Chocolate Haupia Pie (Ted’s Bakery Copycat)

4.95 from 69 votes
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Chocolate haupia pie is a popular pie found in Hawaii. It’s a rich chocolate pie with a coconut haupia layer and topped with whipped cream.

Chocolate haupia pie with a slice on a plate

Hawaiian Haupia Pie

Haupia Pie is a widely popular pie found in Hawaii. It can have many different variations, like a sweet potato haupia pie, but the most popular is probably the chocolate haupia pie recipe. There are many bakeries in Hawaii that serve this delicious pie so it’s hard to say which bakery made this pie first but I think it is safe to say that it was Ted’s Bakery on North Shore Oahu that made it famous. Chocolate haupia pies are the perfect blend of chocolate, coconut, and cream and it just might be my favorite pie of all time. Ever.

Close up of a slice of chocolate haupia pie


What Is Haupia?

Haupia, in a nutshell, is Hawaiian coconut pudding or custard. The coconut mixture is thicker than what most would consider “pudding” on the mainland and almost has a gelatin-like consistency. Think of it like a cross between pudding and gelatin. That’s the best way I can describe it to someone who has never had haupia before. The haupia layer is supposed to be thick and should not have a “cream pie” consistency.

Ted’s Bakery

Any time I had family or friends visit me in Hawaii, I would always take them to Ted’s bakery. Of course, the chocolate haupia cream pie was a favorite, but they have SO MANY delicious menu items it was (and is) so hard to choose. I am a big fan of the pineapple macadamia nut cheesecake and strawberry guava pie as well. To be honest, I never had anything at Ted’s that I didn’t like. If you visit Sunset Beach (or just pass through), you MUST stop in to Ted’s Bakery and get slice of pie (and maybe even a plate lunch). Have you been to Ted’s Bakery? What is YOUR favorite thing to get?

Chocolate haupia pie with a fork

What’s In Haupia Pie?

  • Pie crust – You can use a pre-made pie crust or make your own. Try our favorite homemade pie crust recipe. You can also go non-traditional and use a graham cracker pie crust or Oreo pie crust.
  • Coconut Milk (Unsweetened) – Use fall-fat only. If you use “light” or fat-free it won’t set up the same, or taste as good.
  • Milk – We like to use whole milk in this recipe but you can use a lighter milk or even almond milk. It won’t be as rich if you don’t use whole milk but it will still be good.
  • Sugar – The sweetener in the recipe.
  • Thickener – In this recipe we use cornstarch and milk but you can also use arrowroot or agar agar. To learn more about these other thickeners when making haupia, check out our haupia recipe.
  • Melted Chocolate Chips – Most people prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips because it is a nice balance of sweetness. We actually like using dark chocolate chips most of the time but it makes it VERY rich and not as sweet. If you like it really sweet, use milk chocolate chips. You can also use a cup of your favorite plain chocolate bar like Trader Joe’s chocolate bars or Hershey’s instead of chocolate chips.
  • Whipped Cream – Homemade is best, just follow the instructions in the recipe. Add a little coconut extract and you won’t be disappointed.

Optional Toppings

It isn’t necessary to add any toppings to haupia pie, it is perfect as-is. You can even leave the whipped topping off and it will still be delicious. However, if you feel the need to make it more fancy you can add a little bit of toasted coconut, crushed macadamia nuts or some dark chocolate shavings over the top of the pie dish. Don’t go too crazy with the toppings because you don’t want to take away from the deliciousness of the pie itself. Less is more when it comes to this pie!

Perfect slice of chocolate haupia pie on a plate

How to Make Chocolate Haupia Pie

chocolate haupia pie on a plate

Chocolate Haupia Pie

4.95 from 69 votes
Haupia pie is so easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool because it smells so good and you will want to take a bite immediately. It will be hard but your patience will be rewarded!
Prep Time 1 hour
Cooling time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Hawaiian
Servings 8 servings

Video

Ingredients

Chocolate Haupia Pie

  • 1 (9-inch) pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk, divided
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (not fat-free or light)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see notes above)

Whipped Cream

  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

Instructions

Chocolate Haupia Pie

  • Generously pierce the crust with a fork before baking.
    unbaked pie shell
  • Bake according to recipe or according to package directions, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.
    baked pie shell
  • In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine ½ cup whole milk and cornstarch. Mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.
    cornstarch mixture being poured into coconut mixture to make haupia
  • In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of whole milk, coconut milk, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
    plain haupia with saucepan of haupia with chocolate chips
  • Stir the cornstarch mixture once more before slowly adding to the coconut milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick, like a thick pudding. (This coconut milk pudding is the haupia.) It is very important that the mixture is thick before moving to the next step.
  • Place about half of the haupia mixture into a separate bowl and set aside. Add chocolate chips to the remaining mixture in the saucepan and stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted and well combined.
  • Add the chocolate haupia mixture immediately to the cooled pie crust and smooth with a spatula until even.
    chocolate haupia being poured into a baked pie shell
  • Carefully add the remaining haupia mixture over the top and carefully smooth over until even.
    haupia layer being poured onto the chocolate layer
  • Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.
    whole haupia pie being cut into slices

