Perfect Coconut Cream Pie

This coconut cream pie recipe is made from scratch and is well worth the effort! It’s made with a creamy coconut custard filling and topped with sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut.

We are big coconut lovers around our place! This coconut cream pie is simpler than some but still completely homemade. If you love light and creamy desserts, you might also enjoy this Banoffee Pie Recipe, this No-Bake Strawberry and Cream Pie or this delicious No Bake Pistachio Cream Pie.

Coconut Cream Pie

Easter is coming, and if there’s one dessert that has to be on the table, it’s this coconut cream pie! The custard filling is made with coconut milk and coconut extract for a big coconut flavor, and it’s poured into a simple homemade pie crust. It’s cool and creamy and perfect for any occasion.

The texture of this coconut cream pie is smooth and silky but made with less hassle than a lot of cream pie recipes because everything is whisked together in one pot before cooking. The coconut custard filling is delicious enough on its own, even without the pastry and whipped cream! And don’t get me started on the crust! It’s perfectly flaky and melts in your mouth when you eat it!

Ingredients in Coconut Cream Pie

This pie is simple and easy to make. Make your crust beforehand, and this pie will come together in no time at all! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Pie Crust

Flour: I used all-purpose flour in this recipe, and it was perfect!
Sugar: You want your crust to have a slightly sweet taste.
Salt: The sale enhances the flavor of the crust.
Butter: Make sure that your butter is COLD when you use it so that it bakes in the crust. This is how you get your crust to turn out perfectly flaky.
Water: Your water should be cold when you mix everything together for this coconut cream pie crust.

Filling

Coconut Milk: This is the base of your filling and what gives it that overall coconut flavor.
Granulated Sugar: This sweetens up the base so that it is a deliciously sweet dessert.
Eggs: I always use large eggs whenever I am baking.
Cornstarch: This will thicken up the filling.
Coconut Extract: Adding this in gives it some extra coconut flavor.
Vanilla Extract: The splash of vanilla really enhances the flavors in the filling.
Toppings: Whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut are perfect for the top of this coconut cream pie!

4 pictures showing how to assemble a coconut cream pie.

How Do You Make Coconut Cream Pie?

This delicious pie will have you scraping your plate clean and asking for seconds! It’s the perfect go-to dessert for any occasion and it will be a hit with your entire family at any gathering!

Pie Crust

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.
Add COLD Butter: Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you see pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.
Press: Gradually add in cold water, stirring each time until you can press it together.
Chill: Form the pie dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes until chilled.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and roll the dough out to fit a 9″ pie plate.
Press, Crimp, and Poke: Press into the pie plate and up the sides. Try to get as high up the sides as you can as the pie crust may shrink when it bakes. Trim the edges and crimp or leave as desired. Poke the bottom and the sides with a fork all over to help prevent puffing (or use pie weights if you have them).
Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside to cool while you make the coconut cream pie filling.

Filling

Combine: Combine coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and corn starch in a medium saucepan. Whisk thoroughly until combined.
Cook: Cook over medium heat, add in coconut and vanilla extract, frequently whisking, until very thick. This can take up to 10 or 15 minutes — be patient! You don’t want to increase the heat too much and risk a lumpy filling.
Pour: Pour into the cooled pie crust and press a piece of parchment paper onto the top. Refrigerate until well chilled or overnight.
Garnish: Garnish your coconut cream pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut as desired, and serve.

The side view of coconut cream pie with a slice taken out of the pie pan.

How to store Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut cream pie cannot be frozen or made too far in advance, as custard does not freeze particularly well and will make the pastry soggy if stored for too long.

However, this is a great pie to make the day before a special occasion, so it has a nice long time to chill. I recommend placing some parchment or wax paper directly on the surface of the custard to chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Then remove the parchment, top with whipped cream and toasted coconut, and serve.

A slice of coconut cream pie on a plate with a bite being cut out with a fork.