In my new Pie of the month series, we are coming out strong with The Best Coconut Cream Pie you’ve ever tasted! A flaky, buttery crust is filled with creamy, coconut filling made from scratch followed by a home-made coconut whipped cream that just sends it over the edge! Finally, it’s topped with coconut flakes and chilled for a moment to set before changing your life and pleasing your tastebuds!
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I actually have a long history of loving coconut. I know that some people will say that they didn’t like it as a child but grew into the flavor, but that’s not my story. Coconut is the flavor of freedom and vacation in my mind. (LOL) Coconut reminds me of Summer, the beach, and everything tropical.
My love of coconut can probably be traced back to my papaw. As a matter of fact, I remember my papaw loving coconut and actually having a favorite candy that was rainbow colored and made up of shredded coconut. For the life of me I can’t remember the name of that candy, but I do remember people grabbing it for him every now and then as a special treat.
You might be wondering why I chose a Coconut Cream Pie to start off my pie of the month series. Well, I’m glad you asked! The truth is that when I think of January or the new year, I think of new beginnings. I think of a fresh start. And when I think of a clean slate or a fresh start, I think of the color white.
So, I knew that I wanted to do a pie that represented January to me visually, and Coconut Cream Pie was perfect. Not only is it tasty and beautiful, but it’s also topped with shredded coconut that looks like snow. January is truly the heart of winter and will have some of our coldest days in it, so it seemed very fitting.
Be Sure To Pin The Best Coconut Cream Pie For Later!
What’s not to love about Coconut Cream Pie? The custard is the perfect balance of creamy and sweet without being overwhelming. The crust is so easy to make and makes such a huge difference in the final product. If you aren’t making your own crusts, please take this as your sign to start today. YOU CAN DO IT! And once you realize how quick and painless the process is, you won’t go back to those over-processed crusts from the store that lack flavor. Trust me.
Lastly, the coconut whipped cream is truly a special treat! And the coconut extract in the whipped topping makes such a HUGE difference and really amps up the coconut flavor. It’s a pie that just never gets old to me. It’s a classic. And I love classic things.
Tips for The Best Coconut Cream Pie:
Always have all of your ingredients, utensils, bowls, and tools out and ready to go. This keeps you on track, saves you time, and reduces frustration. (Which can take the joy out of cooking.)
Make sure that your butter for the crust and your heavy whipping cream for the topping stay really cold.
Have a small little bowl handy for separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. I actually use a jar so that I can pop a lid on it and store the egg whites in the fridge until I need them.
Make The Best Coconut Cream Pie with me on YouTube!
The Best Coconut Cream Pie Ingredients:
For the Crust: (This makes 2 pie crusts. You can freeze the extra crust.)
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small cubes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup corn starch
1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk
1 cup half and half
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (Plus some for sprinkling on top)
1 teaspoon almond extract (Feel free to use vanilla. I just love almond.)
1/2 Teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Whipped Topping:
1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
The Best Coconut Cream Pie Instructions:
Making and baking the pie shell:
First, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Second, in a large mixing bowl, work your vegetable shortening and butter with the flour until it resembles a coarse meal.
Third, in a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture.
Next, Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Then, separate the dough in half. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Slightly flatten each ball of dough (about 1/2-inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the fridge and place on a floured surface. Roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s sticky) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a bench scraper or any flat metal utensil that you have and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
Roll your dough onto your rolling pin in order to lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.
Today, I used a fork to make little marks around the entire edge of the pie for a minimal decorative look.
Then, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pie crust to protect the crust from the beans or rice that you will pour into it to weight it down during the par-baking process.
Traditionally, most people use dried beans to weigh down their crust when they bake it empty to keep the dough from shrinking, but I was out of dried beans. I used rice instead and it worked just fine.
Bake the pie shell for 15 minutes at 375 degrees until the edges start to turn lightly brown. (Also, don’t forget to do an egg wash on the decorated edges of the pie for a beautiful golden color and extra crispiness.)