Whipped Cream Topping

  • To make whipped cream, whip heavy cream, and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add coconut extract and whip for 30 more seconds.
    Piping whipped cream onto haupia pie
  • After the pie has cooled, cut into slices and top with whipped cream topping. You can use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe the whipped cream in a design over the top.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 252mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 750IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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4.95 from 69 votes (42 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My mom and her siblings were reminiscing about growing up in Hawaii and one of them mentioned missing haupia pie. That conversation eventually led me here and I finally got a chance to make it. Everyone loved it and I’d like to make it again, but I need some clarification so the next time goes more smoothly. When you whisk in the cornstarch, is this on the heat or off? I added the cornstarch and it thickened immediately but not to the consistency of a thick pudding. It was more like a gravy. So I kept it on the heat and whisked for a LONG time (30+ minutes). The mixture had reduced down considerably. I finally decided to just go with it, removed it from the heat, divided it and added the chocolate. With the chocolate added, it got super thick instantly. I’m not sure if the chocolate cooled it down and thickened it or…? The haupia I had set aside also thickened in it’s container while I was spreading the chocolate portion in the pie shell. They were really TOO thick, I would say. Spreading them was a challenge. We only let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours before eating it and it was heavenly! But it did thicken even more overnight. Still tastes great, though. Can you give me an idea of how long it should be whisked and should I have removed it from the heat after adding the cornstarch?

    1. Hi Trish- I am so glad you liked this recipe but sorry that it gave you some troubles! You whisk in the cornstarch while the heat is on and when it thickens up like gravy, you can turn the heat off and allow it to cool. It will thicken more as it cools. That is probably why it thickened up a ton when you added the chocolate. Hope this helps for next time!

  2. 5 stars
    I live in Hawaii and used to buy Ted’s pie all the time until I found your recipe! Now I make it all the time and it is a hit at every party. My husband’s and childrens favorite pie.

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this great recipe! We had previously tried a different recipe for Haupia Pie, and it wasn’t very flavorful, but this made me feel like I was back in Hawaii. I did try something I think others might like. I made a macadamia nut crust. Try this: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sprinkle of salt, and 6oz of macadamia nuts, chopped into bits (I use a food processor) and mix together. Then cut in 1/2 cup of butter and 1/4 a cup of lard, until you have a crumbly dough. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of cold water on the dough, tossing gently with a fork after each sprinkle, until the dough is sticking together nicely. Press into a pie dish, poke a few times with a fork, and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. The crust should just be getting golden brown. Then use the crust as directed in the recipe. Having that macadamia nut crust was a total win. We served it at Thanksgiving dinner and no one even bothered with the pumpkin pie.

  4. Waaaaay too sweet. I would cut sugar by half and add a natural coconut extract to the non-chocolate layer, or maybe a little malibu rum.

  5. 5 stars
    Ive made this quite a few times now!! 🙂 It is very very good, the Haupia comes out amazing! I’ve found the fastest way to get the Haupia to thicken is to make sure your coconut milk mixture is steaming, add your cornstarch while it’s steaming, stir fairly aggressively, then lower to a simmer! Also a way to tell if it’s thick enough is to have a little plate on the side and drop some of the Haupia onto the plate, if it bounces back a bit once it’s cooled, and it isn’t liquidy, then it’s most likely ready! 🙂
    You can also make banana Haupia pie by substituting the chocolate chips for banana extract and putting bananas at the bottom of your crust! 🙂 Amazing recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    Made this for my daughter’s birthday. It is what she always requests. It is a keeper!
    We love this recipe.

  7. I’m making this for the faculty at school for our Spring Fling/Hawaiian Shirt day. So it will be for more than a few people.

    Could I make it in a deep baking pan? Pressing the pie crusts crusts together?

    Would be easier than making multiple pies!

    Thanks 🙂

  8. Forgive me is this is answered somewhere. I have read through many comments and not see seen this question. How far in advance can the pie be made and stored in fridge? Maybe adding whipped topping day of serving? Thanks.

  9. 5 stars
    We had a similar pie while in Maui and after making this, it was almost identical in taste! Thanks for sharing.

  10. Hi from Japan!
    So excited that I have found this recipe!
    Before I make I have one question.
    What is “1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk” exactly?
    Is that mean “1.14oz”? It’s like 33ml only. I feel it too little.. but am I correct?

  11. 5 stars
    The pie is in the fridge.This is my second time trying to make this. The first time the liquid mixture didn’t thicken. Waste 😕 The recipe didn’t say to bring the liquid mixture to steaming (not boiling) before simmering. That’s a crucial step. Had to reference other recipes to learn this. Aside from this, the pie is easy to make and I know it will be delish (I sampled the leftovers in the mixing bowl) 😋

  12. 5 stars
    Second time making it. First time was back at Christmas. Second time for Easter. It’s so good. Brings me back to Anna Millers. So good. Followed the directions exactly and everything set perfectly. And had extra chocolate left over! Yay bonus chocolate!! Mahalo for posting this recipe!

