Classic Toasted Coconut Cream Pie Recipes

OLD FASHIONED COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.
• Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.

CLASSIC TOASTED COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• 1. To make the crust: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives used scissors-fashion until the butter is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over the mixture, stirring with a fork to moisten it evenly. Continue adding water until the dough just begins to come together when a small bit is pressed between your fingers; do not overwork the dough. Press the dough together into a ball and knead lightly. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.
• 2. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
• 3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12- to 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch glass pie plate and gently press the pastry against the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Turn the overhang under and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the shell with a fork.
• 4. Line the pie shell with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing it snugly into the bottom and against the sides, and fill with uncooked rice or beans. Bake the crust for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and rice and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
• 5. To make the filling: Bring the coconut milk just to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• 6. Beat the sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl until very thick and pale and the volume has increased at least three times. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the flour, cornstarch, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. While beating, gradually pour in the warm coconut milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil and thickens, then boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, and whisk until melted. Add 3/4 cup of the coconut and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.
• 7. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled and set, or for up to 1 day.
• 8. Beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl until it holds stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Beat in the remaining vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the pastry cream.
• 9. Transfer the pastry cream to the crust and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top with the clean offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 4 hours, before serving.
• 10. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the remaining toasted coconut. Serve cut into wedges.

TOASTED COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Use pulsing action to process cookies, nuts and 3/4 cup coconut in food processor until cookies and nuts are finely ground and mixture is well blended. Pour into medium bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake 10 min. or until golden brown. Cool.
• Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Gently stir in 1 cup of the remaining coconut and 2 cups COOL WHIP; pour into crust. Cover with remaining COOL WHIP; sprinkle with remaining coconut.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

COCONUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Pulse salt, sugar, and 1¼ cups flour in a food processor until well combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add ¼ cup ice water and process until dough just holds together, about 30 seconds. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers; if it's very crumbly, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time (2 Tbsp. maximum), and process to combine (do not overprocess).
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a rough ball. Knead a few times, then roll into a ball. Flatten ball to a disc with smooth edges (no cracks), cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Position rack in bottom of oven; preheat to 350°F. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round. Wrap dough loosely around floured rolling pin, then release into pie pan. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. Trim edges to leave a 1" overhang and crimp as desired. Freeze dough at least 15 minutes or chill, covered, up to 24 hours.
• Line crust with parchment or foil and fill with baking beans or weights. Bake crust, rotating halfway through, 20 minutes. Remove weights, pierce bottom of crust all over with a fork, and continue to bake until very light brown and dry, about 10 minutes more. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring once or twice, until golden brown and fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
• Heat 1¾ cups milk in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Add 1½ cups toasted coconut, stir, and cover. Let steep 1 hour. (Now would be a great time to roll out and bake the pie crust.)
• Strain toasted-coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan; discard solids (you should have about 1½ cups milk; add more milk if necessary). Add canned coconut milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
• Pour remaining ¾ cup cold milk into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Let sit 10 minutes. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Whisking constantly, slowly pour half of the coconut milk mixture in a thin stream into egg mixture. (A wet towel under bowl with egg mixture will help stabilize it.) Pour everything back into saucepan and heat over medium-high. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and starts to bubble, then continue to cook about 1 minute more so it doesn't taste starchy.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl. Add butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Press plastic wrap against surface of mixture and chill until cool, 2½-3 hours. (You can speed up the process by stirring from time to time or placing bowl with filling in a large bowl of ice water.)
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to medium peaks in a medium bowl. Working in 3 batches, gently fold cream into pie filling until just incorporated. Sprinkle half of the remaining toasted coconut into bottom of prepared pie shell. Carefully spoon filling over coconut, mounding it in the middle and making decorative swirls with the back of a spoon. Chill at least 2 more hours to set.
• When ready to serve, garnish pie with remaining toasted coconut. Do Ahead: Pie can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in July 2016. For more of our favorite pie recipes, head this way →