Coconut Cream Pie
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Filled with coconut custard, whipped cream and heaps of toasted coconut, this coconut cream pie is downright dreamy.
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.”
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Cream Pie
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.
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.
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.
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Coconut Cream Pie
Filled with coconut custard, whipped cream and heaps of toasted coconut, this coconut cream pie is downright dreamy.
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
- 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.
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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Absolutely delicious! I’ve made this pie twice now and both times I received rave reviews. The only tweaks I made were I used half and half instead of whole milk for extra creaminess and I added an additional 2 tablespoons of cream of coconut for a richer taste. Such a fabulous recipe- this is a pie that will bring you to tears!!!!!!!!
Also, would you use coconut extract in place of the rum?
Hi Lindsay, you can use more coconut milk in place of the rum; I think coconut extract would work fine too. Enjoy!
Is the cream of coconut that you use sweetened? Looking online I see there is sweetened and unsweetened. Thanks! If you could tell me a brand too, I’d appreciate it.
Hi Lindsay, the cream of coconut is sweetened and the brand I use is Coco Lopez. Hope that helps!
Hi. I would like to bake this pie to bring to thanksgiving. Is there any way to make any of the components in advance? And if I top the pie with the whipped cream And topping before bringing it to someone’s home, do you think it will be a melted mess by the time for dessert? Thank you!
Hi Raquel, you can make the pie up to about 24 hours in advance. Any longer than that and the crust will get soggy. If you’re traveling with it, I’d suggest adding the whipped cream topping at your destination. (Just be sure to keep the whipped cream very cold, or it won’t hold.) Hope you enjoy!
I tried this recipe recently because I also love the Capital Grill version and always thought about trying to make it myself so I was so pleased to see it here on Jenn’s website. It turned out perfect. My guests enjoyed it. However I am giving it 4 stars because 1) It’s just too much work and prep even for me and I cook all the time. 2) The flavor was good but not great enough to warrant the effort in my opinion unless you skipped some of the steps or bought it ready made like the whipped topping or crust 3) If you do attempt to make it, I usually put my tart pan on a baking sheet in the oven to make lifting it out of the hot oven easier so be really careful when you take it out of the oven, the hot crust is pretty crumbly so I would not try to move the tart pan until it’s cooled. Just place the whole sheet on a cooling rack otherwise you risk the bottom of the tart pan coming apart if you tried to pick it up while it’s still hot. 4) The main reason I would not make this dish again is that I found the crust on the bottom to be a little to tough to break through with a fork or even a knife. It was perfectly cooked an once you got it in your mouth is was great but it made for a dessert that didn’t flow well in my opinion. The whipped topping and filling was so soft and delicious until you got to trying to break the bottom crust with your fork. I could see my guests having some difficulty also even though they said it was delicious. Perhaps I would make it a little thinner or add more butter to the bottom crust, I’m not sure. Or perhaps Jenn can suggest something to make the bottom crust softer. I may have been doing something wrong and the actual recipe has a much softer bottom crust.
Hi Anne, yes, this pie is definitely an undertaking but glad that, for the most part, you enjoyed it. If you’d like the crust a little softer, make it a day ahead of time and the crust will soften up in the fridge.
Hi Jenn, love all of your recipes so much! I’m making this tomorrow for my husband’s birthday and would like our toddler to be able to eat it with us. Will leaving out the rum alter the taste much? Thanks!
Thank you, Kristy! It’s totally fine to make it without the rum; I’d add more coconut milk in its place. Hope your family enjoys!
First I have to say that I’m so grateful to finally find a cooking blog where the reviews that are posted are from people who have actually made the recipe! I don’t know if you delete all the others, but I get so frustrated when there’s 100’s of “reviews” but all they say is how delicious it looks and how they’ll have to try it one day. That doesn’t do me any good. I want feedback, and I found it here! Thanks!
I made this and it was just like everyone else described……fabulous! Not too sweet, good coconut flavor and a tastey crust. I used a splash of vanilla instead of rum and sweetened coconut for the topping because I didn’t want to make another store run. This is definitely going in my recipe book! Now I’m off to check out your other posts with real reviews and feedback.
