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This homemade coconut cream pie is one the best coconut desserts! Featuring a baked pie shell (graham cracker), creamy coconut pie filling, and homemade whipped cream topping. Rich, decadent and worth every calorie… you’ll never buy a store bought coconut pie again!
Homemade Coconut Cream Pie
With thousands of coconut cream pie recipes on the internet, you might be thinking: what makes this pie so special? Well, I’m glad you asked, because my favorite coconut cream pie recipe is:
- Exploding with REAL coconut flavor thanks to coconut milk AND toasted coconut.
- No coconut extract – but add a dash for extra intense coconut flavor.
- A golden brown graham cracker crust is so much easier thank having to bake pie crust – no blind baking!
- And the creamy coconut filling is luscious and loaded with toasted coconut.
- Topped with soft peaks of homemade whipped cream, it’s a total showstopper.
- 1,000,000 x better – and cheaper – than any store bought coconut cream pie.
Creamy Coconut Cream Pie Recipe: Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter is always my choice. But in a pinch, salted butter will work fine.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: If you can’t find pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs, you can buy whole graham crackers. Then crush them into crumbs using a food processor.
- Sugars: This recipe calls for granulated sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar). Don’t substitute the called for sugars or reduce the amount called for.
- Salt: Helps balance sweetness and enhance the flavors in this coconut cream pie recipe.
- Coconut: Finely shredded coconut works best in the recipe. But you can decorate the homemade whipped cream with any variety of coconut.
- Egg Yolks: Do not use whole eggs in this recipe! The creamy coconut filling only needs eggs yolks. Separating the egg white from the egg yolk should take less than 15 minutes.
- Coconut Milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk. Coconut cream will also work instead of coconut milk, and will make the creamy coconut filling extra rich.
- Milk: Do not sub this for more coconut milk or reduced fat/plant based milks.
- Heavy Cream: You’ll use this in the creamy coconut pie filling and for the homemade whipped cream.
- Cornstarch: This thicken the creamy coconut cream pie filling and should not be reduced or replaced.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds rich flavor and enhances all the flavors in the pie. If you’d like to add a dash of coconut extract, I suggest adding a 1/4 teaspoon to the creamy coconut filling.
How to Make a Coconut Cream Pie
If you’ve never made homemade coconut cream pie before, fret not! I’ve included plenty of step-by-step photos, notes, and a thorough recipe below. If you have questions, just ask in the comment section below.
Make the Crust: Unlike traditional coconut cream pie recipes that use a blind baked pie shell. This recipe uses a graham cracker crust. This is so much easier and is ready in 15 minutes. Do not sub a store bought crust shell, it won’t be deep enough.
Make the Creamy Coconut Filling: The hardest part of this recipe is making sure you’re whisking constantly! Don’t make this pie recipe if you can’t stay glued to the stovetop for around 10 to 15 minutes.
Assembly: Pour the creamy coconut filling into the golden brown pie crust and smooth the top. Place the homemade coconut cream pie into the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours.
Serve: Top the pie with homemade whipped cream, extra toasted coconut, and serve!
Homemade Whipped Cream Topping
While you could easily buy whipped cream… why would you? Making homemade whipped cream is so easy and so much tastier than store bought.
Simply beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Then dollop whipped cream on top of the pie, sprinkle on coconut, and it’s ready to serve!
More Creamy Coconut Recipes to Try:
Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 8 tablespoons (113ml) unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (see post for more on this)
- 1/3 cup (132g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Coconut Cream Pie:
- 1 7 ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut toasted and divided
- 5 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
- 1 cup (227ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (113ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53g) light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Topping:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. In a medium-sized bowl combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and salt. Press mixture into a lightly greased 9″ pie pan, evenly spreading the crumbs across the bottom and up the sides. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place crust on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Coconut Cream Pie:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Spread shredded coconut onto a large baking sheet in a thin layer; bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden, stirring a few times to ensure even color. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large saucepan combine the egg yolks, coconut milk, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt; whisk well to combine. Bring the mixture to a light boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and, whisking constantly, cook another 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat; whisk in vanilla extract and 1 cup of the toasted coconut. Pour into crust at once.
- Smooth the top with a spatula, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours, or until cold and set.
For the Whipped Topping:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream until it begins to thicken and hold soft peaks. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for another minute. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the cooled pie, and sprinkle the top with remaining toasted coconut. Slice and serve, or keep chilled – covered in the fridge – until needed.
Video
Notes
Just made this delicious pie! This one is a keeper!! The only difference was I made wih regular pie crust. This will be my go to for coconut cream pie every time. Thanks!
Hi! This looks absolutely delicious! Quick question… in the recipe, there is no coconut extract so I was wondering if it is ok to add some to the custard filling? Can’t wait to make this!!!
My son has ASD & recently saw a program which mentioned coconut cream pie. He became OBSESSED with the notion & begged me to make it for him. I’m quite skilled in the kitchen so the idea wasn’t a problem but time always is. He would ask “are we making the pie today? when?” & stand in front of the clock or the calendar… Anyway, I read a thousand recipes & landed on yours. It was absolutely delicious! Easy to make & good to the last bite. He loved it & went to bed a very happy little boy in his “coconut cream pie-bliss” state last night. Graham crackers are not available in Australia so I used Arnotts Butternut Snaps for the base (which are slightly caramel in flavor). Perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe & for sharing all your recipes. Next time I have a dinner party I might make this & garnish with banana flambe just to be extravagant.
Hi Melody! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment – it made my day 🙂 Much love to you and your son!
After being cooked, is the mixture still supposed to be liquidy? I didn’t need a spatula to even out the mixture because it’s so liquid…please help!
Hi Hina. The mixture should have thickened up as you cooked it, but will continue to set as it cools. How did you pie turn out?
I can actually improve on this fantastic pie by replacing the whipped topping as directed above with
the same topping I put on my Key Lime pies … Italian Meringue. It has the most awesome texture as well as flavor and
the toasted coconut sprinkled on top of that is to DIE for!!!! It will hold up better with the Meringue for storing in the freezer too.
Now go give that a try , you’ll be hooked.
Thanks for a great coconut pie recipe.
Thanks for the adaption idea, Kenn! Sounds delicious 😉
love coconut cream pie!!!!!!!! And the toasted coconut on pie on top looks so good
Thank you, Nicole! I hope you get to give it a try 🙂
Love the coconut garnish on top.
Thanks, Megan! One can never have enough coconut 😉
This looks amazing! I love coconut!
Thank you! Coconut really is the best 🙂
I am a huge coconut cream pie lover. I was the pastry chef at a restaurant and always made the pie with a regular pie crust and a meringue topping. It was our biggest seller and absolutely delicious!
I’m excited to try this recipe with a graham cracker crust and a whipped topping!
I can’t wait to hear how it turns out, Annie!
Just tried making this and the topping part wouldn’t thicken up no matter what I tried. Did you forget something that was supposed to beat in with the heavy whipping cream to thicken it up? Because cream on its own won’t do that. Not to making peaks anyway. I feel like maybe beat with egg whites it would work better
Hi. This looks divine! Question: What is your opinion as to if I cut the pie into individual slices and freeze each? It is just myself & my husband; freezing slices and taking them out when we want them later would work well for us. I suppose we would let them thaw for at least a couple hours prior? Thanks.
Hi Michelle. You can definitely freeze the pie slices, just be sure you don’t add the whipped cream topping, as that won’t freeze well. I would suggest thawing them for a few hours, then topping each piece with fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut right before serving.