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Spatula holding up a slice of Coconut Cream Pie.
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4.97 from 33 votes

Coconut Cream Pie (From Scratch)

This from-scratch Coconut Cream Pie uses canned coconut milk for bold coconut flavor and half-and-half for a silky, sliceable custard — no pudding mix needed.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Coconut Cream Pie
Servings: 8
Calories: 574kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup toasted coconut see recipe notes
  • 2 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 1 9-inch baked pie shell

TOPPING:

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar to taste
  • 2 teaspoons coconut extract

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over LOW medium heat (using a double-boiler works best), whisking constantly.
    Sauce pan with creamy liquid and whisk to make coconut cream pie.
  • When it starts to boil a little bit and thickens up to about the consistency of a thick pudding (this takes about 15-20 minutes so BE PATIENT), remove from heat.
    Sauce pan with thickened pudding mixture preparing the filling for a coconut pie.
  • Stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the coconut (or vanilla) extract. 
    Saucepan with a pudding mixture and added toasted coconut to make coconut cream pie.
  • Pour into pie shell and chill for 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
    Prepared coconut cream pie filling in a prepared baked pie shell.
  • While pie is cooling, whip together topping ingredients with electric beaters. 
    Mixing bowl with whipped cream, sugar, and coconut extract to make coconut pie topping.
  • When pie is completely cooled, top with whipped topping.
    Spreading whipped topping on a Coconut Cream Pie with a spatula.
  • Sprinkle on remaining toasted coconut.
    Whole Coconut Cream Pie with spatula and extra toasted coconut.

Video

Notes

How to Toast Coconut

To get that perfect golden toasted coconut, just follow these simple steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Spread an even layer of sweetened coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Bake for about 5-8 minutes, or until the color is golden brown. It can burn quickly, so keep a close eye on it. Stir every couple of minutes to ensure even baking.
  4. Let the coconut cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. It'll continue to crisp up as it sits.
  5. Store in an airtight container up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1098IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg