Coconut Cream Pie
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Layers of creamy coconut custard, pillowy whipped cream, and heaps of toasted coconut all in a buttery shortbread crust—this coconut cream pie is pure dessert bliss!
My husband’s all-time favorite dessert is the signature coconut cream pie from The Capital Grille in Washington, DC. Hoping to surprise him, I took a chance and emailed the restaurant manager asking for the recipe. To my surprise, he sent it to me! Of course, like most restaurant recipes, it was scaled to feed an army and didn’t include the crust, so I had to do some tweaking. But it was worth every bit of effort—the result was nothing short of dreamy! Think: a coconut-scented cookie crust filled with creamy coconut custard, topped with pillowy whipped cream and heaps of toasted coconut.
If you love my coconut cake or coconut cupcakes, this coconut cream pie recipe is another must-try. It’s rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor—perfect for any coconut lover!
“I made this for my mother-in-law’s birthday party. She almost cried! She said it was the most delicious dessert she had ever had.”
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Cream Pie
- Shortbread cookies: Provides a buttery, crumbly base for the pie. Use homemade shortbread cookies or store-bought—whichever you prefer.
- Sweetened flaked coconut: Adds texture and coconut flavor to the crust. Typically sold in plastic bags in the baking aisle, it is the dried, shredded, and sweetened meat of the coconut. (Have extra? Make my coconut macaroons.)
- Unsalted butter: Binds the crust ingredients together and adds richness.
- Eggs: Thickens the custard and adds richness.
- Sugar: Sweetens the custard and topping.
- All-purpose flour and Cornstarch: Helps thicken the custard filling.
- Rum: Adds depth of flavor, warmth, and a tropical note to the custard and topping.
- Cream of Coconut: Sweetens the custard and enhances the coconut flavor. Cream of coconut is thicker and richer than coconut milk with a higher fat content, and it is sweetened. It is often sold with the drink/cocktail mixers at the supermarket.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: Adds creamy coconut flavor without extra sweetness.
- Whole milk: Provides a creamy base for the custard.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and a smooth texture to the custard.
- Heavy cream: Whipped to make the topping.
- Unsweetened coconut chips or flakes: Dried, shaved coconut meat, typically found in large supermarkets or organic markets. Toasted, they add a crunchy, flavorful and pretty garnish to the pie.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make The Crust
Place the shortbread cookies, coconut, and melted butter in a food processor.
Process until the coconut is finely ground.
Press the crumbs into firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (Tip: start with the sides.)
Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, then set aside to cool. If the crust shrinks or cracks a bit, simply press it back together and up the sides while it’s still hot.
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.
Whisk well and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the Malibu rum, cream of coconut, coconut milk and whole milk.
Bring to a boil; then turn off the heat. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add the remaining milk mixture to the egg mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine.
Return the mixture to the sauce pan.
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes. The filling must boil for at least 30 seconds in order to fully thicken.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.
Pour the hot filling into the cooled pie shell and smooth the surface with a spatula; press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the filling and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. (Any longer than 12 hours and the crust will start to soften.)
Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream
Up to 3 hours before serving, whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and rum. Continue to whip until it forms soft peaks.
Top the pie with whipped cream.
Step 4: Toast the Coconut Chips
Place the coconut in a small, dry skillet over medium heat and cook until golden.
Let the coconut chips cool, then sprinkle the pie with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve. Use a sharp knife to slice the pie, wiping in between slices for the prettiest cuts.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The crust can be prepared a day ahead and stored at room temperature. The pie filling can be made and refrigerated in the crust for up to 12 hours (any longer and the crust may soften). Whip the cream and assemble up to 3 hours before serving.
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Layers of creamy coconut custard, pillowy whipped cream, and heaps of toasted coconut all in a buttery shortbread crust—this coconut cream pie is pure dessert bliss!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 7½ ounces shortbread cookies, such as Walker's Pure Butter Shortbread, finely ground (if you don't have a baking scale, it's 11 Walker's rectangular cookies, from 2 boxes)
- 1¼ cups loosely packed sweetened flaked coconut
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Custard
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, packed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, packed
- Pinch salt
- 1½ tablespoons Malibu Rum (coconut-flavored rum)
- 5 tablespoons Cream of Coconut (stir well before using)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (stir well before using)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
For Whipped Cream and Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Malibu rum or light rum
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut chips or flakes, toasted in a skillet until golden and cooled (see note below)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pulse the cookie crumbs, coconut, and melted butter in a food processor until coconut is finely ground. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (the crust should be about ¼-in thick). Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, then set aside to cool. If the crust shrinks or cracks a bit, simply press it back together and up the sides while it's still hot.
For the Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the rum, cream of coconut, coconut milk and whole milk. Bring to a boil; then turn off the heat. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add the remaining milk mixture to the egg mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine. Return the mixture to the sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes. The filling must boil for at least 30 seconds in order to fully thicken. Off the heat, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.
