Coconut Cream Pie

 September 2025

Recipe from The Perfect Pie, Americas Test Kitchen, 2019, p. 49 and 334, also available online. 

I recently made a vanilla cream pie and published a blog post about it. The pie was good but I criticized the time needed to make it and the expense of several ingredients. A reader commented on social media that they enjoy coconut cream pie. I had never made a coconut cream pie so I thought I would give it a go. It didn't hurt that it was the next recipe in the pie cookbook after the vanilla cream pie.

For the crust, Nilla Wafer cookies, sweetened flaked coconut, sugar, flour, and salt were ground in the food processor. Melted butter was added and the mixture pulsed to combine the ingredients. The mixture was pressed in a pie plate and baked at 325° until set. Making the "dough" took just 15 minutes, total time was 30 minutes exclusive of cooling.

For the filling, milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt were whisked together. Milk was brought to a simmer and a portion of the hot milk was whisked into the yolk mixture to temper it. The tempered mixture was slowly whisked into the remaining hot milk then cooked until it thickened and bubbled and registered 180°. The filling was strained and sweetened flaked coconut and vanilla extract were stirred in. The filling was poured into the cooled crust and refrigerated until set. Preparing the filling took 50 minutes.

Sweetened flaked coconut was carefully toasted in the microwave to create a garnish. Toasting it for 30 seconds was too long and it burned so, for the second try, it was toasted in 10 second increments. The pie was served with whipped cream and the toasted coconut.

Curiously, we thought the pie was just okay the first time we had it, but after several more days (a pie lasts us four days) it grew on us and we liked it more and more. It was easier and faster to make than the vanilla cream pie and without wasting any ingredients. I might make it again, time will tell. The recipe called for sweetened shredded coconut but all I could find in the supermarket was sweetened flaked coconut. I don't think this had a large effect on the pie.