Triple Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
A tall coconut cream pie with a flaky coconut crust, plush coconut pastry cream, vanilla whipped cream, toasted coconut, and white chocolate curls.
Nutrition (per serving)
This triple coconut cream pie is built for serious coconut flavor without turning heavy or one-note. Coconut goes into the buttery crust, folds through the custard, and finishes the top as crisp toasted flakes, so every forkful has a mix of tender pastry, cool filling, and a little crunch.
The filling is a stovetop pastry cream made with whole milk, coconut milk, egg yolks, and shredded coconut. It thickens until glossy, then chills until sliceable. A small amount of vanilla rounds out the custard, and a splash of dark rum can be added if you want a warmer bakery-style note.
The crust needs a proper chill before baking so the butter stays cold and the shape holds in the pie pan. Blind-baking it until deeply golden is worth the extra attention because the custard is soft and creamy; a pale crust will taste flat and may soften too quickly under the filling.
Finish the pie only after both the crust and custard are fully cold. Spoon or pipe on barely sweetened whipped cream, scatter toasted coconut over the top, and shave white chocolate over everything just before serving for a polished dessert that still tastes homemade.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour:1 1/4 cups
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut For Crust:1/2 cup
- Granulated Sugar For Crust:2 tsp
- Kosher Salt For Crust:1/2 tsp
- Cold Unsalted Butter, Diced:8 tbsp
- Ice Water:3 tbsp
- Granulated Sugar For Filling:2/3 cup
- Cornstarch:1/4 cup
- Kosher Salt For Filling:1/4 tsp
- Large Egg Yolks:4
- Whole Milk:1 cup
- Canned Unsweetened Coconut Milk:1 cup
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut For Filling:1 1/2 cups
- Unsalted Butter For Filling:3 tbsp
- Vanilla Extract For Filling:2 tsp
- Dark Rum, Optional:1 tsp
- Heavy Whipping Cream:2 cups
- Powdered Sugar:2 tbsp
- Vanilla Extract For Whipped Cream:1 tsp
- Unsweetened Large Coconut Flakes:1 cup
- White Chocolate:1 oz
Instructions
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Pulse the flour, shredded coconut, sugar, and salt in a food processor until the coconut is finely broken up and evenly mixed into the flour.
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Add the cold diced butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
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Drizzle in the ice water and pulse just until the dough begins to clump, then press it into a disk, wrap it, and chill for at least 1 hour.
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Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, trim and crimp the edge, then freeze the shell for 20 minutes.
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Heat the oven to 400°F, line the frozen shell with foil and pie weights, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, then bake 10 to 12 minutes more, until the crust is golden and dry. Cool completely.
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Lower the oven to 350°F, spread the large coconut flakes on a baking sheet, and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden. Let cool.
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Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan until smooth, then gradually whisk in the whole milk and coconut milk.
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Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens enough to hold whisk tracks, about 6 to 8 minutes.
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Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the shredded coconut, butter, vanilla, and rum if using. Scrape into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill until cold and firm, at least 3 hours.
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Spread the chilled coconut custard into the cooled crust. Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to medium-firm peaks, then spoon or pipe it over the filling.
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Top the pie with toasted coconut flakes and white chocolate curls. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing so the filling and cream settle cleanly.
Tips & Notes
- Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the richest custard and shake the can well before measuring.
- If the crust cracks after blind baking, patch small gaps with a bit of reserved dough while the crust is still hot, then return it to the oven for a few minutes.
- Toast coconut slowly and watch it closely; the edges can go from golden to dark very quickly.
- For cleaner slices, chill the assembled pie for at least 30 minutes and wipe the knife between cuts.
