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Our old-fashioned coconut cream pie recipe is filled with a thick and creamy homemade custard that whips up in only 15 minutes!
husband Approved!
Lo LOVES pie! And we mean LOVES! He especially loves cream pies like today’s coconut cream pie recipe (one of his all-time favs!) The tropical flavors make it perfect any time of the year, but we typically make it at Thanksgiving (along with all the other classic pie recipes).
The prep for this pie is actually really simple! The filling whips up in only 15 minutes, and then it just needs to chill – so easy!
For more of Lo’s favorite cream pies, check out our: Chocolate Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie and Sugar Cream Pie.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Tropical. The creamy coconut flavor is delicious all year long!
- A chilled treat. Because this pie needs some time to chill, it’s great for making ahead of time.
- Quick to prepare. The filling whips up in only 15 minutes! And using a store-bought crust makes it even easier.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
CHILL TIME: 3 hours
Coconut Pudding
- 2⅔ cups whole milk – Whole milk or half and half creates the creamiest texture, but 2% can be used in a pinch.
- 1 egg – Room temperature eggs incorporate best.
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – or add ½ teaspoon almond along with the vanilla
- 1⅓ cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 9-inch baked pie crust – use homemade or store-bought pie crust.
Whipped Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract – or add ½ teaspoon almond along with the vanilla
- 1 cup coconut flakes
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie
- FILLING. In a medium saucepan, whisk 2⅔ cups milk and 1 egg until completely incorporated. Add ⅔ cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, whisk frequently until thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla then the coconut. Pour the creamy custard filling into the baked and cooled crust (store-bought or homemade).
- Place in refrigerator until chilled, a few hours.
- TOPPINGS. Whip 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Spread on top of chilled pie.
- To toast coconut, spread 1 cup coconut on a cookie sheet or pan. Toast at 350°F for about 2-4 minutes, until lightly golden. Sprinkle on top!
Troubleshooting Tips: Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
Filling not thickening. The custard should thicken as it cooks. If, after 5-7 minutes, it isn’t thickening at all, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to a separate bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of cold water, then mix it into the coconut custard and simmer. Allow several hours for the pie to cool and set.
Prevent a soggy crust. Add a barrier between the crust and the filling. Brush lightly beaten egg whites on the crust before baking, or sprinkle graham crackers or cornflake crumbs over the crust before adding the filling.
Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Coconut Pudding
- 2⅔ cups whole milk
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cup sweetened flake coconut
Whipped Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut
Instructions
Pudding
- In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and egg until completely incorporated. Add sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently until thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla then the coconut. Pour into a baked and cooled crust (we used Marie Calendar's store-bought crust that you bake, but you can also make your own).
- Place in refrigerator until chilled, a few hours.
Whipped Topping
- Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Spread on top of chilled pie.
- Spread your coconut on a cookie sheet or pan. Toast at 350°F for about 2-4 minutes, until lightly golden. Sprinkle on top of your pie and eat up!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Allow to cool and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour, cover loosely with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
I could not get this to thicken. I even added a little more corn starch to it, but it’s still watery.
Well now I feel dumb. I watched the video and thought, “wow, it sure looks like she’s using more than 1/4 tsp of corn starch.” So I went back to the recipe and saw it was 1/4 CUP.🤦🏼♀️ No wonder I couldn’t get it to thicken! So I added more and I can now rate this as 5 stars! Very good if you follow the right amounts in the recipe🤦🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
Haha I’m so glad you can rate it 5 stars now! 😉 And glad the video helped out too. Thanks for sharing. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pie!
I make a very similar dessert around Easter. I also add 1 tsp. almond extract to the custard and 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the whipped cream. It is so luscious. I hope you will give it a try! Enjoy, thank you and Happy Easter to your beautiful family. God bless you.
The almond extract addition sounds heavenly! Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to give it a try! I hope you have a wonderful Easter too!
This pie is sooooo good!!! My new favorite!! ❤️ I have to force myself to stop eating it!! 😂
I make this frequently and it always turn out. I use a caN of coconUt milK and top it up with milk to the required amount and cook it in the microwave.
That sounds great!! I’ll have to try that!
Im Excited to make this pie altHough i cant seen to get the filling to thicken. Any tips? Ive been whisking it for about 10 min
Hmmm..it should have thickened. You added everything? I hope it worked out for you!
This is the best coconut creme pie recipe. It’s so easy to make and it taste awesome! Use your own judgment on the amount of coconut for the top of pie. Yummy ?!!!
Thank you for saying that! I am so glad you like it!
Very easy to make even if you are not a pie maker. Less THAn 15 minutes for me to fix filling.
I agree!! I am glad you tried it!! Thank you!
I’m wondering if I might replace the milk with coconut milk?
I haven’t tried it before, but you certainly could give it a try. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do.
This looks fantastic! Im excited to try it! Id like to do a MERINGUE topping. Could i bake the pie with the meringue topping?
That’s a good question…I haven’t tried before. The middle goes in the fridge & isn’t baked, so not sure how’d that work.
when the recipe calls for 1cup of coconut is is sHredded coconut or can of coconut fir the pudding part
Sweetened coconut, shredded in the bag 🙂
Looks good and a way to use up extra milk.
For sure! I hope you give it a try!! Thank you so much!