This Coconut Custard Pie is bakery-quality with just 8 ingredients! The filling requires no stovetop cooking and is so rich thanks to the eggs, cream, and coconut flakes. Baked in a store-bought pie crust, it's a delicious make-ahead dessert for your family.
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Coconut Custard Pie is one of those desserts that's served anytime of year in the South. I've made several different versions of this pie over the years, but this is my favorite recipe since it's easy for any level of baker to make and fail proof.
After testing this recipe over and over, my goal was to make the coconut custard filling taste like a professional bakery without all of the difficult steps. I think I mastered my shortcut version since this pie only takes 10 minutes to prep. Forget cooking the filling like a classic cream pie, this custard filling is whisked in a bowl, then baked until just cooked through.
While you can easily make your pie crust from scratch, I'm a big fan of the store-bought pie crusts, they cut almost 2 hours out of the process! My family loves this Southern coconut custard pie recipe and it's become a dessert that's always requested for Easter and during the holidays.
Two of their other favorite pies are my Honey Roasted Peanut Pie or German Chocolate Pie. You should definitely give them a try.
Shortcuts
- No homemade pie crust or blind baking needed! I use store-bought pie crust dough to keep this dessert quick. It doesn't get soggy either after being baked with the filling.
- One consistent oven temperature. Many custard pies have the oven start at a higher temperature then reduce during baking. Not my easy coconut custard pie. It's the same temperature for the whole baking time, so you can set a timer and go about doing something else with that time.
- No mixer or fancy equipment needed. All you need is a bowl for mixing and a pie plate!
- An easy mix and bake custard filling. Forget having to cook the filling on the stovetop (and potentially scramble the eggs, ah!), my filling just whisks together and bakes.
Ingredients
None of the ingredients for this old fashioned coconut custard pie are expensive or difficult to find. It's a short and easy list (8 ingredients!) to keep your dessert prep stress-free.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Pie crust: Keep it easy with a store-bought crust or refrigerated, rolled up pie dough to cut down on the prep time.
- Large eggs: Binds the custard filling together.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling perfectly.
- Whole milk: Always buy whole milk for it's extra creaminess and rich flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: To pair with the whole milk for added richness in the custard.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the coconut flavor. For an extra burst of tropical flavor, use coconut extract.
- Salt: A little bit helps to bring out all of the other flavors.
- Sweetened flaked coconut: A key ingredient for both texture and flavor.
- Cool Whip or sweetened whipped cream: Use store-bought for a shortcut or make it from scratch in minutes!
- Toasted coconut: Totally optional but so worth it in my opinion! I give you the easy steps to lightly toast it in the oven for a bakery-worthy garnish.
How to Make Coconut Custard Pie
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the pie crust: thaw, remove packaging, or if using Pillsbury pie dough arrange in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Keep the pie crust in the fridge while you make the filling.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium size bowl until blended together. Whisk in the sugar. Gradually stir in milk and whipping cream, then add the extract and salt. Stir in the coconut and immediately pour into the unbaked pie shell.
- Carefully, place the pie plate in the center rack or lower third portion of the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or just until the middle of the pie jiggles slightly. A knife inserted in the center should come back clean.
- Let the pie cool 2 hours at room temperature, then chill 1 hour for the best slicing. Keep stored in the fridge.
- Garnish with whipped cream and *toasted coconut, if you like. Strictly optional, but it sure does make a stunning presentation!
*How to toast coconut garnish: If you choose to garnish with toasted coconut, arrange 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the coconut turns golden brown.
Pro Tips
- Shape the store-bought pie crust dough in the pie plate and place in the fridge to chill. Chilling the crust helps it to hold it's shape while baking so the sides don't sink.
- To know when the coconut custard pie is finished baking, insert a butter knife into the center and if it comes out clean, then it's ready. The center of the pie filling should jiggle when you wiggle the pan. If it's firm, you've over-baked your pie.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for first for 2 hours then chill in the fridge. If you put the pie into the fridge hot, it could split and also not set correctly.
- Coconut custard pie needs to chill at least 1 hour prior to serving. Don't skip this step, it's key for that classic, rich, and velvety texture with every bite. Plus it's so much easier to slice.
- Garnish with toasted coconut, if you likw. This is gilding the lily and a favorite part of the pie for my family. Adding the toasted coconut to garnish, gives a nice little crunchy texture and nutty yet sweet flavor that takes this pie to another level.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use a pre-shaped, frozen pie crust instead of shaping your own. Be sure to thaw the crust before filling and baking.
- With the filling, instead of 1 cup milk and 1 cup whipping cream, substitute 2 cups half and half or 1 ½ cups whole milk and ½ cup melted butter.
- For less sugar, use ¾ cup Splenda Magic Baker granules or 6 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend.
Storage
Store any leftover pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or as slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don't recommend freezing coconut custard pie since it can change the texture once it thaws.
This is the ideal dessert to prep in advance. If you are entertaining a crowd, you can bake it the day or two before and garnish right before serving.
FAQs
Coconut custard pie has a filling that is mixed and then baked in the oven to set. Alternatively, coconut cream pie has a filling that's cooked on the stovetop in a saucepan then put into the pie crust and refrigerated to set. Both are topped with whipped cream to serve.
Over-baking the filling can make it dense and jello-like in texture rather than smooth and creamy.
Yes, with the nature of the eggs and cream in the filling, this pie needs to be stored in the fridge.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
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Coconut Custard Pie
SAVE THIS RECIPE
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust unbaked
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- Cool Whip or sweetened whipped cream (optional)
- Toasted coconut* (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the pie crust: thaw, remove packaging, or if using Pillsbury pie dough arrange in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Keep the pie crust in the fridge while you make the filling.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium size bowl until blended together. Whisk in the sugar. Gradually stir in milk and whipping cream, then add the extract and salt. Stir in the coconut and immediately pour into the unbaked pie shell.
- Carefully, place the pie plate in the center rack or lower third portion of the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or just until the middle of the pie jiggles slightly. A knife inserted in the center should come back clean.
- Let the pie cool 2 hours at room temperature, then chill 1 hour for the best slicing. Keep stored in the fridge.
- To gild the lily, garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut. It's totally optional, though.
*How to toast coconut garnish
- Arrange 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the coconut turns golden brown.
Notes
- To Store: Store any leftover pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or as slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing coconut custard pie since it can change the texture once it thaws.
- Make Ahead: This is the ideal dessert to prep in advance. If you are entertaining a crowd, you can even bake it the day before and garnish right before serving, too easy!
- Shape the store-bought pie crust in the pie plate and place into the fridge to chill. Chilling the crust helps it to hold it's shape while baking so the sides don't sink.
- To know when the coconut custard pie is finished baking, insert a butter knife into the center and if it comes out clean, then it's ready. The center of the pie filling should jiggle when you wiggle the pan. If it's firm, you've over-baked your pie.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for first for 2 hours then chill in the fridge. If you put the pie into the fridge hot, it could split and also not set correctly.
- Coconut custard pie needs to chill prior to serving, chill at least 1 hour. Don't skip this step, it's key for that classic, rich and velvety texture with every bite. Plus it's so much easier to slice.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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