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Classic Coconut Custard Pie

Coconut Custard Pie
As a fan of coconut, I like it in most types of desserts and baked goods. This includes cakes, cookies, muffins and pies. Coconut cream pie is probably the most common type of coconut pie you’ll find. It is made with a pudding-like filling that is packed with shredded coconut and poured into a prebaked pie shell, very similar to a chocolate cream pie. Coconut Custard Pie is a little different than a cream pie and just might be a better way to enjoy coconut.

Coconut Custard Pie has an eggy custard base that is not pre-cooked, but baked right in the pie shell. Rather than having a pudding-like texture, it has a more delicate texture to it, like that of a creme brulee or other baked custard. Of course, this particular pie is also packed with coconut, so some of that delicate texture usually associated with baked custards is lost with the generous amount of shredded coconut that is also in the filling because that adds a lot of texture to the pie.

I use sweetened shredded coconut, but you can also use unsweetened without making any changes to the recipe. Some coconut pie recipes call for using only toasted coconut. You can use only toasted coconut in this recipe if you prefer that toasty flavor. I prefer to use untoasted coconut because I like the contrast it creates as the pie bakes: the top becomes crispy and toasted, while the coconut inside the filling remains slightly chewier. Either way, you end up with a pie that has terrific coconut flavor, a creamy and eggy base and a buttery, flaky pie crust.

Coconut Custard Pie

Coconut Custard Pie
Unbaked crust for 9-inch pie (recipe below)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup milk (any kind)
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll out pie dough and place into 9-inch pie pan (instructions below).
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and salt until well combined. Add in eggs and whisk until well incorporated. Whisk in milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir in coconut.
Pour mixture into prepared, unbaked pie shell.
Bake for about 50 minutes, until pie is set.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 8-10.

All Butter Single Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into pieces
4-6 tbsp ice water

Whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips, pressing it into the flour mixture and breaking it up, until mixture resemble very coarse sand and no pieces larger than a large pea remain. Using a fork, stir in ice water until dough almost comes together into a ball. Press dough into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 30-60 minutes before rolling.
Place unwrapped dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a disc. Roll out until it is a circle about 11-inches in diameter. Hold your pie plate over the dough to ensure that there is enough overhang to cover the sides of the pie dish. Carefully roll dough around your rolling pin and unroll it into the pie plate. Press dough gently into the dish; do not stretch the dough.
Chill crust for 30 minutes before using to prevent the dough from shrinking during baking.

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16 Comments
  • Tiffiny Felix
    January 27, 2012

    Oh, lovely….I <3 coconut! 🙂 Just pinned it!

  • Maureen
    January 27, 2012

    This pie looks delicious. I love that it’s baked in the shell and not poured in as a finished pudding. Can’t wait to try this one in my kitchen.

  • Valerie
    January 28, 2012

    This is my idea of heaven! I can’t imagine anything better than sweet flaky coconut nestled inside an all-butter pie crust!

  • Ela
    January 29, 2012

    Love it! I’ll eat anything with coconut, it’s my favorite. We’ll be making this soon. Thanks.

  • Nadia
    January 29, 2012

    Made this today! I love coconut cream pies, and this looks great as well…thanks!

  • Tina @ Babycakes Blog
    January 29, 2012

    That looks really good, I love coconut! I am going to pin that one for sure and try sometime in the near future!

  • platoboy
    January 30, 2012

    made it tonight will have it tommorrow

  • Living The Sweet Life
    January 30, 2012

    How delicious 🙂 – – I love how your pie crust turned out, it looks incredibly flakey ~yumm!!

  • CookwareBliss
    February 1, 2012

    I’m not a big fan of coconut, but I know a bunch of people who are. I will pass this recipe along. Thanks for sharing!

  • marcella
    February 15, 2012

    Made this last night for Valentines dessert and it was really delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  • Janice
    January 5, 2013

    This pie was a huge hit at our Christmas dinner. The custard was creamy with lots of coconut to make it exceptionally delicious. We didn’t have any left over. I will definitely make it again and again. Thanks again!

  • Kristie
    January 20, 2013

    THANK YOU!!! My husband is among the pickiest eaters I’ve ever met, and he said this pie made even his Grandma’s taste like store-bought in comparison!!!!! I used a mix of toasted and raw shredded coconut (since I’d already toasted half the package I bought for a recipe that turned out so horrid even I couldn’t stand eating it) and slightly less-than-full 1/4c measurements for the sugar since he doesn’t like desserts super-sweet. Will definitely be saving this recipe for life! Thank you so much again 🙂 The look on his face totally made my day 🙂

  • JustOneMoreBite
    September 8, 2013

    This coconut custard pie looks delicious! We’ve been looking for a recipe to make a coconut custard, and this might just be it!

  • pie lover
    February 3, 2014

    I used a pre-made crust – make sure you blind bake it before filling – the crust was raw. I liked the filling, others wanted a smoother filling.

  • Melissa
    February 23, 2014

    This is delicious!!! I used the coconut oil pie crust recipe from here and substituted the melted butter for melted coconut oil in this recipe (I was careful not to get it hot–just warm enough to melt, which doesn’t take much), and it was divine! I took this pie and the raspberry custard pie (with blackberries instead) to a Bingo night fundraiser, and they were both hits. This one was my favorite though.

  • Christie
    June 14, 2015

    This pie is delicious. Have made it several times. Even made it with cocoa for chocalate custard. Just as good. I have also just cooked the mixture on the stove top and put it in bowls. Still so delicious. This is a keeper.

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