This tropical delight always takes me back to my childhood summers. My mom would make it for our annual family picnic, and we’d all go nuts over her perfect coconut cream pie. These days, I bake it myself to recreate those sweet memories whenever I’m craving a taste of nostalgia.

I want to share my easy recipe with you so you can create your memories with this delicious dessert. Keep on for all the deets!

Why You’ll Love This Coconut Cream Pie Recipe

I’ve made this coconut cream pie recipe countless times for my customers, and it’s always a hit! Here are a few key reasons:

Exotic flavor: The flavor is wonderfully exotic and tropical, thanks to the rich coconut. It’s a nice change of pace from regular cream pies, especially for coconut lovers.
Comforting texture: The texture of this classic dessert is thick, velvety, and comforting. The creamy coconut filling just melts in your mouth.
Aesthetic appeal: The toasted coconut topping makes it a visual showstopper. Customers at my old bakery went gaga over its Instagram-worthy looks!
High customizability: You can easily put your own spin on it by adding extras like a graham cracker crust, chocolate shavings, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

9 Steps to Make Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients

Filling

Egg yolks (4 large)
Cornstarch (⅓ cup)
Full-fat coconut milk (1 can, 14 ounces): Make sure it’s full-fat to fetch that luxurious, creamy texture.
Half-and-half (1 and ¼ cups)
Granulated sugar (⅔ cup)
Salt (¼ teaspoon)
Sweetened shredded coconut (1 and ⅓ cups): Bring in the chewy texture and coconut fireworks in each bite.
Softened unsalted butter (2 ½ tablespoons)
Pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) and (optional) Coconut extract (⅓ teaspoon): These will usher in a beautiful, aromatic flavor. The coconut extract intensifies the coconut presence. Highly recommended if you’re a coconut enthusiast.

Whipped Cream

Heavy cream or Heavy whipping cream (1 ½ cups): The base for our fluffy whipped topping.
Powdered sugar or granulated sugar (3 tablespoons)
Pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Optional for garnish: shredded coconut, coconut chips, toasted coconut flakes, or coconut shavings.

And don’t forget that you’ll also need an unbaked, flaky crust for this coconut cream pie recipe. You can make your own from scratch or opt for the convenience of a pre-made crust (make sure it’s high-quality to hold the coconut cream filling without leaking).

Instructions

Make the Pie Crust

Step 1

You will need to bake the pie crust fully blind. Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) in advance. Follow this pie crust recipe of mine for more details. Once baked, let the baked pie crust cool completely for 2 hours.

Make the Filling

Step 2

In a bowl, combine cornstarch and egg yolks. Give them a whisk and put the bowl aside for now.

Step 3

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, mix and whisk the salt, sugar, half-and-half, and coconut milk together until it comes to a boil. Keep it boiling for about 3 minutes, then decrease to medium-low.

Step 4

Carefully take about half a cup of the hot milk mixture and pour it gradually into your bowl of egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk continuously to prevent the cornstarch and egg yolk mixture from scrambling.

Step 5

Once done with the tempering, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan while whisking. Watch as the mixture starts to thicken to a pudding-like consistency. This should happen quite quickly, and bubbles might start bursting, so be careful.

Step 6

After 2 minutes, remove the mixture from heat and blend in the vanilla extract, coconut extract, butter, and coconut flakes, if using them.

Step 7

Pour the filling you’ve just made into the completely cooled pie crust. Once done, use plastic wrap to cover everything tightly to avoid skin formation. Refrigerate it for a minimum of 3 hours (you can store it there overnight, too) to allow it to set properly.

Make the Cream Topping

Step 8

In a mixing bowl, whip together sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream with a mixer until you reach medium peaks. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Aim for the right consistency, neither too soft nor too stiff, just right for piping or spreading.

Once the pie has set, gracefully top it with whipped cream, either by piping or spreading it. For a flavor twist, try my marshmallow fluff frosting or caramel buttercream frosting.

Decorate and Serve

Step 9

Add an extra sprinkle of coconut flakes for a garnish if you like. The pie can be served immediately. You can also let it chill, uncovered, for a few more hours to solidify the flavors together.

Tips on Making Coconut Cream Pie

Crust

It’s ideal to prepare the crust’s dough the night before, as it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. If you’re pressed for time, just make sure it rests cold for the minimum duration.

Coconut Milk

Let me get this straight – you need real full-fat unsweetened coconut milk for this coconut pie. It’s a cooking ingredient, not a beverage, so don’t go grabbing those refrigerated cartons.

The canned stuff is what you want, usually hanging out near the Thai food goodies at the grocery store. Give it a good shake before using it to mix up that thick, luscious cream inside.

Sugar in Whipped Cream

Now, you’ll find bakers divided into two camps – the granulated sugar squad and the confectioners’ sugar crew. Honestly, if you’re only working with a few tablespoons, it won’t make a huge difference in what you use. I tend to stick with whichever I have on hand.

You can learn more about the whipped cream frosting in this guide.

Coconut Topping

For that crispy coconut crunch on top, I usually grab a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes from the baking aisle. But feel free to use sweetened shredded coconut or any form of those flaky coconut bits that catch your eye.

If you want to amp up the toasty flavor, just spread them out on a baking sheet and pop them in a 300°F oven for 7-8 minutes or until they’re as golden as you like.

Make Ahead & Freezing

If you’re a plan-ahead kind of baker like me, you’ll be glad to know the pie dough can be prepped up to 5 days in advance and chilled, or even frozen for up to 3 months.

There are tons of ways to get a head start on this recipe, too – like baking the pie crust ahead of time and freezing it before adding the coconut cream pie filling. Just make sure to wrap it up tight with an extra layer of plastic before stashing it in the freezer.

When you’re ready to serve, simply thaw it in the fridge or on the counter, then pile on that whipped cream topping. As for leftovers? No problem. Cover up any extras, and they’ll be kept nicely in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Something Else If I Don’t Have Full-Fat Coconut Milk?

Absolutely! A great alternative is the adjusted coconut pie recipe with cream of coconut and some light coconut milk. This mixture will closely mimic the rich texture and flavor of full-fat coconut milk.

What Is the Best Topping for an Enhanced Coconut Flavor?

For a richer coconut flavor in your pie, I recommend using toasted shredded coconut or coconut chips as your topping. You might also try a fluffy layer of coconut whipped cream, which doubles up the coconut intensity wonderfully.

What Are Gluten-Free Alternatives for Flour in the Pie Crust?

A mixture of almond flour and coconut flour makes an excellent substitute for traditional flour in pie crusts. When thickening pie fillings, cornstarch or arrowroot powder are my go-to’s for great results without any gluten.

—That’s all from me on this luscious recipe for coconut cream pie! I hope you give it a try and that it turns out as delightfully coconutty as you imagined.