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Coconut Cream Pie

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By Jenn Segal
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Filled with coconut custard, whipped cream and heaps of toasted coconut, this coconut cream pie is downright dreamy.

Fork on a plate with a slice of coconut cream pie.

My husband’s all-time favorite dessert is the signature coconut cream pie from The Capital Grille in Washington, DC. Eager to surprise him, I took a long shot and emailed the restaurant manager for the recipe. To my delight, he sent it! However, like most restaurant recipes, the recipe was scaled for feeding an army, and it didn’t include the crust, so some tweaking was necessary. The effort was worth it: the end result was nothing short of spectacular! Imagine a coconut-scented cookie crust brimming with creamy coconut custard, topped with pillowy whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of toasted coconut—this coconut cream pie is downright dreamy!

“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.”

Andrea

What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Cream Pie

Pie ingredients including Malibu, shortbread, and heavy cream.

This recipe calls for four different forms of coconut:

  • Sweetened flaked coconut is the most common form of coconut used in baking. Typically sold in plastic bags in the baking aisle, it is the dried, shredded and sweetened meat of the coconut. This is the coconut used to make coconut macaroons.
  • Coconut milk is made from shredded coconut flesh puréed with water. It has the consistency of cow’s milk and is unsweetened. It is often used in soups and sauces.
  • 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.
  • Coconut flakes (or chips) are the dried, shaved, unsweetened meat of the coconut. Toasted, they make a pretty garnish for desserts; they are also delicious in granola. Most large supermarkets carry them but you can always find them in organic markets.

Step-by-Step instructions

Step 1: Make The Crust

Place the shortbread cookies, coconut, and melted butter in a food processor.

Coconut, shortbread, and butter in a food processor.

Process until the coconut is finely ground.

Crumbled pie crust ingredients in a food processor.

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.)

cookie crust crumbs pressed into pie pan

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.

Baked pie crust in a pie pan.

Step 2: Make the Filling

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.

Eggs and dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Whisk well and set aside.

Whisk in a bowl with an egg mixture.

In a medium saucepan, combine the Malibu rum, cream of coconut, coconut milk and whole milk.

Malibu and milk mixture in a pan on a stovetop.

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.

Whisk in a bowl of milk and egg mixture.

Return the mixture to the sauce pan.

Milk and egg mixture in a pan on the stovetop.

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.

Pan of thickened egg mixture.

Off the heat, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.

Butter in a pan with an egg mixture.

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.)

filling poured into crust

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.

whipping heavy cream in mixer

Top the pie with whipped cream.

coconut cream pie topped with whipped cream

Step 4: Toast the Coconut Chips

Place the coconut in a small, dry skillet over medium heat and cook until golden.

Coconut chips in a skillet.

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.

Note: This recipe was updated in 2019 to use a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. The original recipe called for a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, which still works without any adjustments.
Slice of coconut cream pie on a plate with a fork.

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Coconut Cream Pie

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal, inspired by the Coconut Cream Pie at The Capital Grille

Filled with coconut custard, whipped cream and heaps of toasted coconut, this coconut cream pie is downright dreamy.

Servings: 8 to 10
Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

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 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

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. 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

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Slice the pie into wedges, wiping your knife clean between slices, and serve cold.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • I don’t even know where to begin with this recipe. So, I’ll start with WOW! My Dad is a huge fan of coconut desserts, especially coconut cream pie and this is the same concept. Just a few changes I had to make; I have an 11in tart pan, which worked fine, I also didn’t have Malibu rum, I used banana liquor and I didn’t have whole milk, I used 1%. I was also too lazy to make the whipped cream, so I served it with a little dollop of Redi whip and garnished it with toasted coconut. So all in all, it was almost identical to the recipe…Let me just say, it didn’t even need the whipped cream, my Dad said it was the best coconut dessert he’s had! So enough said! The custard is this magical, creamy, fluffy, coconutty dream!

  • Does the 3 tablesoons of butter go in the custard?

    • Hi Cindy,

      Yes, it is whisked in at the end, off the heat.

  • This pie was absolutely delicious! So elegant and out-of-this-world wonderful. Thanks for the recipe — keep up the good work!

  • Was the crust their recipe also? I saw that it was adapted from Gourmet, so did they just give you the recipe for the custard?

    I went to Capital Grille for the first time tonight and got the Coconut Cream Pie, and it’s definitely now one of my favorite restaurant desserts. So, so good. And the crust is amazing! Sort of like a cookie, but sort of like a chewy dessert bar… so it’s important that I ask whether this recipe reflects the crust also! haha. My fiance works about 6 minutes up the road from one of their locations, and I’m already planning to ask him to pick up some carry-out-pie in the future. I can’t decide whether I hope they sell whole pies or not…

    Regardless, I’ll still probably be trying your recipe soon! Too tempting not to!

