Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite easy coconut cream pies with a light, fluffy, creamy texture and an amazing coconut flavor. This is a perfect cream pie that you can make for the holidays in any season of the year.

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GRANDMA’S COCONUT CREAM PIE

This easy coconut cream pie has a few fantastic layers – crispy crust, coconut cream filling, light and fluffy whipped cream, and flavorful toasted coconut.

Yummy, yummy, yummy! By the way, I’ve never had leftovers from this easy coconut cream pie because we always eat it so fast.

Ingredients For coconut cream pie?

This is a delicious easy coconut cream pie that anyone can make.

You will need one package of store-bought pie crust, unsalted butter, whole milk, large eggs, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, flaked coconut, toasted coconut, and heavy cream.

The full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie

How to make Coconut Cream Pie?

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
    Add ¼ cup unsalted butter and 3 ¼ cups whole milk to a large saucepan. Turn on the medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  2. While the mixture of milk and butter is heating, beat together 3 eggs, 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar, and ½ cup cornstarch using an electric mixer. Beat for 4-5 minutes.
  3. Gradually add a hot mixture of milk and butter to the beaten mixture. Don’t add the hot mixture at once; you should divide it into a few additions. Beat after each addition.
    Transfer this warm mixture to the saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat until this creamy mixture thickens. Stir constantly. It will take about 10-12 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and add 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
  4. Transfer the hot cream filling to the large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
     Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie
  5. While the creamy filling is cooling, prepare the pie crust. Place pie crust in pie plate. Then, press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes with pie weights. Then, remove the pie weights and bake for additional 10-15 minutes or until golden and ready. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  6. In a mixing bowl, beat together 2 cups cold heavy cream and ⅓ cup granulated sugar using an electric mixer. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  7. Remove the cream filling from the refrigerator and stir in 2 cups of flaked coconut. Transfer this coconut cream filling to the baked pie crust. Spread evenly. Then, top the coconut cream filling with whipped cream. Decorate the coconut cream pie with toasted coconut. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Then, slice and enjoy!

Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie

Freeze coconut cream pie;

I don’t recommend freezing this easy coconut cream pie because such a pie doesn’t freeze well, and it can lose its taste, shape, and quality.

Recipe tips;

  1. You can use any coconut – flaked coconut, shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened).
  2. Don’t forget to let the baked pie crust cool completely before adding the coconut cream filling.
  3. You can use store-bought pie crust or your favorite homemade pie crust.
  4. You can use an electric mixer or a stand mixer for this easy coconut cream pie recipe.

Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Grandma’s Coconut Cream Pie

This easy coconut cream pie has a few fantastic layers - crispy crust, coconut cream filling, light and fluffy whipped cream, and flavorful toasted coconut
5 from 49 votes
Print Save Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 package store-bought pie crust, thawed if frozen;

For the coconut cream filling:

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter;
  • 3 ¼ cups whole milk;
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature;
  • 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar;
  • ½ cup cornstarch;
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract;
  • 2 cups flaked coconut.

For the topping:

  • 2 cups heavy cream, cold;
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar;
  • toasted coconut, to taste.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Add unsalted butter and whole milk to a large saucepan. Turn on the medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • While the mixture of milk and butter is heating, beat together eggs, granulated sugar, and cornstarch using an electric mixer. Beat for 4-5 minutes. Then, gradually add a hot mixture of milk and butter to the beaten mixture. Don't add the hot mixture at once; you should divide it into a few additions. Beat after each addition.
  • Transfer this warm mixture to the saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat until this creamy mixture thickens. Stir constantly. It will take about 10-12 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and add vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
  • Transfer this hot cream filling to the large bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • While the creamy filling is cooling, prepare the pie crust. Place pie crust in pie plate. Then, press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes with pie weights. Then, remove the pie weights and bake for additional 10-15 minutes or until golden and ready. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together cold heavy cream and granulated sugar using an electric mixer. Beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Remove the cream filling from the refrigerator and stir in flaked coconut. Transfer this coconut cream filling to the baked pie crust. Spread evenly. Then, top with whipped cream and decorate with toasted coconut. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Then, slice and enjoy!
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Answering Your Burning Questions:

