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Coconut Cream Pie on a white plate.
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Coconut Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

My favorite coconut cream pie! Graham cracker crust, creamy coconut custard and fluffy whipped cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 -10
Calories 494kcal

Ingredients

Crust:

  • cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 9 whole graham crackers
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling:

  • One 14 ounce can coconut milk well shaken (not cream of coconut)
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • scant ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Whipped Cream Topping:

  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream chilled
  • 4 -5 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • teaspoon almond extract optional (but so good!)

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 325°. Spread the ⅔ cup of shredded coconut on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 5-9 minutes. Keep a close eye on the coconut so that it doesn't burn. Stir it several times during baking to help it toast evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  • Break up the graham crackers and place them in a food processor. Add half of the toasted coconut (⅓ cup) to the food processor. Reserve the other ⅓ cup of toasted coconut for garnishing the pie. Process the graham crackers and coconut into fine crumbs. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and melted butter. Once all of the graham cracker crumbs are moistened, press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden brown. Cool the crust while making the filling.

For the filling:

  • Put the coconut milk, whole milk and coconut in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk sugar, salt, egg yolks and cornstarch. Once the milk is simmering, slowly pour a cup of the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly as you pour (this will help slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs). Slowly add one more cup of warm milk, whisking continuously.
  • Pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk in the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Alternate whisking and stirring with a rubber spatula. After 3-5 minutes, the mixture will be bubbling and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter.
  • Allow the filling to cool to room temperature, and then pour into the crust. Cover the pie and refrigerate until completely chilled and firm, several hours.

Assembly:

  • Once the pie is chilled, prepare the whipped cream topping. Beat the heavy cream, sugar and extracts just until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pie and garnish with reserved toasted coconut. Refrigerate the pie after assembly or serve immediately. Any leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

This pie has a subtle sweetness and a mild coconut flavor. If you'd like the coconut flavor stronger, you can add a tiny splash (¼ teaspoon-ish) of coconut extract to the custard.
Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1.1mg