This was amazingly delicious! I use your blog all the time and ALL the things I have made so far have turned out PERFECT. Thank you!
Hi Jenn, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your wonderful recipes! I’m never concerned about a single one of your dishes not turning out perfect. And I must say, that is high praise since I’m very fussy. My question today is about the coconut garnish you’ve used. Is it packaged or did you use a fresh coconut? I’ve been on a search for months trying to find coconut similar. I’m from Ontario, Canada and I’ve even been online etc. but to no avail. Can you please help? Thank you again for everything!!
Thank you, Kendra. That is so nice to read! These are the coconut flakes I use. Hope that helps!
Oh my, you have created perfection! I came across your site a few months ago and well you have me hooked. Great recipes that are easy to follow and are spectacular! Making your peel ‘n eat shrimp tonight. Thank you!
Coconut cream pie is one of my favourites! I have tried two pies in my area, both used a graham cracker crust. I am going to try that and see how it turns out. I appreciate that it might get soggy but I don’t expect this would last more than a day around my house! hahaha
For the lactose intolerant, what would you suggest as a substitute for the whipped cream topping?
Hi Pearl, You could just leave it off — it will still be delicious — or use a dairy-free whipped topping, if you have one that you like. Enjoy!
If omitting the rum, how much extra coconut milk to add to both pie and topping? Also can coconut flakes be added to the filling to make it a Coconut Custard Pie or do you have a separate recipe for that to share?
LOVE your website. Your recipes are phenomenal just like some I have and made…
Hi Deb, Just replace the rum with the same amount of coconut milk in both the pie and the topping. I probably wouldn’t add coconut flakes to the custard, as I love the creamy texture — but if that won’t bother you, go for it. And so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jen,
Your website is awesome! I have made a lot of your recipes and they are all wonderful! The coconut cream pie was unbelievable!! I’ve eaten at a lot of high end restaurants and this pie was the best desert Ive ever had! Thanks so much!
This pie is amazing! We have some pretty serious coconut cream pie fans in our family, and I made this pie for my oldest daughter’s birthday–she’s the biggest coconut fan. Everyone said it was the BEST coconut cream pie they had ever had. The praises just keep coming–it is the perfect coconut cream/dream pie. And I didn’t change a thing–followed Jenn’s recipe to the letter. Thanks, Jenn!!!!!
Is there a way to make this coconut cream pie without the rum? Thank you. It looks so good.
Hi Christie- yes, you could just leave it out or replace it with more coconut milk.
Hi Jenn,
I want to make this pie, it looks so good, but I cannot buy cream of coconut in my area. I can buy canned coconut milk only. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Hi Kallie, I don’t really know of a good substitute for cream of coconut. One reader mentioned they subbed coconut oil for cream of coconut and it turned out nicely. Let me know if you try it that way!
Very, very good. Followed recipe exactly.
Not inexpensive to make though.
Hi Jen,
Can I bake the pie crust in advance, freeze it and thaw it in the fridge one day before assembling?
Thx
Sure, Soraya — that will work well.
Hi Jen,
What can I sub for the rum? Pregnant sister wants a coconut pie!!
Hi Erin, you can just leave the rum out (or replace it with more coconut milk). Hope your sister enjoys!
Hi Jen! I made this for Christmas (without any modifications to the ingredients– I got too scared I’d mess it up) and it was a HUGE hit! First dessert to be gobbled up. I made it in a pie plate because I lost my tart pan and it still was amazing. Thank you for all of your recipes– they never ever fail me!
Also– I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find unsweetened flaked coconut! Ended up finding it– Bob’s Red Mill brand for those who don’t have Whole Foods.
Excellent recipe! Everyone at the dinner party was ranting and raving it – so easy to make but much better than any store-bought version!
Hi-
Can you substitute the malibu rum with anything else?
Hi Jenine, Any rum or booze will work, or you can just add more coconut milk.
How much of this can be made ahead of time and how far ahead?
Hi Carol, I would say one day ahead at most, otherwise the crust will get soggy.
