This pie was inspired by my dad. He requested coconut cream pie in place of cake for his birthday, so I got to work. I knew he was after a homemade, old-fashioned version. It needed to be a creamy, sweet coconut cream pie loaded with whipped cream and coconut flakes. He reminisces about Marie Callender’s version, so I kept a photo of one of their pies on my desktop as reference. Lol. At the same time, I was also aiming for a pie that had some balance. After a few rounds, I landed on using buttermilk and sea salt in the coconut filling for a filling that is hard not to love.
Coconut Cream Pie: The 3 Main Parts
A classic coconut cream pie has three main components.
- A really good pie crust: Golden, flaky, with good structure. The pie crust will be fully baked prior to filling. Instructions below! I use this pie crust dough for a lot of pies.
- Creamy coconut pudding filling: Arguably the heart and soul of this pie. Spread it across the fully baked pie crust (pictured below). Then refrigerate until set.
- Whipped cream topping with toasted coconut: Just before serving whip some heavy cream with a kiss of powdered sugar and pile it on top of the coconut cream filling. Add a finishing touch of toasted coconut flakes, slice into wedges and enjoy!
How To Make the Coconut Cream Pie Filling
There are basically two major ways to approach coconut cream pie filling. You can make a homemade coconut pudding on the stovetop or you can make the filling using pudding mix as the base. This pie uses vanilla pudding mix to provide a quick, stable, reliable foundation. The pudding mix is combined with buttermilk and sea salt to balance out the sweetness contributed by the pudding mix and a lot of sweetened coconut. A bit of whipped cream is folded into the mix to bring a bit of lightness to the filling. You will be able to make the filling in five minutes flat. It’s fool-proof and absolutely delicious.
There’s certainly an argument for making homemade coconut pudding for the filling here. But because this has become one of my favorite “quick” pies to throw together, I go the pudding route. No egg tempering required.
How Do I Blind Bake a Pie Crust?
A pie like this requires a fully baked pie crust also known as a blind baked crust. Blind bake pie crusts are used for pies with a no-bake filling. I include detailed instructions in the recipe, but the picture (above) demonstrates the general set-up. To blind bake a pie crust, line a pie plate with your pie dough. Place a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil to cover the dough. Then fill completely with pie weights, or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the pie crust become golden. Carefully remove the pie weights, dock with a fork to prevent air bubbles, and brush the edges with an egg wash. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the entire crust is beautiful golden.
What Kind of Vanilla Pudding Mix Should I Use?
When you go to buy pudding mix for this pie, you want instant pudding mix. That’s the first thing. My recipe calls for two boxes of 3.4-ounce vanilla instant pudding mix. I’ve been using the 365 Whole Foods Market Vanilla Instant Pudding most often – works great. But I’ve also tested with Jell-O instant vanilla pudding (3.7-ounce boxes). Seems a bit sweeter, but works well. Basically, don’t get hung up on the weight of the pudding boxes, just aim for something in the 3.5-ounce size range and confirm it is instant.
Coconut Cream Pie: Variations
Little tweaks to your coconut cream pie filling and topping can have big impact. If you want a classic flavor profile, go the vanilla route. Personally, my favorite version is made with a couple generous splashes of bourbon. It’s boozy, decadent, and wildly good. Instructions for both versions are included in the recipe below.
- Bourbon Coconut Cream Pie: Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon to the coconut cream filling and mix until the pudding begins to thicken. Follow the instructions for whipping the cream with powdered sugar. Adding 1 tablespoon bourbon to as soft peaks are forming and continue to mix.
- Vanilla Coconut Cream Pie: This is my basic recipe. Some recipes use coconut pudding or coconut pudding mix, and/or coconut extract, and coconut milk in their coconut cream pie. But I feel like the amount of sweetened coconut in the filling delivers plenty coconut flavor. And I prefer the texture and mouthfeel here. I use 2 teaspoon of good vanilla extract in the filling, and 1 teaspoon in the whipped cream topping.
Make Ahead!
This is one of the easiest pies I make. And least time intensive. And it’s a breeze to thread into your life. Even if you only have a few minutes here, and a few minutes there. The most intensive aspect is keeping an eye on the pie crust as it is baking, to get it just right.
- Make the pie dough: You can do this weeks ahead of time and place each round of pie dough double-wrapped in the freezer. Or make it a few days ahead of time and keep refrigerated.
- Make the filling and fill the pie: You can do this up to a couple days ahead of time.
More Pie Recipes
101 Cookbooks Membership
Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
–Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
–Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year