Coconut Cream Pie
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
With coconut in every layer, this coconut cream pie recipe is exceptionally rich and coconutty. It has a buttery coconut-shortbread crust, luscious coconut custard, and rum-spiked whipped cream topped with heaps of toasted coconut.
My husband’s all-time favorite dessert is the coconut cream pie from The Capital Grille in Washington, DC. Hoping to surprise him for his birthday one year, I emailed the restaurant manager and asked if he’d be willing to share the recipe. To my surprise, he did! It was scaled to feed an army, so I had to do a little tinkering, but the result was every bit as good as the original.
What makes the pie so delicious is that the coconut flavor runs all the way through it: shredded coconut is baked into the buttery shortbread crust; the silky custard is made with coconut milk, cream of coconut, and a splash of coconut rum; and even the whipped cream gets a little rum before the whole thing is finished with toasted coconut.
“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 & Shredded Coconut: Form the buttery press-in crust. The coconut gets finely ground with the cookies, so you get coconut flavor throughout the crust without a stringy texture. You can use homemade shortbread or store-bought (I like Walkers).
- Butter: Melted butter binds the cookie crust, while butter whisked into the finished custard adds richness and a smooth finish.
- Eggs & Egg Yolks: Give the custard richness and help it set. The combination of whole eggs and extra yolks gives the filling structure while keeping it creamy.
- Sugar, Flour, Cornstarch & Salt: Sugar sweetens the custard, while flour and cornstarch thicken it to a sliceable consistency. Salt balances the sweetness.
- Coconut Milk, Cream of Coconut & Whole Milk: Create the rich, coconutty base for the custard. Cream of coconut is sweetened and is not the same as coconut milk or coconut cream, so be sure to buy the right product. You’ll typically find it near the cocktail mixers rather than with the canned coconut milk.
- Rum: Adds warmth and depth to the custard and whipped cream. Light rum works perfectly well, so it’s not worth buying a whole bottle of coconut rum just for this recipe. But if you already have coconut rum, definitely use it—it adds an extra layer of coconut flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Whipped with sugar and rum to make the soft, pillowy topping.
- Unsweetened Coconut Chips or Flakes: Toasted until golden, they add a crisp texture and deeper coconut flavor to the finished pie. If you can’t find them, sweetened flaked coconut works too; see the recipe note for details.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Coconut Cream Pie
Make the coconut-shortbread crust: Process the shortbread cookies, coconut, and melted butter until the coconut is finely ground and the mixture looks like moist, sandy crumbs. Press it firmly into the pie pan and bake until the crust is golden and smells buttery and toasted. Don’t worry if it cracks or slumps a little in the oven—you can gently press it back into shape while it’s still hot.
Make the coconut custard: Whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Bring the milk, coconut milk, cream of coconut, and rum to a boil, then slowly whisk some of the hot liquid into the egg mixture. This is called tempering—it gradually warms the eggs so they don’t scramble when they meet the hot liquid.
Once the eggs are warmed, whisk in the remaining liquid and return everything to the saucepan. As the custard cooks, it will go from fairly thin to noticeably thick, with slow, heavy bubbles breaking the surface. Let it boil briefly so the starches fully thicken the filling. Off the heat, whisk in the butter; the custard should look thick, smooth, and glossy.
Fill and chill the pie: Pour the custard into the cooled crust and smooth the top, then press plastic wrap directly against the custard so a skin doesn’t form. Chill until the filling is completely cold and firm. Don’t rush this part—the long chill is what allows the custard to set up for clean slices.
Top with whipped cream and coconut: Toast the coconut until golden and fragrant, stirring often so it browns evenly, then set it aside to cool. Whip the cream until it starts to hold some shape, then add the sugar and rum and continue whipping just until soft peaks form. You’re looking for a topping that’s fluffy and billowy rather than stiff. Spoon it generously over the chilled pie and scatter the cooled toasted coconut over top.
Serve: Serve the pie cold, using a sharp knife and wiping it clean between slices for neat wedges. The pie needs several hours to chill and set before serving, but much of the work can be done in advance. See the recipe card below for full make-ahead instructions.
If you love coconut, don’t miss my coconut cake and coconut cupcakes—both are family recipes I’ve been making for decades. And if creamy, chilled pies are your thing, my key lime pie has been a reader favorite for years.
You May Also Like
Coconut Cream Pie
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 (coconut-flavored) or light rum
- 5 tablespoons cream of coconut, stirred well before using
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, stirred 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 chips or flakes are available at many well-stocked supermarkets and natural-food stores. If you can’t find them, substitute ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut. Toast in a 350°F oven, stirring often, 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.
- Storage: Store leftover pie, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the crust will soften the longer it sits.