- Pour the hot filling into the cooled pie shell and smooth the surface with a spatula; press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the filling and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. (Any longer than 12 hours and the crust will start to soften.)
For the Topping & To Serve
- Up to 3 hours before serving, whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and rum. Continue to whip until it forms soft peaks. Top the pie with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cooled toasted coconut chips.
- Slice the pie into wedges, wiping your knife clean between slices, and serve cold.
- Note: Unsweetened coconut flakes can usually be found at Whole Foods or organic markets. If you can't find them, feel free to substitute ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut (the stuff in the blue bag available everywhere). Simply toast it in a 350°F oven, stirring often so it browns evenly, until lightly golden.
- Note: For an even prettier presentation, this pie can be made in a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Note that the crust won't be quite as thick.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The crust can be prepared a day ahead and stored at room temperature. The pie filling can be made and refrigerated in the crust for up to 12 hours (any longer and the crust may soften). Whip the cream and assemble up to 3 hours before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 563
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated fat: 26 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Cholesterol: 131 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Would it be okay to substitute half and half cream for the whole milk, or will that affect the texture or setting too much?
Hi Peter, I haven’t tried it with half and half, but it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
MY OH MY!! I saw this, I liked it, I made it and WOW! This tart is out of this world top shelf! We have very special friends that we gather with every NewYears Eve. Just the 4 of us. My husband asked recently for me to make a coconut custard pie. Our friend Jim is an avid coconut fan, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to give it a whirl. The response was a crowd pleaser. My husband who isn’t one to overly compliment certainly broke his usual,”Yeah, it’s good” to, “Wow, I like this a lot”. Jim, on the other hand was explosive with compliments and said it was probably the best dessert he’s ever had. The only change I made was switching out the Walker shortbread for Biscoff cookies, and there is no apology for that. I also made it in a 10” tart pan, but next time I’ll go for the deep dish pie plate for a fluffier whipped topping. Thank you for this recipe that will now become an automatic go to.
This was on the Christmas Day menu as a dessert option. I grumbled all the way thru the preparation because of the time limit 6-12 hr window. The cookie crust makes this pie so don’t skip it. The filling improved w/age. I had made two pies and the next day pie had a stronger coconut flavor. I did not notice any softening in the crust on the next day pie. Next time I’ll make it late the night before so the flavors have time to mingle. It is heavenly & I understand why it’s your husband’s favorite. It wasn’t hard to make & the flavor is worth the effort. It still doesn’t beat your Key Lime pie recipe though.
Is it possible to substitute something else for the rum? Serving to kids and adults that don’t drink alcohol. Thanks!!
Hi Samantha, I’d just replace the rum with additional coconut milk – it will still be delicious. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
Absolutely the best coconut cream pie EVER. I don’t use the crust, instead preferring to blind bake a regular pie shell BUT, it is still absolutely perfect. Now a standard with our Thanksgiving fare.
I used to work there- The cookie used on the crust was Nilla Wafer 🙂 It was my FAVORITE dessert as well.
What a delicious pie! The only change was cream of coconut due to availability of listed item. The crust was my favorite part of this pie. The smooth buttery flavor, shortbread cookies and coconut flakes were in perfect proportions. It complemented the smooth custard and whipped topping. I made this for my husband and I am not a cream pie fan but this pie was the best. I will add this to my family Sunday dinners. I will be using this crust again for other pies. Thank you
This was absolutely delicious. I wanted to add a few comments about minor changes I made based on some of the ingredients availability since I always read the comments for tips. First, our Whole Foods didn’t have cream of coconut but had coconut cream. I didn’t know there was a difference but apparently the cream of coconut has a higher sugar content. I used the same ratio and honestly thought the pie was plenty sweet! I also couldn’t find coconut rum so I just used a little extra coconut milk like Jenn suggests. Last, I accidentally added 4 tablespoons of butter to the custard instead of 3 (extra butter never hurts 🙂 ). Regardless, this was a pretty straight forward recipe thanks to Jenn’s detailed instructions and I will definitely make it again.
I made this for my mother-in-laws birthday party. She almost cried! She said it was the most delicious dessert she had ever had and was sooooo appreciative of my efforts. That’s what I love about your delicious recipes, not only are they all so tasty, but sharing with my family under a warm summer sunset outside is one of my favorite memories. Thank you for sharing these and making it so “anyone can cook”. Ratatouille is my daughter’s all time favorite movie, and she always reminds me (as I’m Not a chef) that “anyone can cook!”🤨😊😂
This was delicious……………but next time I make it, I’m going to add some coconut extract to give it more of a coconut flavour. There were no complaints from my dinner guests but I felt it was lacking in coconutty-ness.