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Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
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5 from 1 vote

Coconut Cream Pie

An old fashioned coconut cream pie with a coconut streusel sprinkled on top!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 653kcal

Ingredients

For the pie crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick cold salted butter (frozen works too), cubed or grated
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4-6 Tbsp ice water

For the custard filling

  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter cubed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

For the coconut streusel

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 4 Tablespoons 1/2 stick salted butter, melted

For the topping

  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Cream of Coconut such as Coco Lopez

Instructions

For the pie crust:

  • In a large metal bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and salt.
  • Add the cold cubed or grated butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or a fork to combine the butter with flour until it resembles coarse sand. 
  • Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) ice water and stir until it becomes too difficult, at which point use your hands, working quickly to knead the dough until it holds together. It should not be sticky; however, if the dough is too dry or crumbles apart, add 1 Tablespoon more water at a time until the dough holds together. 
  • Wrap the dough into a flat disc in plastic wrap. And refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. 
  • When you are ready to use the dough, roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Fit the rolled out dough into a pie plate, trim and  pinch the edges to form a decorative trim. 
  • To pre-bake the crust: Pre-heat the oven to 375oF. 
  • After fitting the dough into the pie plate, place the plate in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 
  • Cut out a round of parchment paper the same diameter as the bottom of the pie shell and place into the frozen crust. Top with pie weights or dried beans. 
  • Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and parchment round. Return to the oven to bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the crust is golden. If the edges of the crust begin to brown too much, use a pie crust shield or strips of foil to cover the edges and continue baking. 

For the custard filling:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half and egg yolks. In medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Slowly whisk in the yolk mixture until smooth. Whisking constantly over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat.  Quickly add the cubed butter and vanilla and whisk until melted and incorporated.  Fold in the coconut. 
  • Cover this warm mixture with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the custard so a skin doesn't form.  Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. 
  • Spread the cooled custard into the prebaked pie crust, cover again with plastic wrap touching the custard, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the coconut streusel:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350oF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and coconut on low speed.  Add the melted butter and mix until it becomes a coarse crumble.  Spread the mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and form the bits into larger crumbs using your hands.  Bake for 15 to 20  minutes, until the streusel is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool completely. 
  • For the topping: 
  • Just before serving, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the heavy cream and cream of coconut on high speed until stiff peaks form. 
  • Remove the pie from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.  Spread the whipped cream on top of the custard layer and sprinkles as much as coconut streusel on top of the whipped cream as desired. 
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days. 

Notes

  • Tools:Pie plate | Pastry cutter | Food processor | Saucepan | Baking Sheet
  • Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter just add 1/4 tsp. more salt to the crust.  
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Regular white vinegar also works, or simply omit and just make sure to not overwork the dough.
  • Cream Of Coconut : When you open the cream of coconut, the solid coconut will be sitting on top, and the liquid will be underneath. So be sure to get the liquid underneath. If you can't find cream of coconut, then I would substitute with coconut extract (1/2 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon to taste) and 2 Tbs. powdered sugar. Stir this in with the heavy cream and then whip until stiff peaks form.
  • Make Ahead/Storage: This pie can actually be made ahead up to 3 days. Just cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can make the pie crust 3 days ahead of time (or freeze for up to 3 months). Just wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. You may need to let it soften slightly before you try to roll it out. If it's frozen, I let it thaw overnight in the fridge.  You can even blind bake the crust 3 days ahead of time. Just let it cool and wrap it carefully and store in the fridge

Nutrition

Calories: 653kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 447mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g