Island Pecan Pie is loaded with pineapple, coconut, and pecans in a delicious creamy filling. A tropical twist on a pecan pie classic!
Island Pecan Pie
Island Pecan Pie is a tropical treat you can make for any occasion! I tried it a few years ago for Thanksgiving in place of our traditional pecan pie and it was a smashing success. This recipe originally comes from an Arkansas diner that I tracked down on Pinterest. This pecan pie is creamy and flavorful with sweet chunks of pineapple and crunchy pecans and coconut. I’ve since served it at Easter dinner, Christmas and on warm summer Sunday afternoons. It’s a perfect recipe for any time of year.
Tips for Island Pecan Pie
- Find the perfect unbaked pie crust recipe right HERE. You can also find delicious ready-to-bake pie crusts in the freezer section of your grocery store.
- I topped this pie with homemade whipped cream. Make basic whipped topping with heavy cream, sugar and add a little almond extract. It really complements the tropical flavors of the pie. Of course, store bought whipped topping works in a pinch, but homemade whipped cream just adds another level of creaminess to this already extravagant pie.
- For added flavor, top the each slice with toasted coconut. Just spread a thin layer of coconut on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 325 degrees for about 5-10 minutes. The golden color really pops on top of a dollop of whipped cream.
- Store this pie in the refrigerator for up to a week. Any longer than that and the crust starts to get soggy. Do not freeze this pie.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
- Coconut Cream Pie – Coconut Cream Pie is a dreamy island dessert with a flaky crust, coconut filling that is made from scratch, and toasted coconut sprinkles.
- Creamy Lemon Pie – This Creamy Lemon Pie is packed full of tart, lemon flavor and creamy goodness. This recipe is super easy to make and is always a crowd pleaser!
- Butterscotch Pie – This creamy butterscotch filling is spread into a flaky pie crust and drizzled with butterscotch topping then sprinkled with butterscotch chips. It’s basically a butterscotch lovers dream.
- German Chocolate Pie – This pie recipe comes straight from Amish country. The rich, gooey, chocolate filling is to die for!
- Key Lime Pie – Straight from Savannah, Georgia, this pie is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
How to Make Island Pecan Pie
Island Pecan Pie is loaded with pineapple, coconut, and pecans in a delicious creamy filling. A tropical twist on a pecan pie classic!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Serves: 8
Instructions
- Beat the sugar, corn meal, flour, eggs and salt together.
- Gently stir in the pecans, pineapple and coconut (don't beat it).
- Stir in the melted butter and mix well.
- Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove pie from oven.
- Cover the crust edge with some aluminum foil to keep it from burning. Cook 15 to 30 more minutes, or until the pie is set.
- Allow pie to cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Homemade Almond Whipped Cream
- With a mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Add sugar and almond extract.
- Continue to whip until stiff peaks form or until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Top with toasted coconut.
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 10.9% | Vitamin C: 8.6% | Calcium: 4.4% | Iron: 10.5%
Tried this recipe?Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes!
[email protected] Family Feast says
November 13, 2013 at 12:17 pmWOW – this looks amazing! Pinned and sharing on my Facebook page later this evening! Can’t wait to try this!
Rita Wright says
October 29, 2016 at 4:36 pmCan you use self rising corn meal as well? Yellow or white meal?
Emily says
October 31, 2016 at 9:34 amI haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not?
Linda says
November 11, 2016 at 3:36 pmI used self rising flour anď self rising corn meal mix because that is what I had on hand. I left out the salt because both already had it in them. I also used salted butter. I decided that the pie shell would not hold all the mixture, so I divided it in half and ended up with 2 pies. Baked the same amount of time. Tasty!!
Echo says
November 13, 2016 at 8:01 amThank you for sharing your adaptions to this recipe, Linda!
Debbie says
September 13, 2017 at 8:51 amIt shows two cups of heavy cream in the filling but the instructions don’t mention them except for two in the topping?
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 13, 2017 at 12:20 pmFor some reason it was displaying the ingredients for the whipped topping twice. I fixed it on the recipe. Theres no heavy cream in the pie filling.
Cheryl says
November 20, 2017 at 5:49 pmI used self riding cornmeal and it worked well
Allura Stark says
December 18, 2016 at 7:05 pmi followed the recipe to the T and it made 2 PIES! lol
Echo says
December 19, 2016 at 2:51 pmWow! Good to know! The recipe does make a ton of filling. Thank you for sharing!
Elizabeth says
June 11, 2018 at 8:59 amSo do you do the same time as it states
lydg says
November 17, 2013 at 12:30 pmWhat did you put on top??
