This deep dish coconut cream pie consists of a tender, buttery pie crust, creamy coconut pudding-like filling, and light whipped cream. It's the perfect cold-set dessert to welcome the warmer weather of spring or summer!
Nothing says "goodbye winter" like a vibrant cream pie, and this deep dish coconut cream pie is the definition of light and refreshing! Made with a super buttery, flaky crust and filled with a thick, creamy coconut filling, this pie combines bright flavors with rich, indulgent textures to create a truly gorgeous dessert. Top it with some homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut, and you're in for a real treat!
For more coconut recipes, try Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, Almond Chocolate Coconut Macarons, and Piña Colada Cake with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
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Why you'll love this deep dish coconut cream pie
- Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust: This twist on my normal pie crust recipe creates an ultra flaky, tender crust that's perfect with any pie filling!
- Smooth Coconut Flavor: With the addition of canned coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes, this pie has a strong, smooth coconut flavor that's perfect for spring and summer.
- Great Make Ahead Dessert: I won't lie, homemade pie is does require a lot of time and patience. But the best part is that it's best served the day after it's baked, so it's a great make ahead dessert!
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded Coconut: Be sure to toast your shredded coconut for optimal flavor!
- Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk adds moisture as well as flavor to this pie filling.
- Heavy Cream: You'll need heavy cream for both the crust and the filling.
- Unsalted Butter: Use high quality European-style butter for best overall flavor.
- Flour: Use high quality unbleached all-purpose flour for best results.
- Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla: Add a high quality vanilla extract for optimal flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this deep dish coconut cream pie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Make the dough. Mix the dough together in a stand mixer, then fold according to instructions. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
STEP 2: Roll out the crust. When ready to bake the crust, roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛″ in thickness. Carefully place the dough into the pie pan, pressing it up against the sides. Cut off the excess dough, leaving an inch or so hanging over the sides, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Take the pie dough out and crimp the edges as desired. Dock the bottom and sides all over with the tines of a fork, then cover and chill for another 30 minutes.
STEP 3: Bake the crust. Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or dry rice, concentrating them on the edges and up to the crimp. Place the pie pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 14-16 minutes until the crimp is golden. Take the pan out, take all of the pie weights out, then brush the pie crust with an egg wash all over, as well as a small amount on the crimp to give it a shine. Tent the crimp with aluminum foil, then place back in the oven and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until evenly golden and fully baked through. Allow the pie crust to cool completely before adding the pie filling.
STEP 4: Toast the coconut. In a small frying pan over low-medium heat, toast the shredded coconut for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until aromatic. Set aside.
STEP 5: Make the coconut filling. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, bring the coconut milk and heavy cream to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, eggs, and egg yolks until fully combined. Once the milk and cream mixture is simmering, remove from heat and temper the eggs in. Pour everything back into the saucepan and return to medium heat, mixing constantly until thickened to a pudding consistency. Pour the filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add the butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and use an immersion blender (or stir with a rubber spatula) until fully incorporated and smooth. Lastly, fold in the toasted shredded coconut.
STEP 6: Pour and chill. Pour the coconut cream filling into the cooled pie crust and smooth out the top. Press plastic wrap up against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the fridge overnight.
STEP 7: Make the whipped cream. When ready to serve the pie, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and sugar. Use a hand mixer or a standard electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until medium to stiff peaks form.
STEP 8: Spread the whipped cream. Spread an even layer of whipped cream on the pie.
STEP 9: Decorate. Transfer the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe the whipped cream as desired. Garnish the pie with toasted coconut flakes, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Start the recipe two days before serving. Both the pie dough and the filling need to be chilled overnight, so plan ahead and account for all of the chill time!
- Keep the pie dough cold. The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use cold butter and cold heavy cream, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Cut cold cubed butter into the flour until quarter sized pieces are left. Roll the chilled pie dough out into a rough rectangle, then fold it into quarters. Chill for a few minutes, then repeat. This series of rolling and folding creates layers and layers of butter and dough. When the pie dough is baked, the butter creates steam and pushes the layers of dough upwards, creating an ultra flaky, buttery crust!
Of course! But if you have the time, I encourage you try homemade. It's so much better than store-bought, and it is surprisingly easy to make!
Store slices of this pie in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other pie and tart recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Deep Dish Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 170 g (12 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cold
- 191 g (1 cup + 1 ½ tbsp) heavy cream, cold
- Egg wash, 1 egg + 2 tablespoon heavy cream
For the coconut filling:
- 80 g (1 cup) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 567 g (2 ½ cups) canned coconut milk
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream
- 133 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 40 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the whipped cream:
- 340 g (1 ½ cups) heavy cream, cold
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss in the flour. Using your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until quarter sized pieces are left.
- Add a small amount of heavy cream, then toss with your hands or a spoon to combine. Continue adding very small amounts of heavy cream until it's all used up. The dough should hold together, but not be overly wet.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then chill for one hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, fold in half, then again into quarters. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out again into a rough rectangle and repeat the folding process. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake the crust, roll out the pie dough into a rough circle about ⅛″ in thickness.
- Carefully place the dough into the pie pan, pressing it up against the sides. Cut off the excess dough, leaving an inch or so hanging over the sides, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Take the pie dough out and crimp the edges as desired. Dock the bottom and sides all over with the tines of a fork, then cover and chill for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat it to 425 degrees F.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or dry rice, concentrating them on the edges and up to the crimp.
- Place the pie pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for about 14-16 minutes until the crimp is golden.
- Take the pan out, take all of the pie weights out, then brush the pie crust with an egg wash all over, as well as a small amount on the crimp to give it a shine.
- Tent the crimp with aluminum foil, then place back in the oven and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until evenly golden and fully baked through. Allow the pie crust to cool completely before adding the pie filling.
For the coconut filling:
- In a small frying pan over low-medium heat, toast the shredded coconut for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until aromatic. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, bring the coconut milk and heavy cream to a simmer or about 190 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and egg yolks until fully combined.
- Once the milk, cream mixture is simmering, remove from heat and temper the eggs by slowly pouring about half of it into the bowl while whisking simultaneously.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Mix constantly with a rubber spatula until thickened to a pudding consistency.
- Pour the filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla, and use an immersion blender (or mix with a rubber spatula) until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Lastly, fold in the toasted shredded coconut.
- Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and smooth out the top.
- Press plastic wrap up against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the fridge overnight.
For the whipped cream:
- When ready to serve the pie, make the whipped cream.
- In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the cream until medium peaks form.
- Spread an even layer of whipped cream on the pie.
- Transfer the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag with a star tip, and decorate the pie as desired.
- Garnish the pie with toasted coconut flakes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Start the recipe two days before serving. Both the pie dough and the filling need to be chilled overnight, so plan ahead and account for all of the chill time!
- Keep the pie dough cold. The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use cold butter and cold heavy cream, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Darla H says
Beautiful and delicious!!!! I made it following the recipe and only changed using 1/2 vanilla bean instead of the extract. Thank you!!!!