Coconut Pie

My recipe for homemade Coconut Pie skips the shortcuts and ditches the boxed pudding mixes. It’s made from scratch with real coconut milk, toasted coconut, and a velvety smooth filling that’s irresistibly rich and creamy. Trust me, you’ll taste the difference in every bite.

A coconut cream pie with a slice missing, topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut, sits on a glass pie plate next to a bowl of toasted coconut and a whole coconut.

Creamy Coconut Pie

My recipe for Coconut Pie doesn’t get any help from a pudding mix or a frozen crust. This version is built entirely from scratch, starting with a buttery pie crust and ending with a thick coconut filling that’s rich and creamy.

I use real coconut milk and toasted sweetened coconut to ensure you get plenty of coconut flavor with every bite. I finish it with little light and fluffy whipped cream on top for the perfect contrast and an extra sprinkle of toasted coconut for even more flavor. It’s simply pie perfection!

Why My Coconut Pie is the Best

Perfect texture – You can slice it and count on it to hold its shape even after that second helping.
The crust stays crisp – Even after chilling overnight, the crust stays crisp so you don’t end up with a soggy bottom.
Delicious balance of flavor – The sweetness is perfect. It’s just sweet enough without overwhelming the coconut.

Ingredients for Easy Coconut Pie

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.

Ingredients for Coconut Pie recipe are the following: a bowl of flour, two sticks of butter, a small bowl of sugar, a small bowl of salt, and a bowl of water arranged on a marble surface.

For the Crust:

All-purpose flour – Gives the crust structure and helps it stay crisp after baking.
White sugar – Just enough to sweeten the dough.
Salt – Balances the sweetness and brings out flavor in both the crust and the filling.
Cold butter – Keeps the crust flaky. Make sure it’s cold so it doesn’t melt too fast.
Cold water – Helps bring the dough together without activating too much gluten.

Various baking ingredients including eggs, milk, sugar, shredded coconut, flour, salt, butter, vanilla extract, and water arranged in bowls on a white surface.

For the Cream Center:

Shredded sweetened coconut – I toast it to bring out the flavor.
Egg yolks – I’ve tested this recipe with whole eggs, but yolks alone make the filling richer, creamier, and more stable—no weeping or rubbery texture.
Cornstarch – Helps the filling set up to the perfect consistency.
Whole milk – Keeps the filling creamy without making it too thick or heavy.
Coconut milk – I tested with regular milk, but coconut milk gives the pie that true coconut flavor and a smooth, velvety texture you just can’t get otherwise.
Granulated sugar – Sweetens the filling just enough to complement the coconut.
Butter – Adds richness and smoothness at the end of cooking the filling.
Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavor and makes it taste homemade.
Coconut extract – Just a hint to add a little extra coconut flavor.
Heavy whipping cream – Whips up fluffy and light for a perfect topping.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream without making it gritty.

Suggestions

If you’re short on time, a refrigerated pie dough like Pillsbury works well. Avoid frozen crusts that come in foil pans; they tend to shrink, crack, or turn soggy under this custard-style filling.
You can replace the whipped topping with meringue and torch it lightly for a show-stopping finish.
Swap the pie crust for a graham cracker crust to change up the texture.

How to Make From-Scratch Coconut Pie

Top view of a blender containing flour, sugar, and a small amount of pink salt on a white marble surface for Coconut Pie recipe

Overhead view of a blender containing flour and several cubes of butter on a white marble surface for the Coconut Pie recipe

For the Crust

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks sandy with pea-sized pieces throughout.
Slowly add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until the dough begins to clump together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gather it into a ball, divide in half, and shape each half into a disk.
Wrap one disk in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. (Freeze the second for another pie.)
Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then roll it out into a 12-inch circle.
Fit it into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.

A pie dish lined with parchment paper and filled with uncooked rice, used as pie weights on an unbaked pie crust for Coconut pie recipe

An empty, baked pie crust in a clear glass pie dish on a white marble surface for the Coconut Pie.

Line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until golden and fully set. Let cool completely before filling.

For the Coconut Filling

First step in making a filling for the coconut pie recipe is to use a glass bowl and combine eggs, milk, and a mound of white flour on a white marble surface.

A glass bowl filled with 1 cup milk, coconut milk, sugar, salt, and toasted coconut ingredients for Coconut Pie.

Toast ½ cup of the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until golden. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and ¼ cup of the whole milk. Set aside.

A saucepan filled with butter, vanilla, and coconut extract, sugar, salt, and toasted coconut for Coconut Pie recipe

Adding a creamy filling on a white plate and marble surface to make a coconut pie.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup of whole milk, the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and the toasted coconut. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat.
Slowly ladle some of the hot coconut mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking to temper.
Gradually pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened and bubbling.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, and coconut extract until fully melted and smooth.
Pour the warm filling into the cooled pie crust.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set.

For the Topping

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie.
Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sweetened coconut (untoasted or lightly toasted) over the top before serving.

A slice of coconut pie topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes sits on a white plate, with a coconut and pie dish in the background.

Use a pie shield or a strip of foil to protect the crust edges if they brown too fast while baking.
For taller whipped cream topping, use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to swirl it on top.
Dip your knife in hot water, wipe dry before slicing for extra clean edges.

Why is my coconut filling runny?

It likely didn’t cook long enough after adding the egg mixture. Make sure it bubbles and thickens fully before removing it from the heat.

How long can the pie sit out at room temperature?

No more than 2 hours. After that, it needs to be refrigerated to keep the filling safe and the whipped topping stable.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate – Store your pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep plastic wrap or a pie lid loosely over the top to protect the whipped cream topping.
Freeze – For best results, freeze the pie without whipped topping, wrapped tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It freezes well for up to 1 month.
Thaw – Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut before serving.