Emily says
November 19, 2013 at 9:41 amI just did whipped topping, and I mixed in a little almond extract. 🙂 Then I toasted some coconut to sprinkle over the top.
Banjo Girl says
April 21, 2017 at 7:18 amThanks for the awesome tip!
jasmine says
November 18, 2013 at 7:54 pmhi,looks great! if i just buy a bag of flaked coconut,am i buying sweetened or unsweetened?thanks!
Emily says
November 19, 2013 at 9:38 amYou could do either, I did the sweetened.
J says
November 21, 2013 at 1:43 pmhi,is the cornmeal essential?i cant find that here in australia,or maybe a substitute suggestion?thank you!
Emily says
November 22, 2013 at 10:33 amCorn starch would work too.
Anna says
November 21, 2013 at 4:01 pmCorn meal? Just wondering if you meant corn syrup, which is in traditional pecan pie? Or corn starch for thickener? If not, what is the purpose of corn meal??
Emily says
November 22, 2013 at 10:33 amYep. its corn meal! It acts as a thickener, but you can sub out with corn starch if you want.
Becca says
November 15, 2014 at 3:50 pmI live in Florida and want to add this tropical pie for Thanksgiving.
Question-
self-rising or all purpose cornmeal???
Florida hugs,
Becca
Echo says
November 17, 2014 at 7:49 amAll purpose corn meal works great. Your guests are going to love this pie! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Kristine says
November 21, 2013 at 5:40 pmDo you think this would work without the pineapple and what substitutions would I need to make? Thanks!
Emily says
November 22, 2013 at 10:32 amYes, leaving out the pineapple would be fine. I would maybe try subbing it for something else like banana or another fruit.
Patti says
October 3, 2016 at 6:48 pmMaybe some dark chocolate mini chips??
Judy says
November 22, 2013 at 8:07 amI made this pie last night. It is WAY too sweet! –Will it mess up the recipe to use only one cup of sugar?
And how much do you beat the egg mixture? –Until it’s big and foamy, or just a little? I beat mine a bunch, and I ended up with enough filling for nearly two 9-inch pie shells. (Maybe I just answered my own question..)
Emily says
November 22, 2013 at 10:29 amI tried not to over beat it because I didn’t want the eggs to expand, then didn’t beat it at all when adding the other ingredients. You could definitely do a little less sugar if it was too sweet for you. Or try using fresh, instead of canned pineapple- it’s not as sweet and I think actually tastes much better. The canned is just easier. 🙂
Jodie says
November 22, 2013 at 4:34 pmDoes this pie need to be refrigerated? I need to take a pie for thanksgiving and we have a three hour drive… Just want to know if I can make ahead of time to travel
Emily says
November 25, 2013 at 7:58 amYes, it needs to be refrigerated but it would be fine on your drive. Especially if you keep it in a cooler.
Resa's kesterson says
November 24, 2013 at 6:49 pmDo you bake it 50-60 minutes and then cover the crust and bake for another 15-30 minutes?? So it could possibly take up to 1.5 hours? Does this make just one pie? Thanks!
Emily says
November 25, 2013 at 7:56 amYes on the time, because it is cooked on such a low heat. Cooking times ail vary based on elevation and ovens. Yes, it makes 1 pie. It will be very full. You could definitely split it into 2 and your cooking time would be shorter.
Elizabeth says
June 11, 2018 at 8:23 amHow do i know when it’s set? When it’s not Jiggly
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 12, 2018 at 8:41 pmYes, it shouldn’t be liquid-y and jiggly. Hope this helps!
Stacy says
December 20, 2013 at 8:48 amWhat kind of flour for the Island pecan pie
Emily says
December 20, 2013 at 11:38 amjust regular flour, you can use white or wheat flour.
Debra says
September 6, 2014 at 10:46 pmBut is it self rising or Plain flour?
Emily says
September 8, 2014 at 10:39 amplain flour.
Jill says
February 28, 2014 at 9:44 pmI made this pie. The mixture was too much to fit in the ready made crust that I bought so I divided what was left after the pie into two ramekins and baked it along with the pie. The ramekins were done about the time the foil went on the crust. Waste not want not. Yum! doubly good.
sherry says
June 27, 2016 at 4:54 pmWhat are ramekins?
Elaine says
September 30, 2016 at 7:08 pmclear glass custard cups
Robin warren says
March 23, 2014 at 7:02 amcould you use 3 eggs instead of 5?
Erica says
March 23, 2014 at 9:23 pmYou could try it with 3… we have only ever used 5 so I don’t know how it would turn out with 3
Becky hamlett says
September 9, 2014 at 6:32 amThe picture looks a little dry. Is it or is it just me?
