The best coconut cream pie recipe
Here are the reasons this pie is 100x better than your average slimy shreddy fibrous coconut cream pie:
This tiny fridge is from two moves ago, when we convinced our landlord to let us buy it for a song. It was already a senior citizen appliance back then, and that was a decade ago. I’ve been expecting it to bite the dust for years. We keep it in the garage, and use it mostly for condiments and the bajillion grapefruit that my dad brings over from his tree in the yard. I had noticed recently that things were maybe not quite as cold as they ought to be. And being the responsible, get-to-the-bottom-of-it kind of homeowner I am, I completely ignored it.
My mom, who was visiting, went to check it out right away. She said, “The dial where you can adjust the temperature was turned completely off…and the dial is within Edison’s reach.”
Guys, it had been a while. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. (But also, fridges with off-buttons: why is this a feature??) I’m tempted to blame the 4-year-old, but I was definitely the adult who was too lazy to investigate in the slightest, so probably I deserve this.
And that was that. The whole summer passed. When I started dropping my kids off for school again in the fall, they kept getting out of the van on the traffic side instead of the sidewalk side, because of the broken door. I finally decided it was worth a shot taking it in to the dealership, just to see how much it would cost to have the door fixed.
I get a call just an hour after I bring it in. “Ma’am, the automatic door has an ON/OFF button. We pushed it for you. We won’t be charging you. You can come pick up the van anytime.”
It had been like 4 months. Don’t EVER trust me when I tell you something is broken you guys.
My 13-year-old daughter Charlotte just told me that she signed up to bring a pie to her math class on pi day next week, 3/14. I love it! Is anyone else having a pi party?? My friend Melissa used to throw a pie party every March 14, it was so fun to eat a ton of pie with friends, usually on a random weekday. (Move back, Melissa!! ;) If you are throwing a party, or even having a pi party for one, you should seriously consider making this Coconut Cream Pie! It’s a crowd favorite for a reason.
But I have seen the light. The trick is to toast the coconut MORE than usual. We are not lightly toasting, oh no. This is hover-next-to-the-oven-to-make-sure-it-doesn’t-burn level toasting.
And just to make sure it stays crisp, I added the coconut to the graham cracker crust, and on top of each slice only just before you serve it.
We’re keeping the coconut OUT of the filling, replacing it with tons of coconut flavor from coconut milk and coconut extract. Then, this is the clincher, fold the fresh whipped cream into the chilled custard so it’s like fluffy clouds of coconut heaven in every bite.
Did I mention I’m adding a layer of caramel? I’m adding a layer of caramel. I am not sorry, and you won’t be either.
Homemade coconut cream pie ingredients
Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need to make coconut cream pie. Scroll down to the recipe card below for full instructions!
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram Next up, making the coconut custard filling! Add 4 egg yolks to a pot (not on the stove yet) and whisk in some cornstarch and half and half. Make sure you get all the lumps out, if you don’t get them out now they won’t come out later. Add in the coconut milk, sugar, and salt.
How do you thicken coconut cream pie filling?
Coconut cream pie filling thickens as you cook it. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil and the foam recedes. The whisk should leave marks on the top when you drag it across. Remove from heat and add butter, coconut extract, vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract if you must). Add the coconut cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top, to prevent a film from forming. Toss it in the fridge for a couple hours while you make the crust. (You can speed this up by putting it in the freezer for a few minutes, but not too long, we want it to chill evenly.) Now it’s time to toast the heck out of some coconut. We’re doing this in two batches, but don’t worry, it’s super fast, just takes a couple minutes. Toast your coconut A LOT. This, to me, is the different between a good-texture-pie, and gnawing on a phone cord. Stand by the oven and watch it toward the end, that’s how close it should be to burning. Taste a bit. If it’s not absolutely shattering in your mouth, keep toasting. The bottom photo shows the large-flake coconut we are using to garnish the top of the pie, for looks and crunch I think it’s so much prettier than the small flakes. If you can’t find them, don’t sweat it! Toast any kind of coconut you have for the garnish on top, just make sure to toast it to within an inch of its life. Add all the smaller, sweetened coconut to your food processor for the crust. Now for the fun part! I’d NEVER heard of adding egg to a graham crust, but I’m so excited about this idea. I use an unconventional egg in my Flaky Pie Crust recipe, because eggs are great binders, and it helps make the final crust so tender. Well, it does the same thing here for our graham crust. I love how this crust is still crispy but holds up a little better to slicing. Press your graham into the pie pan… And bake. We are baking some of the graham mixture by itself, to crumble as a garnish on top of our pie later. I’m obsessed with this! Then add the bottom layer of caramel. YUM.
Homemade whipped cream
Next we’re making whipped cream to fold into the custard, and to top the pie! Whip it into soft peaks in an electric mixer with a little powdered sugar and the secret ingredient, instant pudding powder. This helps keep our whipped cream stable! It should hold it’s shape when you hold the beater on the side like this. Then fold HALF of the whipped cream into the chilled coconut cream filling, don’t overdo it, you don’t want to deflate the cream. Pour the creamy coconut filling into the caramel-y pie crust and spread evenly. Then use the rest of the whipped cream to decorate the top of your pie. Don’t forget to garnish with all the good stuff: the toasty coconut, extra graham crumble, white chocolate curls, and even a drizzle of caramel if you’re feelin extra.
