Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cookies, Cake & Pastry

Coconut Cream Pie Recipe

With Three Different Crust Options To Customize To Your Preference

Introduction

A cream pie, or creme pie, is a plain pastry or crumb pastry shell with a pudding filling. Butterscotch, chocolate, frangipane (macaroon crumbs and lemon zest) and vanilla are the most common fillings; and if you don’t want the crust, you can simply enjoy the puddings.

Or, it can be a coconut-embellished Bavarian cream pie (crème bavarois): a crème anglaise (a rich custard) combined with gelatin, additional beaten egg whites, vanilla extract and lightly whipped cream. (See our Custard Glossary.)

Here, the base of the pie is a from-scratch vanilla pudding mixed with shredded coconut—regular or toasted (we prefer toasted).

• Some people prefer a base of hand-whipped cream instead of pudding.
• For a banana coconut cream pie, use a banana pudding base.
• This recipe includes a coconut pie shell for an extra hit of coconut and an alternative chocolate cookie crumb pie shell. But you can use a regular pastry crust or another crumb crust (graham cracker, vanilla wafer or gingersnap, for example).

• Check out other types of pies in our Pie & Pastry Glossary.

National Coconut Cream Pie Day is May 8th, but this luscious favorite is  welcome any day of the year.

Coconut Cream Pie Recipe: Crust

You can use a plain pastry crust or make a coconut crust, chocolate coconut crust or chocolate crumb crust:

CRUST OPTION 1
Ingredients For Coconut Crust

• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded coconut, chopped fine

Preparation For Coconut Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat egg white until stiff. Gradually beat in sugar, corn syrup and vanilla. Add coconut.
3. Line a 9-inch pie plate, tamping down firmly with the back of a spoon.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Chill.

CRUST OPTION 2
Ingredients For Chocolate Coconut Crust

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preparation For Chocolate Coconut Crust

This is a no-bake crust.

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and water. Add to chocolate mixture.
3. Stir in coconut. Press mixture into an 8-inch pie plate. Chill.

CRUST OPTION 3
Ingredients For Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs, finely ground
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preparation For Chocolate Cookie Crust

This is a no-bake crust.

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and water. Add to chocolate mixture.
3. Stir in coconut. Press mixture into an 8-inch pie plate. Chill.

Coconut Cream Pie Filling

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, plain or toasted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Option: For a pineapple coconut cream pie, add 2/3 cup of drained crushed
  pineapple
• Option: For a banana coconut cream pie without a banana pudding base,
  add 2/3 cup diced ripe bananas
• Optional Garnish: fresh whipped cream (recipe)
• Garnish: 1/2 cup coconut, plain or toasted

Preparation

1. Mix sugar, flour and salt in the top of a double boiler, over hot water.
2. Stir in milk and cook until thick, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add beaten egg yolks and cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Add butter; then coconut and optional coconut or banana. Incorporate thoroughly and cool mixture.
5. Add vanilla extract.
6. Fill pie shell and return to refrigerator.
7. Immediately before serving, top with optional whipped cream garnish and coconut garnish. If you don’t think the whole pie will be consumed, you can reserve the whipped cream until you have sliced the pie; then top each slice with whipped cream and coconut.

Recipes © 2008 Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab. Other material



Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. All images are the copyright of their respective owners.