Emily says
September 9, 2014 at 10:34 amIt’s definitely not dry, it maybe just appears that way.
Sharon says
September 10, 2014 at 7:37 amCan you use brown sugar instead of white?
Emily says
September 10, 2014 at 12:39 pmI haven’t tried that but let me know how it works!
Karen Owczarek says
September 12, 2014 at 11:26 amWhat size can of pineapple do you use?
Emily says
September 17, 2014 at 7:31 amYou only need a cup, so I would get a can with more than 8 oz.
Toni says
September 14, 2014 at 11:18 amDid you blind bake the pie shell prior to filling?
Emily says
September 17, 2014 at 7:29 amNope, the pie crust is unbaked prior to cooking.
Stella Williams says
September 15, 2014 at 10:42 pmLooks delicious your whipped topping is that cream that is whipped till thick. Thank you Emily will definitely make it I know my family will love it.
Emily says
September 17, 2014 at 7:34 amThanks! You will definitely love it, it’s one of my favorites!!
Racheal says
September 18, 2014 at 5:33 amShould the pie have that eggy taste? Or is 5 eggs too many
Emily says
September 22, 2014 at 10:55 amI have made it multiple times, I promise there isn’t an eggy taste.
Bea says
October 4, 2014 at 9:42 pmI love anything that starts with pineapple, coconut and pecans so I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for doing all the work and graciously sharing it with us!!
Echo says
October 5, 2014 at 12:31 amYou are our kind of girl! We hope you like the recipe. Thank you for visiting our site!
Amanda says
November 24, 2014 at 1:28 pmI made this pie a while back and it was AMAZING! I’m making it again today, then I’ll be making it AGAIN on Wednesday to take to my in-laws for Thanksgiving! We love it SO much! Thank you so much for posting this recipe – I have a feeling it’s going to be a holiday staple in my house for quite a while 🙂
By the way, for anyone interested: The first time I made the pie, I subbed applesauce for the butter and a bit of the sugar (only because I forgot to get butter at the grocery store and we always have applesauce on hand for the baby- hah!) and it worked fabulously! I think I did 4oz of applesauce and cut the sugar by half a cup? I wish I could remember exactly, but either way I had no idea how it would turn out and it was AWESOME. This time I am baking it per the recipe, no changes, and I’m very excited to see how it turns out 🙂
Emily says
November 26, 2014 at 10:05 amI’m making this pie tomorrow too! So glad you like it, it’s one of my favorites!
dawn says
December 23, 2014 at 7:06 amNo one in my family particularly likes pue crust. But they do like graham cracker crust. Do u think I can make this recipe for them using a graham cracker crust and also using a 9 ×13 baking dish?
Erica says
December 23, 2014 at 5:22 pmIf that is what your family would prefer, I would say: “Go for it”! Let us know how it turns out!
Barbara says
January 6, 2015 at 5:21 amHi Emily, I’ve had this saved to try for a while. We are having my Dad’s 90th birthday party soon and I’d like to try this for part of the three day menu. However, there are going to be so many people that will want to try it–this is what I’m wondering???? What do you think about doubling the recipe and putting it into a 13 x 9 dish without a crust? Will it be too hard to cut this method? If it absolutely needs a crust, what about a shortbread type crust???
Thanks, Barbara
Emily says
January 6, 2015 at 11:48 amI’m not sure, I have never tried that! I would probably do some sort of crust along the bottom of the pan. If it were me, I would probably just make 2 pies.
Debbie Harbour says
January 23, 2015 at 10:07 pmGot this recipe from my husbands Aunt, about 20 yrs ago ( minus the pecans). Lost my recipe book it was in & Aunt passed away. Asked everyone in the family & no one knew what I was talking about. Recipe book was found & have enjoyed the pie. Will make note of adding pecans. I also cut coconut in 1/2 (not a real big fan) & up the crushed pineapple by same amount. Still very very good!!
Debbie Harbour says
January 23, 2015 at 10:10 pmIt also makes great little tart size pies, just have to watch them closer while baking. Great for big gatherings or bake sells
Echo says
January 24, 2015 at 9:05 amWhat a good idea! Thanks!
Jane says
April 13, 2015 at 1:03 pmI made this pie two days ago. My husband is not big on pies, but he loved this one!
Don’t you hate when people make substitutions? Sorry! I didn’t have pecans, so I put in chopped walnuts. Still delicious, but I will use pecans next time.
Also, as some of the others said, I had enough filling to make two pies! Surprise! I wonder if I just mixed it too much (as you said you didn’t want the eggs to fluff) or if it is possible to cut the recipe in half next time?