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi, so I normally don’t drink any alcohol but like following recipes exactly as written the first time around and then adjust to my taste the second time around. I had to go to 5 stores to find the coconut rum as it appears everyone is making piña coladas as most stores were out of it. I can tell you that the filling tasted wonderful without any alcohol taste so I was glad I tried it with it. The crust’s texture was great too. There were two issues I had with it, although the flavor was good, I like things less sweet. How much of the sugar could I cut down without affecting the filling? Or maybe replace unsweetened flakes in crust instead of sweetened or does sweetened help hold crust together? Secondly, I have made pastry cream often and made sure to even set my timer to 30 seconds once it boiled as stated on the recipe but after 3 hours my pie was soupy although it tasted good. Do you think it just needed a couple of more hours to fully set or should I have cooked it longer do you think or to what temp? I want to try this again so your responses would be appreciated.
Hi Nancy, Glad you liked this. Regarding the level of sweetness, you could use unsweetened flakes in the crust instead of sweetened to help cut back on the sugar a bit. And my guess is that you cooked the filling long enough but that it probably needed more than 3 hours in the refrigerator. Because another reader had a similar problem, I’ve changed the recipe to indicate that it should be refrigerated for at least 6 hours.
Oh sweet Jesus! This was amazing and so simple to make. Not too sweet but just dreamily smooth custard and a heavenly coconut scented cream.
I just love your blog. It my favourite for fabulous home cooked family dinners. Thank you!! xx
Hello! I don’t have an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Can I use a regular mixer or a whisk and whisk it by hand?
Sure – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Jenn….this looks absolutely fabulous. I wondered if you had a version that was skimmed down a bit? This looks like hours on the treadmill to me
Hi Laura, Unfortunately, I don’t there are any good options for slimming this one down — it’s definitely an indulgence — sorry!
I followed the recipe except that I used unsweetened coconut to the dough. Didn’t have coconut rum so I subscribed with c. Milk. The consistency of the pudding looked right on/off the stovetop. After refrigeration for 6 hours, I left it in room temperature for an hour before serving. To my disappointment (and embarrassment) it was a nightmare getting it out of the pie plate. The crust was hard as rock. The filling was soupy. It was a complete mess on the plate but flavor was very good. My friends inhaled the soupy mess. I wonder what I did wrong?
So sorry you had a problem with this! I haven’t gotten that kind of feedback about this — is there any possibility that you made a measuring error?
I didn’t think so. Love the flavor so much I am willing to try it again. I love your recipes but I failed miserably on this one. Also any tip to the coloring of the filling? My curd was pale grey didn’t look as appealing as yours. And how do I prevent a tough crust? Thank you Jenn.
Hi E, I wish I could help more but It’s a bit of a head-scratcher for me! The filling may have a very slight green tint but definitely shouldn’t be gray. What brand of coconut milk are you using? And regarding the crust, it could be that you packed it down a bit too hard which made it tough. If you’d prefer a softer crust, you could switch it out for a graham cracker crust. Hope that helps and that you have better luck next time around!
In response to Elle’s concerns, I have made this wonderful dessert many times—perhaps the following tips might be helpful:
1. Crust is hard, difficult to cut: I prepare this dessert at least 1 day in advance of serving it. This means the filled shell has a long rest in the fridge to “soften up” a little. (I do the whip cream topping and garnish on serving day). When serving, I use a long-bladed serrated knife and run it under very hot water, dry the blade off, and make my first cut. Run the knife blade under hot water again, dry the blade off, do the 1st cut once again to ensure the cut goes all the way through. Run the blade under hot water, dry the blade off, do the second cut. Repeat as necessary.
2. Filling is “soupy”: this filling needs ample time on the cooktop to come to temp. Do not use a high heat setting, as the custard is likely to scorch/burn. Use a medium or medium-low setting and use a heat-resistant spatula to keep moving the custard around so it does not scorch. Do not rush this process. After tempering the egg mixture and returning the pot to the cooktop, I spent 10 to 12 minutes allowing the custard to come to temp. I look for a very thick, very hot custard where it’s almost “burping”. Then remove it immediately from the heat and work on the add-ins.
3. Filling colour looks a pale grey: I try to improve the colour of the filling by using a high-quality butter (grass-fed, high-fat content—84%). Also, I add drops of a neutral yellow food colouring and blend it well with a spatula. The food colouring is added after the butter.
4. I always make this dessert in a 2-piece tart tin with a removable bottom. It’s a nice presentation and allows for efficient slicing/serving. I butter the tart tin and chill it before patting in the crust. I find it easier to chill the processed crust mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes prior to shaping the crust. I also set aside a TBSP. of crust stuff and hold it in reserve for any minor accidents before or after baking. I press the crust stuff very firmly up the sides and on the bottom of the tin, then chill the shell in the fridge prior to baking. I find if I try to shape the crust immediately after processing the ingredients, they are a little “too soft” to press in and hold against the sides of the tin.
