This old-fashioned Coconut Cream Pie recipe is creamy comfort in a spoon. It’s been handed down in my family for four generations. It’s easy to make and can be served with meringue or whipped topping. It’s sure to become a family favorite for every special occasion. Let’s get cooking!
This recipe was one of the first pies I made for my husband. He says it’s what helped him decide to marry me and is still his favorite pie recipe!
There are mixed ideas about whether it’s best hot or cold. We like it both ways. I have to admit warm is more comforting to me but J prefers it cold. So, we compromise.
The first piece we have is warm and the rest is served chilled.
If you’re a regular reader of The Farmer’s Lamp, then you know all my ingredients are organic, non-GMO.
You can use the ingredients you’re used to. If you’ve never made an old-fashioned coconut cream pie from scratch using organic, non-GMO ingredients, then you won’t notice the difference.
You can give it a special touch by making a homemade pie crust.
FAQs about Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
Should coconut cream pie be refrigerated?
Yes. Let the pie cool on a cooling rack for 1-2 hours. This allows the coconut filling to set well. You can serve the pie warm but the filling will be runnier than if cold set. Once it’s cooled, refrigerate for 2 hours before serving for a fully set pie filling. Refrigerate any leftovers.
How long will Coconut Cream Pie keep in the fridge?
I can’t answer this from personal experience because it never lasts more than two days at our house. However, 4 – 5 days is the max it will keep in the fridge. Be sure to eat it all no later than the 5th day.
What do I do if my coconut cream pie won’t set?
There are a couple of reasons for this. Either you haven’t let it cool long enough before cutting it or, more likely, you didn’t let the filling cook long enough. It must come to a good boil and cook until thickened.
To fix the problem, you can add some gelatin to the filling and mix it well. This will not give you the same creamy coconut custard and will be inconsistent throughout the pie, but it will be servable.
The best thing to do is
- return the filling to the pot and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat
- cook it until it is thickened.
- If it is not thickening up, dissolve one Tbs cornstarch in 1/4 milk and add it to the pot.
- Then continue cooking until thick. Return it to your crust and chill.
Why does my coconut cream pie weep?
If your pie is topped with a meringue, this is probably the issue. To avoid a weeping meringue, try these tips:
- Don’t overbake the meringue. When you overbake a meringue, the egg whites shrink, squeezing small moisture droplets them.
- Check the meringue at the minimum baking time. If it’s not done to your liking, check it every 30 seconds because it will quickly overbake or burn.
- Make sure the sugar in your egg whites is completely dissolved when mixing. Mix the sugar and egg whites at low speed until the mixture has lost its graininess. Then you can turn up the mixer too high and whip up those peaks of perfection. I suggest using caster sugar or superfine granular sugar.
- Prepare the meringue before you start the pie crust and pie filling. This ensures it has had plenty of time to chill. When you add it to the hot pie filling, it will spread easier and be less likely to shrink when you cook it.
- When you spread the meringue on your filling, make sure you take it all the way to the edge and seal it there by spreading it onto the crust so that they touch one another.
Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie From Scratch Recipe
Ingredients
- Baked 9” deep dish pie crust
- 6 eggs – separated
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups grass fed A2A2 whole milk, whole milk, or coconut milk
- 3 Tablespoons softened butter
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract or coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh coconut flakes or dry unsweetened coconut flakes
For Meringue:
- Egg whites (separated from yolks used in the pie filling)
- 5 Tbs fine grain sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
For Whipped Cream Topping: Yields 2 1/3 cups whipped topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbs fine grain sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
Instructions:
- Prepare and bake your pie crust or you can skip the homemade crust for a store-bought unbaked pie shell.
- Separate the eggs and put the egg whites in the refrigerator for the meringue
- Beat egg yolks well in a large bowl.
- In a 2-quart medium bowl or medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and real salt.
- Gradually stir in the milk combining well.
- Cook over medium heat on your stovetop until the mixture thickens and begins to boil.
- Let boil for 1 minute. *Stir the mixture continuously! It burns quickly.*
- Once the filling has boiled for one minute, slowly stir 3/4 of the hot mixture into your well-beaten egg yolks.
- Then immediately stir the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of your pie filling.
- Return the pie filling to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.
- Add butter, coconut, and vanilla to the pot and combine well.
- Pour your custard filling into your prepared crust.