I used sugar and I wonder about using the Splenda Baking Blend next time. I liked the idea of subbing in some apple sauce for some of the sugar as suggested above, too.
Oh, I thought the crust would get too soggy with the filling, so I put it in the oven for about 5 minutes before adding the filling. It didn’t really bake it, but it firmed up the bottom just a bit. Maybe next time I will try it as you advised since the comments don’t seem to criticise the crust for getting soggy.
Great recipe!
Echo says
April 14, 2015 at 5:22 pmHaha! No, we don’t hate it when people make substitutions. It’s fun to try new things and you’ve got to use what you have on hand. I’ll do just about anything to save myself a trip to the grocery store to get just one thing.
norma says
May 11, 2015 at 5:16 amDelicious! I made for a euchre game and every body ask for the recipe.
Great job. Tkanks.
Echo says
May 12, 2015 at 7:55 pmThank you for the feedback! We are so glad it was a hit!
martha shaw says
October 16, 2015 at 9:09 amthanks for sharing recipe, would you also have a recipe for a hawaiian fruitcake, yellow, not dark.it has pineapple,coconut, macadamia nuts?
Emily says
October 16, 2015 at 9:01 pmNo, we have a Hawaiian wedding cake though.
carissa says
November 25, 2015 at 8:40 pmHi emily,
Thanks for sharing the recipe! It came out really good i think! If I made it tonight for tomorrow should I put it in the frog over night?
Thanks so much!
Carissa 🙂
Emily says
December 1, 2015 at 9:58 amYes, I always keep it in the fridge.
Nancy says
June 18, 2016 at 11:42 amHope the frog isn’t too full.
Diana says
June 22, 2016 at 1:57 amLol….
Shelly says
September 29, 2016 at 5:28 pmHAHA HAHA !! I LITERALLY JUST GOT FINISHED QUIETLY CRACKING UP FROM THAT ADORABLE TYPO UNTIL I SAW NANCYS RESPONSE! ! You’ll never know how badly I need the pie and chuckle! Impossible without carissa..thank you and I mean no disrespect❤
OMG!! HAHA!! I LOVE PEOPLE!!
sandy says
June 6, 2016 at 2:53 pmHas anyone tried this with no pie crust? I’, thinking there are many eggs in this recipe and makes it similar to a quiche. I routinely make quiche with no crust since the eggs set up beautifully without a pie crust. Wondering what would happen with no crust. Any thoughts?
Nancy says
June 18, 2016 at 1:10 pmPie has been in the oven for almost an hour and a half and it’s still very loose. What did I do wrong? I can’t see two tablespoons of thickener
( flour and cornmeal) making all those eggs set up.
Emily says
July 7, 2016 at 10:41 pmI’m not sure, I’ve made it numerous times and it has always turned out. Did you drain the pineapple?
Mila says
September 20, 2016 at 5:34 pmI saw your comment and wanted to email to see if you ever fixed your problem? Same thing happened to me. I took it out after 1.5 hour, left it to set and when cut it, was shocked, it was all watery. I threw it away. I followed the recipe to a T, drained pineapple, all that.
I want to try again but kind of scared now. Ho do you test it if it’s ready? By poking it from time to time? Should it maybe stay 2 hours in the oven? How would one know it’s time for it to come out, to avoid the ‘loose pie’ problem?
Emily says
September 21, 2016 at 8:37 amI’m so sorry, it’s hard to say what went wrong. Maybe next time try just dicing up some fresh pineapple instead of using the crushed pineapple, then don’t pull it out of the oven until you can lightly press the center and it doesn’t feel runny underneath.
Ronnie says
July 11, 2016 at 6:56 pmLove the pie. I prebaked the pie crust.poked holes in the crust all over the bottom when it thawed out.then put the filling in. The pie crust did not burn it was a light brown even after cooking the pie for over an hour
Susan says
July 17, 2016 at 8:08 pmThis looks so delicious! Going to try this very soon. Can’t help but wonder if chocolate chips would be a tasty addition?! Thanks for sharing this!
Erica says
July 18, 2016 at 8:58 amYou can definitely add chocolate chips if you need your chocolate fix! We haven’t done it that way before but I don’t see why not!
john says
July 18, 2016 at 7:33 pmHello.
I have a question. A lot of the recipes on this site call for flaked coconut. Are these recipes using sweetened flaked coconut?
Erica says
July 18, 2016 at 9:00 pmYes, all of them are sweetened unless otherwise noted. Hope this helps!
Gayle says
July 21, 2016 at 5:17 pmCan you use another fruit besides pineapple I would love to make this but have a daughter with severe pineapple allergy?