Hi Jennifer! Love all of your recipes! Thank you for what you do! Question: how does this pie freeze? Thanks again! God speed!
Thanks, Vickie! Unfortunately, this pie cannot be frozen. Sorry!
I made this yesterday for my sister in law’s birthday, it tasted absolutely amazing and she loved it!! This pie was not hard to make and came together beautifully!!
I have so enjoyed your recipes Jen – and have made many of them!! People always rave and ask me where I got the recipe- I even pass along your website at bridal showers!!
WOW! I made this pie for my birthday. I love anything coconut so I knew I would love this pie. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Jenn’s detailed explanation will guide you right through the recipe and you will end up with PERFECTION! Oh – and you can use the leftover coconut to make Jenn’s Coconut Shrimp!
Just lovely! Easy to make and fabulous flavors. I will definitely make this again. It is quit a decadent dessert!!!
Sara D
This was so good my husband and I devoured the entire pie in a couple of days.
I didn’t have a tart pan, so I used a springform pan, which worked fine, but wasn’t very pretty.
I’d like to buy a tart pan, but live in a rural area where there aren’t kitchen stores. Could you recommend an online kitchen store?
Thanks for your great site and recipes!
Hi Jennifer, So glad you liked the pie! I love Chicago Metallic bakeware…here’s a link:
http://www.chicagometallicbakeware.com/bakeware-20/type-of-products/pie-tart-pans/10-quiche-pan.html
Awesome! Thank you!
Loved this coconut pie! Made it for my mother-in-law’s birthday and had no left-overs. Recipe was easy to follow. Definitely will make it again.
My pie is sitting in the fridge, waiting for my dinner guests to arrive….its so stinkin good, I may serve dessert FIRST!!!!!
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.
I’d like to be able to serve this to a group that includes children but the rum in the whipped cream topping doesn’t get cooked out – can you suggest a substitute? I know I could leave it out of the topping, but would that make the overall end flavor flat? Thanks!
Hi Erin, It’s perfectly fine to leave the rum out — instead you could add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Enjoy!
Can I use an 8.5 imch cake tin?
Hi Caroline, That’s a little small; I’d stick with the larger size.
My husband and I had this dessert at The Capital Grille a few years ago and LOVED it. I came across this recipe in an attempt to recreate it for him, and I’m so glad I did! It has become a staple at our family’s Easter meal-always requested. I also just won my first dessert competition at a county festival with it (attributed here, of course)! Thank you Jenn!! Everyone loves this pie!
My family loved the pie! It is easy to do since you provided excellent directions. Thanks again Jenn for another winner!
Oh my sweet goodness! This coconut pie looks wonderful! I am going to the market right away and pick up the ingredients to make. I thought I had the best coconut pie recipe but I do believe this one has mine beat. Thank you
This is a dream. Very important to lightly toast those coconut shavings and not use that vile coconut pairings and sugar stuff that they sell in the grocery store (bleh). I used coconut cream from Trader Joe’s (same thing I’m pretty sure)
Hi,
I am wondering if the rum is necessary, or can be replaced with something? Does the alcohol eventually cook out once the pie is baked, or can you still taste it? I am a big fan of coconut, but I don’t drink any alcohol, so that is the only thing turning me off of trying this recipe.
Hi Shannon, You can’t taste it at all but it’s fine to just replace it with more coconut milk — it will still be delicious 🙂
Can I use plain rum instead of coconut rum? I would hate to buy a whole new bottle if I didn’t have to.
Hi Mary, Yes, that’s perfectly fine. Enjoy!
I have an 11″ tart pan, what would you increase the ingredients by?
Hi Bronwyn, I’d probably try to increase everything by about 25%.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! This pie was awesome!!!!! I sampled this pie at “Full Moon”” a barbecue restaurant here in the South. Well to say the least I am not a coconut fan. After sampling a bite of my husbands slice I was in heaven. At that point I proceeded to go online to see if I could find a receipe simular. Well yours was awesome! !! My husband and coworkers loved it. Keep posting excellent receipes like this!!