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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My oh my oh my!!!!! Hubby is not a real fan of coconut cream pie, but this recipe intrigued me. Since I had the Malibu…21-year-old daughter….I had to try this recipe. It is fabulous! Not difficult, but there are a few steps…so worth it. Thanks again for another terrific recipe…btw, my son says I have been knocking dinner out of the park with your Thai recipes.
I would love to make this but where I live we have shortbread cookies but not Walkers, nor do I have a scale. Is there another way of measuring the 7 oz.? Also is there a substitute for the Malibu Rum? Thanks for any help and I’m positive that this will be fabulous!
Hi Barb, I’m guessing it’s about 2 cups of crumbs — and you can use regular rum in place of the Malibu rum, or just leave it out.
This is a coconut lovers dream. My family loves it. for fun I added a very thin layer of melted dark chocolate on top of the crust before putting the coconut cream on top. I did chill it well to harden the chocolate and then proceeded with the recipes. like a Mounds Bar!
WOW! Love this coconut tart – It’s the best!
This pie is so exceptional, that all others taste cheap, processed and completely unworthy.
Oh my goodness! I am so excited to make this for a weekend dinner at a friends. I’m attempting to make this gluten free also. I just made homemade gluten free shortbread cookies for the crust. They are tasty! My one question I have is that I have a 12inch tart pan and it’s 2 inches deep. Do you know how much I would have to increase the recipe by to fit my pan? Thanks so much!! Also I’ve made you chai banana bread at least 5 times (I also make it gluten free). It’s extremely good. I love your recipes!! 🙂
Hi Melissa, You’ll have to let me know how the gluten free version comes out! For the 12-inch pan, it’s not an easy conversion. You’ll need about 1.75 times the recipe, so I might just double it and use any leftover crust and filling to make mini tarts in a muffin pan. Good luck!
Thanks Jenn for the comment and for this UH-MAZING recipe!! I doubled the recipe and actually used all the filling for the 12inch tart. It was a huge hit at the dinner party. I can’t wait to make this for my brother when he comes and visits. His favorite dessert is coconut cream pie!
As for making it gluten free. I made the shortbread cookies using Bob Redmills Gluten free pizza mix (The one with no yeast) and I didn’t follow a recipe. I watched someone on foodnetwork say shortbread cookies were 1 part butter, 1 part sugar, and 3 parts flour. So that’s what I did. They came out great!! Added the coconut, butter, and a little coconut oil to the crust. It was soooooo good! Everyone was shocked it was gluten free.
As for the filling I just took out the flour and cornstarch and replaced it with tapioca starch. I might try a combo of cornstarch and tapioca next time, but I was out of cornstarch and was to lazy to go to the store.
All and all…a 5 star recipe and easy enough to make gluten free!! THANK YOU!! 😀
I hope to try this recipe soon.
With respect to the filling, you have indicated 1 cup of whole milk. What are your thoughts on substituting an alternate ingredient, for example, 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream?
Hi Elaine, I haven’t tested it with those ingredients but I think half and half would probably work just fine.
I was excited about your recipe for the crust since I am no fan of graham cracker crust. I substituted ground almonds for the coconut since I was making blueberry cheese pie and was ever so pleased with the result. This is not to take away from your delicious amazing looking pie, I would definitely go with the coconut in the pie crust for that.
I just bought unsweetened organic coconut cream. Is this okay or should I get sweetened? I have pregnancy brain right now lol.
Disregard my question! I just saw that someone else asked the same question a few days ago. Thank you!!
Do you use unsweetened coconut milk in this recipe?
Hi Jude, Yes, that’s correct.