Erica says
July 26, 2016 at 9:41 pmhmmm that is a good question… I am guessing Mango would be the closest substitute that would still taste “island-y”
Paula says
October 28, 2016 at 7:26 pmMy daughter has made this twice. First time followed exactly. Did not come out firm. 2nd time she increased baking time. Still not firm but very good. She did drain pineapple. Any reason as to it being runny?
Emily says
October 31, 2016 at 9:35 amI’m not sure why, my suggestion would be to cut the amount of pineapple next time. Maybe try doing 3/4 of what you would normally do.
Jennifer Emilson says
November 5, 2016 at 2:41 pmHi, I tried making this, and also found that I had enough filling for two pies. I think you may want to specify the size of eggs you used. I only ever have large or extra large in the house, so I used 4 instead of the 5 you state, just in case you use a smaller size. And I still had a LOT of filling. I love the idea of the filling, but with the amount of sugar you are using, unsweetened coconut may help cut the sweetness others have experienced.
Ann says
November 8, 2016 at 7:50 amCould this pie be frozen?
Echo says
November 8, 2016 at 9:41 pmI have not tried freezing this pie, but you can freeze pecan pie and I don’t think there would be much difference. Wait until the pie is completely cool. Cover it well with plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Thank you for asking!
Payton says
November 22, 2016 at 7:07 pmCan you use a frozen pie crust?
Echo says
November 22, 2016 at 10:27 pmYes, that will work!
Sharonett says
March 7, 2017 at 5:16 pmGreat recipe, delicious rich and decadent pie. Hubby and I ate half the pie in one sitting. Makes a big pie so I used my 10 inch pie dish. I placed a pie of parchment in the bottom before adding the filling which gave me a nice browned bottom on the crust. I did add one tsp of good vanilla.
Loved it!
S C says
June 15, 2017 at 8:27 amI can’t wait to try this pie! Is the pie crust regular or deep dish?
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 20, 2017 at 4:22 pmI’m not really sure what you mean, but the crust lines the bottom and sides of the pie pan.
Carol says
October 24, 2017 at 10:54 amI Have a couple ideas for making baking time shorter. Cook in saucepan over a low heat until it starts to thicken ( just a little) then add to crust and bake. I usually do this with pecan pies, cook about 5 minutes and it really does make baking go faster Also, for those who didn’t want to use pineapple, make two pies using half the reciepe without, and the second half with. I haven’t tried this yet, but definitly making it per recipe soon. I thought about it when you said it was more of a creamy pie and my mom always made cream filling on top of stove and a pre-baked crust.Except pumpkin pie! Also, a deep dish pir crust is just what it says, it will make a thicker filling pie, not a great idea for anything other than fruit pies , takes too long to get done.IMO
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 25, 2017 at 12:50 pmI am going to try this! That’s a great idea!
Crystal says
October 28, 2017 at 8:13 amThis sounds amazing. Do you think substituting almonds for the pecans would work? I have a severe allergy to pecans and walnuts but can eat almonds. TIA!!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 28, 2017 at 8:56 pmI’m sure you could! Almonds would go great with the coconut. It would just be like an Almond Joy!
Sandra Lawson says
November 10, 2017 at 8:24 pmHas anyone tried substituting artificial sweeteners (baking blend) for the white sugar? Thanks
Carol says
February 18, 2018 at 7:19 amI have never seen a recipe for pie that uses corn meal as thickener and I bet it works wonderfully! So interesting and this is what is so great about cooking, it is a life long learning experience!I cannot wait to try out this pie. YUM
Amy says
November 9, 2018 at 5:00 amI have an allergy to corn, gives me terrible migraines. Do you think I could use almond meal instead? Or even just regular flour?
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 10, 2018 at 11:17 amI haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
H B says
November 19, 2018 at 7:25 amI’ve made this for the holidays for the past three years. My hubby absolutely loves it!
I always double the recipe, and that usually makes 3 pies.
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 19, 2018 at 9:34 pmI’m so glad you like it! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!
Therese Patrias says
February 21, 2019 at 6:24 pmAbsolutely delicious. Made this pie this afternoon. Followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfect. I used a deep dish pie plate, baked per the recipe. Will definitely make this again.
Favorite Family Recipes says
February 23, 2019 at 10:39 amI’m so happy you liked this pie! The flavors are so delicious. Thank you for the 5 stars!
Jeanifer Marion says
June 7, 2019 at 9:32 amI made this and it’s was wonderful, I drizzled a little chocolate syrup over my whipped topping. Not to much , just enough to have that little extra flavor.