Once the pie shell is finished baking, let it cool completely before placing the coconut cream filling inside. (I prefer an hour or more.)
Making the coconut cream filling:
First, separate 4 egg yolks and place into a large mixing bowl. I like to keep the extra whites in the fridge for my breakfast. No food waste in this house! (LOL)
Second, add the cornstarch and mix really well. Then, place that to the side.
Third, in your boiling pot, mix the coconut milk, half and half, sugar, and salt together really well and transfer to the stove in order to cook the filling.
Then, cook your filling until it comes to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes.
Next, take 1/2 cup of the boiling mixture and slowly drizzle it into the large mixing bowl with the egg yolks and cornstarch. You must continually whisk while doing this so that you are tempering your eggs and not end up with scrambled eggs. Tempering your eggs basically means that you are slowly bringing the eggs to the temperature of the boiling mixture. But you do it slowly so that the eggs don’t scramble.
After you have incorporated the 1/2 cup milk mixture into the egg yolks, then whisk the tempered egg yolks into the boiling pot with the rest of the milk mixture. It will immediately begin to thicken.
Let it cook for about 1 minute. If you notice it getting too thick, then take it off of the heat and continue to whisk for the remainder of the minute.
Then, add your coconut flakes, almond or vanilla extract, and coconut extract and stir really well.
Finally, add 2 tablespoons of butter. The butter makes it creamy and adds a nice glossy finish to the filling.
Let the filling cool down before adding it to the cooled pie shell.
Add the coconut cream filling to the pie shell and cover the top with plastic wrap to avoid the custard getting a “film” on it. You want the plastic wrap to be completely touching the filling and not having any air between the plastic wrap and the surface of the pie.
Let the pie chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Making the coconut whipped topping:
First, take the cold, heavy whipping cream and add into a large mixing bowl.
Second, add the coconut extract and powdered sugar.
Third, using your electric mixer, mix the ingredients together until a firm whipped topping is formed. You want it to be so thick that you can turn the bowl upside down and the whipped topping doesn’t fall out.
Next, remove the plastic wrap from the top of your pie. You can then add the whipped topping to your cooled pie and call it a day or you can take your whipped topping and add to a piping bag in order to make a beautiful design on top of your coconut cream pie.
After topping your chilled coconut cream pie with the coconut whipped topping, sprinkle as many coconut flakes as your heart desires on top of the pie.
Finally, serve the pie immediately, or chill in the fridge until you are ready to indulge!
Storage for The Best Coconut Cream Pie:
Your unbaked pie crust can be frozen for up to 6 months as long as it is tightly wrapped.
The Coconut Cream Pie will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Cream pies DO NOT freeze well because when they thaw, they get watery and soggy.
FAQ:
What can I use in my pie shell to keep it from shrinking if I don’t have beans?
I used minute rice, but they actually make pie weights that you can buy and use just for this occasion over and over. It might be worth the purchase if you are going to make pies frequently.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of making my own whipped topping?
Of course, you can! But will it be as delicious? (Not in my opinion) You could also try adding the coconut extract to your cool whip before topping the pie to try and help with the “store-bought” flavor. Truthfully, you do whatever you think tastes the best and if you are in a pinch for time, you do whatever you need to do in order to get that pie done!
In my new Pie of the month series, we are coming out strong with The Best Coconut Cream Pie you've ever tasted! A flaky, buttery crust is filled with creamy, coconut filling made from scratch followed by a home-made coconut whipped cream that just sends it over the edge! Finally, it's topped with coconut flakes and chilled for a moment to set before changing your life and pleasing your tastebuds!
For the Crust: This makes 2 pie crusts. You can freeze the extra crust.