  13. 5 stars
    This pie was perfect and tasted just like Ted’s. If you’re making this be sure to heat the haupia mixture long enough for it to be thick. It’s super important. We have made this recipe 5 times making adjustments along the way. This last time we followed the recipe exactly but cooked the haupia longer. It was perfect!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  14. I live in Hawaii and make haupia frequently. If your mixture is not thickening it probably needs to be cooked longer. Cornstarch needs heat to work and is not like gelatin so it isn’t going to firm up a whole lot more in the fridge.

  15. 5 stars
    Made this with dark chocolate, as suggested above, and cut the sugar a little bit. So so good! My whole family loved this. It set beautifully for me and the thin white layer on top looked as pretty as the picture. Thanks!

  16. 5 stars
    This turned out perfect for me! I lightly compacted the cornstarch into the measuring spoon when measuring, and I made sure to keep the pudding on the heat until it was very thick, like a set pudding consistency. Thoroughly enjoyed this pie! I made a macadamia nut + graham cracker crust that went really well with it.

  17. Another reader here whose mixtures didn’t set. Please listen to your readers and change the recipe or delete it, wasted a lot of food and time.

    1. We will review this recipe and try to find out why it’s not working for some people. Which thickener did you use?

    2. I have make several recipes (not from this page) and waste lot of ingredients, but I never go back to a page and be mean.
      I replace the cup of sugar with 1+2/3 cup of powdered sugar and the pie was settle fine.

      Greeting from Greece!

      1. When troubleshooting this recipe, we have found that most people don’t let the filling get thick enough in the pan in step 4. It should be extremely thick, like a pudding cup. I hope this helps!

  18. 5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe, i have made it twice now 🙂 I didn’t tweak any of the ingredients. The only thing I’ve done differently is i lower the heat before adding the cornstarch mixture and mixed it until is thickened up, then i remove the pot from the heat. This is a cooking technique i use regularly when adding cornstarch mixture.

  19. 2 stars
    Oh boy. I should have read the comments. Mine didn’t set up either. Hoping it eventually firms up in the fridge. It’s a bit like a haupia swirl pudding. I make chocolate pudding pie all the time, so I should have realized the consistency was not right with this. I think it needs to cook longer, but there were no real instruction on how much to cook it.

  20. 5 stars
    Yum! Came out wonderful. Such an easy, beautiful, and tasty treat! A tip for those whose pie wouldn’t set—use powdered sugar instead of regular. It already has some cornstarch in it, so along with the other 5T in the recipe, that made my pie set up nicely. 🙂

  21. My haupia did not set either and I’d kept stirring. I think it needs an adjustment in technique. You have to keep it on the heat after adding the corn starch mixture. Stir vigorously until it thickens, then take it off heat. Kind of like making a creme patisserie.

    1. 5 stars
      Made this and it turned out wonderfully! Followed the directions exactly! It thickens much quicker so pay attention. Delish!

  22. Last time I was at Ted’s they had no Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cheesecake …it’s my second favourite after the Chocolate Haupia Pie! My father-in-law who lives near Diamond Head thinks I’m nuts to drive all the way to the North Shore for pie…but I do!!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    1. Hey I know you commented this awhile ago but I need to know…does it taste close to the teds chocolate haupia pie they make????

  23. 5 stars
    This is totally my new favorite pie! I used Belgium chocolate for a rich flavor instead of semisweet. Even though it doesn’t need a topping, I put toasted coconut, chocolate and toasted , chopped Marcona almonds. So I nicknamed this Almond Joy Pie.
    Great recipe!!!

    1. 5 stars
      Great recipe! Read the reviews and cooked the haupia much longer than I probably would have without reading and everything set up perfectly! Thank you!

  24. How do i keep the regular haupia from going inside the chocolate mixture when I’m pouring it on top. I did as directed and the haupia poured into the chocolate instead of sitting on top. Help please.

    1. The chocolate haupia should be quite thick. It should be like a dense pudding so the regular haupia can be added to the top. Maybe there wasn’t enough thickener in your original haupia mixture? If this happens again in the future, maybe allow the chocolate layer to cool a little in the refrigerator before adding the rest? I’m not exactly sure what could have happened. Hopefully it still tasted ok?

      1. Delish! I was a Lil nervous after reading some comments but had no issue with mine setting. If it doesn’t look like pudding consistency Don’t add it to the pie yet! Was going to try to freeze leftovers but there weren’t any!

    2. Haupia should have the consistency of pudding, so it should be able to sit on top of the chocolate haupia. Maybe you need to set aside more haupia before adding chocolate chips to the other “half”

  25. 5 stars
    What’s not to love about this pie? I’ve never been to Hawaiia but having this pie is the next best thing to being there. 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        So ono and easy! I continued to cook the haupia after adding the milk/cornstarch mixture on low heat until it thickened. Everything set up quite nicely! Thank you for the recipe. It makes me homesick for Hawaii.