make it for Father’s Day for your Dad, makes my heart happy. Thank you Lisa for taking the time to come back and comment, I appreciate you!