If I could pick only one pie, it would be coconut every time.
Please don’t judge this pie by my photos — I am terrible at photographing pies. They require patience and planning, and I’m usually short on both. Still, this pie is far too good to be relegated to my recipe disasters.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I’m obsessed with coconut. For eight years I’ve been unabashedly coconut-crazed — I love coconut in every form.
On the other hand, Eddie hates coconut. He can tolerate the flavor in things like coconut rum, but he can’t stand the slightly chewy texture of shredded coconut. If you feel the same way, this pie probably isn’t for you.
I first discovered a version of this from Food & Wine and was intrigued — I’d never heard of coconut custard pie before. Mother Lovett’s coconut cream pie is legendary, and my brother made a great version last year, but this custard-style pie felt new and irresistible. I had to make it immediately.
I dreamed about it until I finally baked one.
The verdict: I loved it. Coconut custard pie is very different from coconut cream pie — instead of a fluffy, pudding-like filling, this is a dense, custard-style pie packed with shredded coconut. It’s not overly chewy, but the texture of the coconut is definitely present and enjoyable if you like that chew.
For the crust I used Mother Lovett’s reliable pie crust (the recipe below makes three crusts, so freeze the extra dough). Instead of ice cream as Food & Wine suggested, I topped the pie with coconut whipped cream — a touch of vanilla makes it coconut-vanilla heaven. I could spoon that whipped cream straight into my mouth.
This pie is a serious coconut celebration. It would be perfectly reasonable to serve this alongside a coconut cream pie at Easter — I might just do both.
Coconut Custard Pie
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Ingredients
Crust (makes 3 crusts — freeze two)
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter cut into pieces (3 sticks or 24 tablespoons)
Coconut Custard Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk cold (refrigerated overnight)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons toasted coconut
Instructions
Crust
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Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse until just combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar and water. Add the cold butter pieces to the processor and pulse until the mixture resembles small coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the egg-water mixture over the flour and pulse until the dough comes together.
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Remove the dough, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This batch makes three pie crusts, so separate and freeze any extras.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll one crust into a 12-inch circle for a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer carefully to the plate, trim the edges and dock the bottom. Line with parchment and pie weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and gently press any bubbles with a fork.
Coconut Custard Filling
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Whisk together the sugar and melted butter until combined. Whisk in the eggs, then the buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt, then fold in the shredded coconut.
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Pour the custard into the prepared crust and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil. Cool the pie completely before topping.
Coconut Whipped Cream
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Open the chilled coconut milk cans and discard the liquid (reserve for smoothies). Scoop the firm coconut cream into a bowl and beat on medium-high until thick and whipped. Beat in vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread over the cooled pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut just before serving.
Notes
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P.S. The adorable pie plate featured is from MacKenzie-Childs.