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 for his birthday one year, 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 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 & SWEETENED FLAKED COCONUT: Form the buttery, coconut-scented crust. Use homemade shortbread cookies or store-bought—whichever you prefer.
- UNSALTED BUTTER: Holds the crust together and adds richness to both crust and custard.
- EGGS, SUGAR, FLOUR & CORNSTARCH: The essentials for thickening and sweetening the creamy coconut custard.
- CREAM OF COCONUT, COCONUT MILK & WHOLE MILK: Layered coconut flavor and creaminess—cream of coconut for sweetness and richness, coconut milk for pure coconut taste, and whole milk to balance it out.
- RUM: Brings a warm, tropical note to the custard (and a little to the topping, if you like).
- HEAVY CREAM: Whipped into a billowy topping.
- UNSWEETENED COCONUT CHIPS OR FLAKES: Toasted for a crunchy, pretty garnish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blend the crust. Place the shortbread cookies, coconut, and melted butter in a food processor. Process until the coconut is finely ground.
Step 2: Form and bake the crust. 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.
Pro tip: If the crust shrinks or cracks a bit, simply press it back together and up the sides while it’s still hot.
Step 3: Start the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.
Step 4: Bring the milk mixture to a boil. In a medium saucepan, combine the Malibu rum, cream of coconut, coconut milk and whole milk.
Step 5: Temper the egg mixture. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk mixture in 3 or 4 additions.
Step 6: Thicken the filling. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and 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.
Step 7: Assemble and chill the pie. 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 8: Add the topping. 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, then spread over the chilled filling.
Step 9: Toast the coconut chips. Place the coconut in a small, dry skillet over medium heat and cook until golden.
Step 10: Decorate and serve. Let the coconut chips cool, then sprinkle the pie with the toasted coconut. Use a sharp knife to slice the pie, wiping in between slices for the prettiest cuts. Enjoy!
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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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 (packed) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (packed) cornstarch
- Pinch salt
- 1½ tablespoons Malibu Rum or light 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 (175°C).
- 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-in (23-cm) deep-dish pie pan (the crust should be about ¼-in/6-mm 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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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
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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Scrumptious! Thanks, Jenn! Realized after the fact thhat I’d bought sweetened condensed coconut milk (recipe doesn’t say “sweetened condensed”), but it came out fabulous anyway. Also I second the other comments saying it’s fine to make the crust the day before–and I’m a person who loves some crunch in every creamy dessert. I made the crust the prior day and stored in frig, then filled it about 8 hours before serving, and all was just perfect.
The pie looks amazing. Do you use canned coconut milk which is thicker, or do you use the coconut milk in a carton that is poured Lishaover cereal?
Hi Lisha, I use canned. Enjoy!
I love coconut cream pie but we had a variation at a lakeside inn in Michigan last summer that was the best I’ve ever had and I’ve been trying to reproduce it. It was a coconut lime pie. If you have any plans to try that kind of variation on your already wonderful pie (and other recipes) I’d love to try your concept of it. Mine haven’t been as good as the one at the inn. Waiting eagerly for your cookbook which I’ve had on pre-order for a while! Thanks!
Hi Annie, I do have a key lime pie in the cookbook, so if you can figure out how to combine this recipe with that one, you’d be in business – easier said than done, I know! 🙂 I will add that variation to my list of recipes to potentially develop. (And thanks for your support with the cookbook!!)
Just came across this recipe. Looks wonderful and look forward to trying it. If your husband loves coconut cream pie and you have any interest in trying a new version, there is one from “The Dahlia Bakery” in Seattle that is one of the best pies I’ve ever had. It’s a bit fussy, but oh so worth it.
Always up for a coconut pie challenge, Carol! Thank you for the suggestion…I will track it down!
I can’t wait to make this for Easter. Question for you, Jenn: Do you think it would be good with a chocolate crust? And if so, chocolate cookies? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I do think that’d work — chocolate and coconut are wonderful together. I’d look for chocolate shortbread cookies.
This coconut pie is awesome. I had to wait to make it while my homemade coconut rum steeped, but it was well worth the wait.
The only change I made was used gluten free shortbread cookies and flour. I would make this again, and again….and again.
This pie is fabulous. I have made it for every holiday since it first appeared on the sight, and it is always the first dessert to be eaten. The pie is so sweet that I have cut way back on the sugar in the whipped cream. I use a little vanilla in the cream rather than the rum, and When I take the pie to gatherings I pack the whipped cream an topping separately for easier transportation.
Hey Jen! Just put your coconut pie in the fridge for this evening! I have almost an entire can of coconut cream left. Do you have any suggestions on other goodies to use it in? Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Lauren, I don’t think any of my other recipes call for cream of coconut. Hope you enjoy the pie tonight!
Hi Jenn,
As I will be making this for people who dont consume alcohol, how much more coconut milk would you suggest adding in place of the Rum?
Thank you !
Malak
Hi Malak, I’d replace with the same amount so 1-1/2 Tbsp. Hope everyone enjoys it! 🙂
Made this 4 times for family and co workers. All loved it. And I had 4 requests for the recipe. And as you stated, it really is not hard to make. Just follow the directions. On one occasion, I did make it 48 hours in advance. For me I liked it a little better with the softening of the crust. Just my preference. And the crust was not mushy at all.