Rich, velvety Coconut Cream Pie, filled with a luscious coconut cream filling and topped with homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut. The perfect pie for birthdays, Easter or any spring celebration!
True story: I went through my ENTIRE childhood convinced I didn’t like pie. But like so many things, it turns out I was wrong. I actually LOVE pie! I’m not really sure where my childhood anti-pie sentiments came from (a bad piece of pie? a rivalry with a sibling? a friend of mine who didn’t like pie and convinced me to do the same?) Either way, now that I know the truth, I’m committed to making up for lost time. And there’s only one way to do that (if you know what I mean!)
Starting with this Coconut Cream Pie. I’m telling you – this is the creamiest, most luxurious pie EVER. It’s like coconut pudding you can eat with a fork, topped with homemade whipped cream and paired with a buttery graham cracker crust. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it…..and after making FOUR of them to get the recipe just right…..that’s not something I ever thought I’d say again!
But that’s the deal with a good pie. It keeps calling you back for another bite! So what makes this Coconut Cream Pie SO irresistible? Well, for starters, the graham cracker crust. There’s something about the way it pairs with the coconut cream filling that’s seriously delicious. Also? I replaced the regular shredded coconut with toasted coconut (the only kind I really enjoy) and it made all the difference.
what you’ll need for this recipe
Crust – I made a graham cracker crust using graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. You can use a store bought graham cracker crust to save time!
Filling – For the filling, I used a combination of egg yolks, coconut milk, and half & half for richness. I used granulated sugar as the sweetener and cornstarch to thicken. I also added vanilla extract, almond extract, and toasted coconut for delicious flavor.
Whipped cream – I topped the pie with homemade whipped cream, made with heavy whipping cream and granulated sugar.
how to make coconut cream pie
Make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter & sugar. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 10 inch pie plate; bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Toast the coconut. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes, checking and stirring regularly to avoid burning.
Make the filling. In a large saucepan, combine the egg yolks, coconut milk, half & half, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until well-blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4 minutes more, whisking vigorously. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond, and half of the toasted coconut. Pour filling into cooled crust; place saran wrap or wax paper directly on filling. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Make the whipped cream. Place the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Combine COLD whipping cream and sugar in the chilled bowl; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Top the pie. Gently spoon the whipped cream onto chilled pie and top with remaining toasted coconut.
pro tips
- Watch the coconut closely when toasting it and be sure to stir it often to avoid burning.
- For best whipped cream results, be sure the whipping cream, bowl, and beaters are all well chilled.
- For the perfect slice, place the pie in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before serving. This is not a necessary step, but will help you get nice clean slices.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute heavy cream or half & half for the coconut milk
- Use a store bought graham cracker crust
- Make a regular pie crust instead of a graham cracker crust
- Use un-toasted coconut in the filling
- Add coconut extract to the filling
- Add vanilla, almond or coconut extract to the whipped cream
- Use store bought whipped topping in place of homemade
More Delicious Pie Recipes
Looking for more pie recipes to try? I’ve got you covered for every season!
Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter melted
Coconut Cream Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cup half & half
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut toasted, divided
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar.
- Press firmly into bottom and up sides of a 10 inch pie plate.
- Bake at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely.
Toasted Coconut
- Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and baking at 350° for 8-10 minutes, checking and stirring regularly to avoid burning.
Coconut Cream Filling
- In a large saucepan, combine egg yolks, coconut milk, half & half, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Whisk until well-blended.
- Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4 minutes more, whisking vigorously.
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, almond, and half of the toasted coconut.
- Pour filling into cooled crust; place saran wrap or wax paper directly on filling.
- Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Whipped Cream
- *Before starting, make sure whipping cream is very cold and place mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Combine cold heavy whipping cream and sugar in chilled bowl.
- Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Gently spoon onto chilled pie and top with remaining toasted coconut.
- Optional: Before serving, chill pie in freezer for 15 minutes to aid in slicing.
I love coconut cream pie and I love that you toasted the coconut too! I need to try this pronto!
I can just SEE the creaminess and I am dying to taste it! I guess that can only mean one thing, I NEED to make this asap!
I love coconut cream pie! Yours looks perfect!
I’m so glad you have come to love pie because it is like SERIOUSLY my favorite dessert! 😉 This looks amazing btw!
What brand of coconut milk did you use for the coconut cream pie?
I’m glad you came around because now we can be friends, ha! Hands in the air, I’m ready for pi day!! LOVE this pie!
Oh coconut cream pie is my faaaaavorite! This one looks incredible and I love the addition of the almond extract!
I’ll take two slices!!
So glad you love pie now because this looks beyond amazing! Coconut cream pie is one of my favorites and I love that you toasted the coconut too! Swoon!!
Thanks so much, Kelly! I can’t believe how delicious it was….it definitely helps that I LOVE coconut! <3
Oh my goodness! Cream pies are my FAVORITE! I usually use a pudding mix, but love that you made a homemade filling. yum!
Thanks, Aimee!! Pudding mix would definitely have been easier, but I LOVED the homemade filling! 🙂
Oh good LORD! This is one of my favorite pies, and that height has my mouth watering up!!
This is my grandmother’s favorite pie and I am headed to visit her for a week, I think I should make this for her. Thanks for the recipe.
There is nothing better than a perfect piece of pie!!
I am a huge lover of coconut pie! This looks fantastic! 😀
I can’t wait to share this with my mom. She’s been looking for a good coconut cream pie recipe
Coconut Pudding that you can eat with a fork sounds like the perfect dessert to me. I saw this on Facebook and fell in love with it!
This looks wonderful!! I love all things coconut and I definitely need to give this a try 🙂
Coconut cream pie says 1/2 – 1/2 what is that,
This looks delicious! Do you think I can make the day before and freeze? Then take out a couple hours before serving?
Made this for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit. Very creamy and not too sweet. Family wanted the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sue! Thank you for letting me know!
My husband said, “We are never again buying store made coconut cream pie”! This was easy and so delicious… Adding it to my recipe box! Being from the islands… Coconut milk is right up my alley! Thank you
Easter is coming and this recipe is really ideal for this time of year, I’ll save it to prepare on that date during the family lunch, I believe it will be a great success.
So I’m looking at your recipe and trying to figure our if its just 2 cups of coconut or 2 cups and 1 can???
The texture of the coconut cream pie is very good.
I almost did not use the almond extract but did so thinking it might complement the coconut.
The almond extract overwhelms / dominates the coconut flavor. I will not use the almond extract again for this recipe. I will use coconut extract, or increase the vanilla extract the next time I use this recipe.
Otherwise, good pie.
Thanks for the feedback!
Ooo! I just made this…5 of us are enjoying it at this moment! Thanks for the recipe! I used tapioca starch instead of corn because of an allergy and it worked out great!
So happy you enjoyed it!
This recipe was made & followed exactly as shown, but came out a mess. The crust had to be cooked for a half hour because the amount of butter that the recipe called for was too much. Will not be making this again