    • (I just remembered the whole dessert is basically a big tart in itself rather than a pie slice. Oh well! haha.)

    • Hi Kat, They did not provide the recipe for the crust, so I adapted one from Gourmet magazine. For what it’s worth, I think this crust is even better than the original 🙂

  • Perfect! I had comments like “this is the best pie I ever had” when I served it at a dinner party recently. Only one problem: my cream broke when I added the rum. Twice. My husband ran out at the last minute and brought back some lite refrigerated topping, and that was surprisingly good. Although I’m sure the fresh cream would have been better, the purchased topping did make the tart a little lower in calories and kept for a few days in the fridge. Awesome desssert!

  • This was spot on! After eating this at Capital Grill this spring I was searching for this recipe. Thank you! It is awesome and look forward to making it for years to come!

  • I made this for a church potluck and it was gone in 10 minutes. I got so many compliments for it! The filling was so good and so easy to make, I think I will make it just as a pudding someday.

    Definitely use a tart pan. It looks so pretty!

  • If I wanted to add crushed pineapple to this how would I go about it?

    • Hi Nancy, I suppose you could stir a bit into the custard; just be careful not to add too much or it will make the custard to thin. Or you could add a bit on top under the whipped topping.

  • One of the things I love about this recipe is how forgiving it is of all the substitutions I make (which I do with almost every recipe). Here are some: I thought I had cream of coconut, but didn’t. I used coconut oil instead. worked great. I also make my own shortbread. The shortbread is a cup of softened butter, about a cup of coconut flour, 1/2 c. sugar, and enough flour to make it into shortbread dough. This makes way more shortbread than needed for the recipe, so I either freeze some for then next pie, or more likely, it gets eaten. The coconut shortbread isn’t quite as light as regular shortbread, but it works great in the recipe, and adds a lot of extra coconut flavor.
    I am married to someone of Filipino descent, and his Filipino relatives never seemed to care for anything I brought to the family gatherings until I started bringing this pie! It always gets eaten, even with the mind-boggling amount of food they always have at their gatherings. Thanks so much for publishing!

  • Hi! This is one of my favorite desserts! I’m attempting to make it for Easter tomorrow, and I was wondering if I could make the custard today and put it in the shell tomorrow so the crust doesn’t get soft? Will the custard be ok to move once it’s cooled?

    • Hi Mica, I think that should work just fine. Just put the custard in a bowl place some plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard so that it doesn’t develop a film. Please let me know how it turns out!

  • Oh, my, was this GOOD. It was delicious the day I made it, but it was even better the next day after sitting overnight in the fridge, so if I were to make it again for an occasion, I’d make it the day before. I made mine in an 11-inch tart pan because that’s all I had, and it came out fine; there was plenty of crust and filling. The shortbread crust really makes this pie—it just wouldn’t be the same with a graham cracker or pastry crust. Thanks for another great recipe, Jenn!

  • Absolutely amazing! I made this last weekend and my family loved it! Thank you

  • I just had this amazing dessert at the C.G. of Denver, and am SO grateful you have shared it with us. It is THE best Coconut cream pie and I am so glad I can make it with your help. Thanks for your efforts.

  • I made this Tart for our annual street party dessert contest & won! I have made it a few times now, and once you locate the ingredients, it’s pretty straightforward. Everyone RAVED – it is delicious.

    • Hi Sheila, That makes me so happy that you won! Thank you so much for letting me know.

  • I adore coconut and this is my new favorite. I’m hoping my family gets the hints and makes this for Mother’s Day!

  • Googled to find this recipe and found your site. Love the fact that you found the exact recipe, as well as we’re so specific with the directions. Much appreciated, and look forward to making it as well as finding more stuff (that you found first!).

  • I will make this one day soon…

  • Wow-made this tonight and I would say that it definitely tastes like Capital Grille’s fabulous pie. I wondered if it needed the caramel sauce that they use but it doesn’t. It’s extraordinarily rich. I tasted it prior to toasting the coconut and decided it was perfect so I didn’t bother. I did use 2% milk rather than whole-didn’t taste a difference. I would grease the bottom of the tarte pan as it was a little hard to remove but small price to pay for an outstanding dessert!

  • Oh. My. Word. Somebody help me. This looks out-of-world delicious.

    • — Elizabeth C. in Kansas
    • Reply

    • I want to make this for 4th of July weekend party.

      • — Elizabeth C. in Kansas
      • Reply

  • I have made your coconut dream tart twice now and both times it came out beautifully (both in taste and esthetics)! And the feedback for the tart has also been great. Everyone loves it!

  • I can’t seem to find any Coconut Cream, any suggestions, thanks.

    • Hi Charlene, Unfortunately I don’t know of any substitute for cream of coconut. Sorry!

      • Thanks Jenn, I did end up finding some(cream of coconut) but was hard to find, made this at Easter and was very good.