If you are topping with whipped topping:
- Press parchment paper or a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the pie. This will prevent skin from forming on the pie.
- Let the pie cool on a cooling rack for a couple of hours. This allows it to set well. You can serve it warm but the filling will be runnier than a cold set pie.
OR
- Cover as above and let cool on a wire rack for an hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the pie filling to set well.
- Remove the cover and serve with whipped topping.
To make the whipped cream:
- Put 1 cup of heavy cream into a chilled bowl. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, whip at the highest speed of your electric mixer in a large mixing bowl until the cream begins to stiffen.
- Gradually add 3 Tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to use. I put mine in a glass jar or bowl with a tight-fitting lid.
- Of course, you can buy ready-made cool whip.
If you are topping with Meringue:
- Once you have your coconut cream filling poured into the crust, beat the egg whites until fluffy.
- Gradually add 5 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites while continuously beating on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer, your hand mixer, or as fast as you can by hand. By hand takes forever and isn’t as efficient – trust me.
- Once stiff peaks form, spread the meringue over the top of your pie filling being careful to seal it to the edges.
- Sprinkle the top with a little coconut. Cook under your oven broiler until golden brown for that toasted coconut taste. **It will burn quickly so watch closely.**
- Let the pie sit on the counter for a couple of hours to set and serve warm. A warm filling will be runnier than a cold set pie.
OR
- Let sit on the counter at room temperature for an hour then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the pie filling is set well.
- Serve and enjoy!
Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
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Print Pin- Baked 9” deep dish pie crust
- 6 eggs - separated
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon cornstarch - or all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract - coconut extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh coconut flakes - or dry unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 c heavy whipping cream -
- 3 Tbs fine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
- 3 egg whites - separated earlier
- 5 Tbs fine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
- Prepare and bake your pie crust
- Separate the eggs and put the egg whites in the refrigerator for the meringue
- Beat egg yolks in a small bowl.
- In a 2 quart pot, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in the milk combining well.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Let boil for 1 minute. *Stir the mixture continuously! It burns quickly.*
- Once the filling has boiled for one minute, slowly stir ¾ of the hot mixture into your well-beaten egg yolks. Then immediately stir the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of your pie filling.
- Return the pie filling to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.
- Add butter, coconut, and vanilla to the pot and combine well.
- Pour your filling into your prepared pie crust.
- Press parchment paper or plastic wrap onto the top of the pie. This will prevent a skin from forming on the pie.
- Let the pie cool on a cooling rack for a couple of hours. This allows the pie to set well. You can serve the pie warm but the filling will be runnier than a cold set pie.
- ORCover as above and let cool on the counter for an hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the pie filling to set well.
- Remove cover and serve with whipped topping.
- Once you have your pie filling poured into the crust, beat the egg whites until fluffy.
- Gradually add 5 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites while continuously beating on high speed of your mixer or as fast as you can by hand. By hand takes forever and isn’t as efficient – trust me.
- Once stiff peaks form, spread the meringue over the top of your pie filling being careful to seal it to the edges.
- Sprinkle the top with a little coconut. Cook under your oven broiler until browned to your liking. **It will burn quickly so watch closely.**
- Let the pie sit on the counter to set for a couple of hours and serve warm. A warm pie filling will be runnier than a cold set pie.
- ORLet sit on the counter for an hour then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the pie filling is set well.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Put 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a chilled bowl. Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, whip at the highest speed of your electric mixer until the cream begins to stiffen.
- Gradually add 3 Tablespoons sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to use. I put mine in a glass jar or bowl with a tight-fitting lid.
- Whip the egg whites on high speed of an electric mixer using your whisk attachment until fluffy.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until all 5 Tablespoons are added.
- Beat on low until the sugar is fully incorporated into the eggs (the graininess will be gone). Return mixer to highest speed and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the meringue over the freshly cooked pie and brown under your broiler.Remember to watch it carefully, the meringue will brown and burn before you know it.
Nutrition
Some have told me they never thought there was an easy coconut pie. Although it seemed to be the impossible pie in their favorite dessert recipes, the impossible coconut pie has become the best coconut cream pie for them.
Coconut lovers only need to follow what the recipe calls for to add this to their favorite pies to make. you may also enjoy our coconut cake recipe as one of your easy recipes for coconut desserts.
I think I’m going to go make one now! I like this pie almost as much as Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie Recipe with some vanilla ice cream.
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