Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie is my husband’s favorite pie. A delicious vanilla pudding flavored with sweetened coconut flakes and topped with a fluffy, light-as-clouds meringue.
I learned to make pies as a girl at an early age. Mostly fruit pies, and if I made a cream pie, it was with a cooked pudding mix from Jell-O. My mom and I made fruit pies from apple and cherry trees that we harvested.
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After I married, I began making my cream pies from scratch, with tips from my grandma. This Coconut Cream Pie is one I’ve been making for many years, and is one of our favorites. I like making this pie from fall to spring, as it just goes perfectly with other comfort food recipes.
Ingredients for Coconut Cream Pie
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Pastry Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- vegetable shortening
- cold water, in 2 parts
Cream Filling Ingredients
- whole milk
- granulated sugar, divided
- salt
- butter
- egg yolks
- cornstarch
- vanilla extract
- sweetened coconut flakes
Meringue Ingredients
- egg whites
- vanilla extract
- cream of tartar
- granulated sugar
- sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To begin, gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
Carefully separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, placing egg whites in a large mixing bowl.
Be sure not to get any yolk in with the whites, or it will be keep your egg whites from stiffening.
If your kitchen is overly warm, go ahead and place egg whites in the refrigerator to keep them cold.
Prepare the Crust
In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt. Using a blending fork, cut in shortening. Add water in two parts, mixing until ingredients form a nice dough. Divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out on a floured surface big enough to fit pie pan.
This recipe will make 2 crusts, so you can either make another cream pie (or pumpkin pie) or wrap and freeze it for later use. If I’m not making two pies, I will often use the extra dough to make quiche.
Single Crust Pies and Quiche Recipes
- Old-Fashioned Custard Pie
- Traditional Pumpkin Pie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Bourbon Pecan Pie with Whipped Cream
- Breakfast Quiche
For this recipe crimp edges and poke tiny holes all around with fork. Blind bake pastry by lining crust with a sheet of crumpled waxed paper and then filling it with 2 cups of dried beans. Bake on lowest rack in oven for 20 minutes with beans. Remove beans and paper and bake for another 15-17 minutes until lightly brown.
Baking with the dried beans will keep your crust from shrinking, and baking on the lowest rack will ensure that your crust is fully baked before adding your pudding to it.
Make the Pudding
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the whole milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, and butter. Heat on medium high heat until butter begins to melt, for just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together egg yolks, 1/4 cup remaining sugar, and cornstarch. Temper yolks with a 1/2 cup of the warm milk, slowly whisking until it thins.
Add yolk mixture to saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and coconut flakes. Set aside while you make the meringue.
Prepare the Meringue
Once you’ve blind baked the crust and the pudding is made, it’s time to prepare the meringue. Using the large mixing bowl that have the egg whites in them, add in vanilla extract and cream of tartar. Beat together on medium speed for one minute.
Gradually add granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high for about 4 minutes. Mixture should form stiff glossy peaks.
Sometimes humidity in the air will effect the results of your meringue, causing it to be somewhat flat. If you’re experiencing high humidity, try refrigerating your egg whites to keep them cold until just before using.
Assemble the Pie
To assemble the pie, spoon the coconut cream pudding into the baked pie pastry.
Top the filling with the meringue, carefully spreading to the edges of the pie so that the meringue touches the crust. I like to take my fork and gently tap around the top of the meringue to form peaks.
Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup coconut flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. A perfect meringue will form spots of sugared caramel on top.
Allow the pie to cool for at least 6-8 hours before serving to ensure that the filling has set properly.
To easily slice a cream pie with meringue, I like to dip my knife in a glass of water before each slice. This will help make clean cuts in the fluffy meringue.
This recipe will serve 8 people.
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Coconut Cream Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup cold water 2 parts
Cream Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut flakes sweetened
Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes sweetened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To begin, gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand. - Carefully separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
Prepare the Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and salt. Using a blending fork, cut in shortening. Add water in two parts, mixing until ingredients form a nice dough. Divide in half. Roll out on a floured surface big enough to fit pie pan. Makes 2 crusts.
- For this recipe crimp edges and poke tiny holes all around with fork. Blind bake pastry by lining crust with a sheet of crumpled waxed paper and then filling it with 2 cups of dried beans. Bake on lowest rack in oven for 20 minutes with beans. Remove beans and paper and bake for another 15-17 minutes until lightly brown. (Baking with the dried beans will keep your crust from shrinking, and baking on the lowest rack will ensure that your crust is fully baked before adding your pudding to it.)
Make the Pudding
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together whole milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, and butter. Heat on medium high heat until butter begins to melt.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together egg yolks, 1/4 cup remaining sugar, and cornstarch.
- Temper yolks with a 1/2 cup of the warm milk, slowly whisking until it thins.
- Add yolk mixture to saucepan and cook for 4-5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and coconut flakes. Set aside while you make the meringue.
Prepare the Meringue
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg whites, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar. Beat together on medium speed for one minute.
- Gradually add granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed for about 3-4 minutes. Mixture should form stiff glossy peaks.
Assemble the Pie
- Pour the coconut cream pudding into the baked pie pastry. Top with meringue, carefully spreading to the edges of the pie so that the meringue touches the crust.
- Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup coconut flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool for 6-8 hours before serving. Serves 8.
Notes
Nutrition
I made this for Easter and it was delicious!
I’m delighted that you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! I actually made it for Easter this year, too! My husband is already asking when I will be making another one.