This no‑bake Coconut Cream Pie is rich, creamy, and made with simple, all‑natural ingredients—no instant pudding or custard mixes. The filling has a silky texture and balanced sweetness, and you can finish the pie with either homemade whipped cream or a toasty meringue topping.
If you’ve never made homemade coconut cream pie, you’ll be surprised how straightforward it is and how impressive the result tastes.
What you’ll need
- Everyday pantry ingredients: flour, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, cream of tartar, vanilla extract and sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut flakes.
- A prepared roll‑out pie crust (such as the standard 9″ refrigerated crusts) and a 9″ pie dish.
- Note: the crust is blind‑baked at 375°F for 13–15 minutes to prevent a soggy or puffed bottom; the pie filling itself requires no baking.
How to blind bake the crust
Blind baking ensures the crust stays flat and crisp. Let the roll‑out crust warm on the counter until slightly pliable, then lightly flour and fit it into an ungreased 9″ pie dish. If the dough cracks, use a few drops of water on your fingers to press it back together.
Line the crust with a piece of parchment and fill it with about 1 cup of dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375°F on the middle rack for 13–15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove the parchment and weights and set the shell aside to cool.
How to make the custard filling
- Use a wooden spoon and stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
- In a medium saucepan over medium‑high heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil.
- Tempering the egg yolks: beat the egg yolks lightly. Add one cup of the hot custard to the yolks in small increments (1–2 tablespoons at a time), stirring to warm them without scrambling. Then return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan and cook briefly until bubbly and thickened.
- Remove from heat, stir in butter, vanilla and coconut. Pour the hot filling into the pre‑baked crust, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill until fully set and cool throughout.
Tips for a creamy coconut pie filling
- Stir constantly with a wooden spoon and scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid burning.
- Temper the egg yolks carefully so they won’t scramble when added to the hot mixture.
- Watch the heat: cornstarch thickens quickly at high temperatures and can scorch if left unattended.
- If the pan starts to darken, remove it from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture cools slightly.
- If you detect a burnt odor or significant browning, discard and start over—burnt custard can’t be fixed.
- Chill the pie before slicing; a slightly chilled pie yields neater, prettier slices.
How to make whipped cream
Homemade whipped cream is fast and light. Chill a metal bowl and whisk (or beaters) in the freezer for a few minutes. Combine 1 cup heavy cream with 1–2 tablespoons sugar (granulated or powdered) and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk on medium‑high until stiff peaks form, about 7–8 minutes, then spread or pipe over the chilled pie. You can make it ahead and refrigerate until serving.
How to make meringue topping
For a glossy meringue you need very clean utensils and room‑temperature egg whites—any trace of oil or yolk will prevent proper foam formation. Use a metal or glass bowl and beaters or a stand mixer.
Beat the egg whites on medium‑high until frothy, then add ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Increase speed and gradually add 10 tablespoons sugar in small additions until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Spread the meringue so it seals to the crust edge to prevent weeping, shape peaks with the back of a spoon, then bake on the middle rack at 400°F for 11–16 minutes, rotating for even browning. Cool before serving and refrigerate for best slices.
How to toast coconut for garnish
Toasted coconut adds color, crunch and aroma and takes only a few minutes.
- Use a large dry skillet (aluminum or nonstick) over medium heat.
- Spread shredded coconut in a flat layer and let it sizzle. Stir frequently so the flakes brown evenly and don’t burn.
- When the coconut is fragrant and lightly golden, remove the skillet from heat and transfer the coconut to a plate to cool.
- Sprinkle the cooled toasted coconut over whipped cream or meringue just before serving.
If you enjoy Southern desserts, this coconut cream pie fits right in alongside classics like pecan pie and old‑fashioned icebox pies.
More pie recipes
- Southern Pecan Pie
- Orange Creamsicle Icebox Pie
- No‑Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Classic Buttermilk Pie
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating—feedback is always appreciated.
Coconut Cream Pie
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Equipment
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Stand or hand mixer (for whipped cream or meringue)
Ingredients
Pie crust and filling Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk
- 5 large eggs , separated
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups coconut
- 1 9″-inch pie crust
- handful of flour to flour the pie dough
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Meringue Topping Ingredients
- 5 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 10 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Prep
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Fit the roll‑out pie crust into a 9″ ungreased pie pan after lightly flouring both sides; set aside.
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Line the crust with parchment and fill with 1 cup dried beans or pie weights. Blind‑bake at 375°F for 13–15 minutes until lightly golden; remove weights and parchment and set aside.
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Separate 5 eggs; reserve yolks and whites. Lightly beat the yolks and set aside.
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Chill a metal mixing bowl and whisk or beaters in the freezer if you plan to make whipped cream.
Make the pie filling
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In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, 6 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt and 3 cups milk. Cook over medium‑high heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling; then remove from heat.
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Temper the yolks by whisking 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks in small increments, then return the yolk mixture to the pan and cook gently for about 2 minutes.
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Stir in 3 tablespoons butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla and 1¼ cups coconut. Pour into the baked crust, press plastic directly onto the surface, and chill until set.
Make whipped cream
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Remove chilled bowl and whisk from the freezer. Combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk until stiff peaks form and spread over the chilled pie.
Meringue topping
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In a clean bowl, beat 5 room‑temperature egg whites with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt until frothy. Increase speed and gradually add 10 tablespoons sugar until glossy stiff peaks form.
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Spread the meringue so it seals to the crust edge, shape peaks, and bake at 400°F on the middle rack for 11–16 minutes, rotating for even browning. Cool and refrigerate before slicing.
Toast coconut for garnish
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Place 1 cup coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until fragrant and golden, then transfer to a plate to cool. Sprinkle over whipped cream or meringue before serving.
Notes
Let the crust warm slightly before unrolling. Lightly flour both sides and press into the pie pan. If it cracks when unrolling, moisten your fingers to mend seams.
Blind bake with parchment and pie weights or dried beans to keep the bottom flat; remove them after the initial bake.
Cooking the pie filling:
Constant stirring and scraping the saucepan bottom are essential. It typically takes about 10 minutes of attentive stirring to reach the right thickness. Adjust stove heat as needed.
If you notice dark spots forming, remove the pan from heat and keep stirring; you can skim out any browned bits before filling the crust. If the custard is burned, start over.
Temper the eggs:
Gradually add hot filling to the beaten yolks to warm them, then return the mixture to the pan. This prevents curdled or scrambled eggs in the filling.
Sugar for whipped cream:
You can use granulated or powdered sugar for the whipped cream. Powdered sugar tastes sweeter—start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste while whipping.