5. I never pour hot custard into the cooled, baked shell, the custard would “self-level” and spill over. I chill the custard for hours in the fridge and then fill the shell, mounding the custard in the middle. My family and friends adore this custard so I always make more than the recipe recommends and adjust other ingredients appropriately.
Elaine, you should do a YouTube video of preparing this recipe. You sound like a YouTube tutorial guru in the making!
Colleen, your suggestion made me smile. Technology is truly amazing–I feel I have learned a great deal from the efforts of others. Often I take photos of various stages of food prep to share with others. As I age (late 60’s) I am concerned about gaps in memory so I make notes on my favourite recipes that include tweaking/tinkering with different ideas, thus providing an on-going, updated reference point. Youtube is a wonderful source to explore–the constructive feedback from reviewers is often very helpful.
Much credit to Jennifer for presenting her excellent recipes with such clarity. Happy baking Colleen!
Hi Elaine,
I am reviewing your notes and will be lucky if you see my questions.
In step “5” you talk about making more than the recipe recommends. Do you double the recipe or how much more are you making? Could you share what your additional measurements are?
I am so excited to make this Coconut Cream Pie!
Jenn, your recipes are amazing and I love being able to cook “almost” like a chef with your recipes! THANK YOU!!!!
Hello Fran,
I am just seeing your reply today, so hopefully this message will catch up to you!
1. The 10″ diameter two-piece metal tart tin that I use is 1 1/2″ high so crust ingredients are increased by roughly 50%. I use the entire contents of 2 Walkers Shortbread cookies. Coconut is increased proportionally as is the butter. I use about 90 g of butter (6 TBSP). I lightly grease the pan’s interior with butter and leave it in the freezer until I am ready to work on the crust. Later, the chilled, filled pie releases beautifully from the tin, though initially I use a small knife tip in between the tin and crust, working around the diameter, to start the process.
2. For the custard filling, I use 4 cups of liquid: 1 entire can of coconut milk, with whole milk making up the balance. If I have a small quantity of table cream or half&half sitting in the fridge that I wish to “use up”, I will add that to the mix to make up the 4 cups.
3. I don’t double the eggs, I use 6 egg yolks (saving/freezing the whites for other projects).
4. With respect to “thickener”, this is where it gets a little tricky. I use all-purpose flour–about 90 g (or 3/4 cup). If you incorporate cornstarch you can work out the equivalent measure, keeping in mind that cornstarch has double the thickening power of ap flour. Recently I made this pie using only 70 g of ap flour. It was delicious, but much too soft for ease of slicing–had to spoon it into individual bowls!!
5. Because I use just egg yolks, mixing the sugar/flour/salt combo gets a little tricky. I “steal” about 1/2 cup of the 4-cup milk measure to facilitate whisking. The milk is still cold, not heated, when I use it here. If you decide to split up the eggs: 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, you may not have to incorporate the 1/2 cup of milk for thinning the mixture.
My husband and his musician buddies love this dessert. But they wanted “more coconut cream filling” so I have expanded Jenn’s wonderful recipe to accommodate their wishes. It has become a family/friend favourite!
Hope this catches up to you!
I made it last weekend for my husband and I and it was delicious I did not have fine coconut chips but I toasted some Sweetened flaked coconut and it was perfect.
This was the best coconut cream pie I’ve ever had! Sweet but not too sweet, and with a wonderful, rich coconut flavor. My fiancé and I have almost polished off the whole pie in two days… slightly embarrassing, but very worth it. 🙂 Thanks for the great recipes!
LOL – glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I forgot to add the butter to the custard after cooking it. Remembered after pie was in the refrigerator. What will happen?
How did it turn out, Cynthia?
It turned out amazing- the custard was the perfect consistency- didn’t soften, was creamy. The crust stayed crispy. Delicious. Will make it again but now don’t know what to do about the butter? My family loved it and it was beautiful.
So glad it turned out well despite omitting the butter! 🙂
I plan to use homemade shortbread cookies for the crust. What would be the comparable amount (measure) required?
Hi Penny, I’m guessing it would be about 1.5 cups. Hope you enjoy!
I made this using the wrong coconut cream As I live in London and thought out was the same thing . but you know it still wasn’t bad . Lovely Amazon is delivering the Goya next week and I will try again. I will rate it properly when I make it properly
Glad it wasn’t a total flop (and that you’ll get to attempt it again with the right stuff)! 🙂
Made it again but left the Goya in my City house and found out too late so I made a homemade version using coconut cream and sugar and salt. Fingers crossed.
DELICIOUS!!!! My husband and I made this earlier today and are enjoying the finished product as I write this. Easy to follow recipe and so good!!!!!