1cupvegetable shortening
1/2cupcold butter cut into small cubes
3cupsall-purpose flour
1egg
5tablespoonscold water
1tablespoonwhite vinegar
1teaspoonsalt
For the Filling:
4egg yolks
1/4cupcorn starch
113.5 oz. can coconut milk
1cuphalf-half
2/3cupgranulated sugar
1/4teaspoonsalt
1cupsweetened coconut flakes
1teaspoonalmond extractFeel free to use vanilla. I just love almond.
1/2Teaspooncoconut extract
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
For the Whipped Topping:
1 1/2cupscold heavy whipping cream
1teaspooncoconut extract
4tablespoonspowdered sugar
Instructions
Making and baking the pie shell:
First, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Second, in a large mixing bowl, work your vegetable shortening and butter with the flour until it resembles a coarse meal.
Third, In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture.
Next, Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Then, separate the dough in half. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Slightly flatten each ball of dough (about 1/2-inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the fridge and place on a floured surface. Roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s sticky) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a bench scraper or any flat metal utensil that you have and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
Roll your dough onto your rolling pin in order to lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.
Today, I used a fork to make little marks around the entire edge of the pie for a minimal decorative look.
Then, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pie crust to protect the crust from the beans or rice that you will pour into it to weight it down during the par-baking process.
Traditionally, most people use dried beans to weigh down their crust when they bake it empty to keep the dough from shrinking, but I was out of dried beans. I used rice instead and it worked just fine.
Bake the pie shell for 15 minutes at 375 degrees until the edges start to turn lightly brown. (Also, don’t forget to do an egg wash on the decorated edges of the pie for a beautiful golden color and extra crispiness.)
Once the pie shell is finished baking, let it cool completely before placing the coconut cream filling inside. (I prefer an hour or more.)
Making the coconut cream filling:
First, separate 4 egg yolks and place into a large mixing bowl. I like to keep the extra whites in the fridge for my breakfast. No food waste in this house! (LOL)
Second, add the cornstarch and mix really well. Then, place that to the side.
Third, in your boiling pot, mix the coconut milk, half and half, sugar, and salt together really well and transfer to the stove in order to cook the filling.
Then, cook your filling until it comes to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes.
Next, take 1/2 cup of the boiling mixture and slowly drizzle it into the large mixing bowl with the egg yolks and cornstarch. You must continually whisk while doing this so that you are tempering your eggs and not end up with scrambled eggs. Tempering your eggs basically means that you are slowly bringing the eggs to the temperature of the boiling mixture. But you do it slowly so that the eggs don’t scramble.
After you have incorporated the 1/2 cup milk mixture into the egg yolks, then whisk the tempered egg yolks into the boiling pot with the rest of the milk mixture. It will immediately begin to thicken.
Let it cook for about 1 minute. If you notice it getting too thick, then take it off of the heat and continue to whisk for the remainder of the minute.
Then, add your coconut flakes, almond or vanilla extract, and coconut extract and stir really well.
Finally, add 2 tablespoons of butter. The butter makes it creamy and adds a nice glossy finish to the filling.
Let the filling cool down before adding it to the cooled pie shell.
Add the coconut cream filling to the pie shell and cover the top with plastic wrap to avoid the custard getting a “film” on it. You want the plastic wrap to be completely touching the filling and not having any air between the plastic wrap and the surface of the pie.
Let the pie chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Making the coconut whipped topping:
First, take the cold, heavy whipping cream and add into a large mixing bowl.
Second, add the coconut extract and powdered sugar.
Third, using your electric mixer, mix the ingredients together until a firm whipped topping is formed. You want it to be so thick that you can turn the bowl upside down and the whipped topping doesn’t fall out.
Next, you can add the whipped topping to your cooled pie and call it a day or you can take your whipped topping and add to a piping bag in order to make a beautiful design on top of your coconut cream pie.
After topping your chilled coconut cream pie with the coconut whipped topping, sprinkle as many coconut flakes as your heart desires on top of the pie.
Finally, serve the pie immediately, or chill in the fridge until you are ready to indulge!