  • I plan to make this for a trip that includes a 4.5 hour drive, and I’m leaving directly after work so it will need to be made in the morning or the night before. Can all three elements (topping, custard, pre-baked crust) be made and stored separately, then put together before eating? I really hope I can make it work–it looks amazing!! Thank you!

    • Hi Jen, That should work fine. Just be sure to keep the whipped cream topping very cold, otherwise it won’t hold. Hope that helps.

  • The Capital Grille’s pie comes with a caramel rum sauce-did they give you the recipe for that as well?

    • Hi Ann, Unfortunately they didn’t, but it’s delicious all on its own.

  • This recipe is a family favorite, for special occasions. I use Lorna Doone shortbread cookies (cheaper than Walkers). Super easy and great to serve all year long. This was my first recipe from your website, and got me hooked on your blog. Thanks

  • I made this for my family and it is now one of my family’s all time favorite desserts! My daughter made this for a recent auction donation and it looked as great as the photos here. Coconut lovers delight.

    • — Liz McNett Crowl
    • Reply

  • Ah! I’m so excited! I just went to the Capital Grille for my birthday this past weekend and I’ve been dreaming about this pie ever since, hence why I came across your post on foodgawker…I’m absolutely going to try this out, I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks for going through the trouble to convert and post 🙂

    • This is the absolute best coconut creap pie EVER! It is relatively simple, but so, so delicious. The ingredients make all the difference. I have made it several times – alwyas to rave reviews. Outstanding!!

  • This is a wonderful recipe! we’re huge fans of Capital Grilled coconut cream pie! my husband loved this and I will be making this more often. Thanks!

  • Thank you for this wondrful rendition. I made this recipe with 6 mini tart pans for my girlfriend’s birthday today and it was a fabulous hit (they’re huge coconut fans)! I did add about a teaspoon of pure vanilla to the topping.

  • Hi Tatiana, I agree with you on the flaked coconut in the custard…very unpleasant! I think you’ll love this recipe. As for the cream of coconut, I believe coconut cream is the same thing.

  • I was looking for a coconut pie without any flaked coconut in the custard,and this one sounds perfect.I think that the chewiness of the coconut flakes just doesn’t go well with nice smooth texture of creamy custard. Do you think that a can of coconut cream and a little more sugar will be a good substitute for the cream of coconut?Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  • I halved this recipe to fit in to 4 mini tarlet pans over Valentine’s Day- HUGE success! Thank you so much!

  • I wonder, am I the first man to comment? My wife requested this for her birthday. I made it for her. She loved it.

    I hate to write the stereotypical recipe comment telling about all the things I changed in your recipe, but I had to replace the rum with something because I don’t cook with alcohol. I used a splash of coconut extract instead of rum in the custard and the whipped cream.

  • I made this for Christmas dinner. I had trouble locating a 10′ tart pan (William Sonomo). After that, piece of cake! (HA!) This was the most straight forward recipe I’ve ever tried. I loved that everything was thought out, down to how many boxes of cookies and how many cookies I needed. The techniques were explained well. For a novice, which I am not, making a custard is a lost art. After making this a tart a new and useful skill will be mastered.

    The combination of flavors was perfect. The taste of coconut was subtle but present. There was not a piece left with multiple choices of deserts too. I came home with an empty plate! I will definitely make this again!

  • I made this for my family and neighbors…It was amazing…fairly simple and soo yummy.

  • I will be trying this soon!!! It sounds incredible!!!

  • Made this for a dinner party last weekend and it was AH-MAZING!!! Thank you!

  • now this looks like a real WINNER!

  • mmmm looks divine

  • This looks AMAZING. Super awesome that they sent you the recipe!

    • — Julie (Etsy Stalkers)
    • Reply

  • Wow, that looks beautiful! I love coconut so this is making me drool.

  • Omg! Made this over the weekend and it was AMAZING! Definitely a keeper!

  • I made this for my family today, and everyone loved it! It has a nice subtle, natural coconut flavor. It seemed like a sophisticated version of the everyday coconut cream pie. Loved it, and will be making it again! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  • yum! My hubby used to live in the DC area- he’s always impressed when I say “Oooo I found a recipe from _____!” This pie looks delish- as well as the pics!!! Well done!

  • To die for!

    And your unbaked crust… so beautiful!

  • oh my that looks beyond delicious!

  • You are amazing. I love your blog. I am all about coconut right now and finding this has made my day. I’ll def blog about it.

  • a very cake for dreamer!:D

  • I would absolutely LOVE this! You had me at walkers shortbread and malibu…I have to try this recipe!

  • If you can’t find unsweetened coconut flakes, could you buy a real coconut, shave and toast?

    • Or you can use a young coconut meat as it is. I’ve tried it and it was beyond delicious!

  • Oh MAN!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Sounds wonderful!! Thanks for being so generous for sharing a recipe you had the good fortune to acquire!

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