  1. Make coconut cream pie a day ahead; Sure, you can make easy coconut cream pie a day ahead. Just cover the pie with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate. This pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  2. How do you keep a coconut cream pie from getting watery? A ½ cup of cornstarch is used for the coconut cream filling to keep the coconut cream pie from getting watery. Also, don’t forget to let the baked pie crust cool completely before adding the coconut cream filling, and beat the heavy cream with sugar until stiff peaks form.
  3. Does coconut cream pie need to be refrigerated? Yes, this easy coconut cream pie needs to be refrigerated because it includes custard filling and whipped cream topping. You can store covered, easy coconut cream pie for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

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Comments

  1. Gabby

    5 stars
    This pie is delicious! The whipped cream really makes the pie so much better than the cool whip that other recipes use. Use a deep dish frozen pie shell. The normal size isn’t big enough for all the filling and cream the recipes calls for. I will be making again.

    Reply

  3. Joyce

    5 stars
    I made this pie for Easter and it was great. I always loved my Mom’s coconut cream pie but after she passed, I have never been able to make it like her. This recipe was as close as I will ever find. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply

  4. Cassandra Jezierski

    5 stars
    turned out absolutely amazing! I doubled the recipe and it made enough for 2 huge pies plus i made small cupcakes with crushed graham crackers as the crust. Thank you & i will definitely make it again! I love coconut pie & this was a great recipe to test my skills & patience!

    Reply

  5. Sue

    5 stars
    Thank you ) I lost my Coconut recipe..looks for months.. my coconut recipe had came out the Betty Crocker cookbook and I lost the cookbook, my mom bought me to learn how to cook …when I got married. This looks ,like the exact recipe I made one I think it was two months ago and my. nephew loved it, so I gotta make one tonight for him. I said I’ll make your pie if you do this favor for me and he’s so he’s coming over tomorrow to get his pie…❤️. This is the best recipe for a coconut pie. I’ve looked at a bunch of them and this is the easiest one and it’s just so delicious.

    Reply

  6. Wendy

    Made this for my husband who had been asking for a while to try it. Found this recipe and made it exactly by your recipe. He loved it. Now he keeps wanting more. This is a keeper. Thank you.

    Reply

  9. Nicholas

    5 stars
    I always use this recipe! I do cut the sugar to only a cup and I add a little pink Himalayan salt. I also add 1/4 tsp of almond extract to give it a little something extra without overpowering. I also toast my coconut to put into the mixture. I know this turns into a whole new recipe, but even without my tweaks, the recipe is still delicious.

    Reply

  10. Elaine S.

    I made this pie and it was amazing! The recipe is easy to follow. It produces a nice big pie! I have been looking for the “keeper” coconut cream pie recipe. This is it! Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply

  11. Linda Bobb

    Followed the directions and used the exact amount of ingredients. My eggs were small so I used 4. Thickening time was spot on. Set my stove top burner to 6. Once it began thickening, I reduced to 3. Total thickening time was 10 minutes and the cream filling turns a yummy yellow color. The cream filling is cooling now, so off to making my pie crust. Might I add, I don’t write reviews often but I feel this is a keeper recipe for my family cookbook. Many thanks for sharing this 5 star recipe!

    Reply

  12. Sherrie

    5 stars
    I made this for our New Years dinner. And it was a huge hit! I love coconut so I added additional toasted coconut to the mixture. YUM!!!

    Reply

  13. Barbara L Tweed

    Very good!
    I replaced 1 cup of milk with canned Coconut Milk and added an extra egg yolk (my eggs looked small). I will definitely make this again!

    Reply

      • Lori

        Hello I am making this recipe and the mixture isn’t thickening. Could you please tell me what I am doing wrong? I followed all the steps.
        Thank you.

        Reply

    • Adrienne

      Y grandma did as well. Wish I had her touch when cooking because no one cooks like grandma dose. Sadly she passed away several years ago and now the holidays are not the same without her coconut cream pie!

      Reply

  19. Rochelle

    5 stars
    I’ve been craving coconut cream pie for days, found this recipe, and the rest is history. I will definitely be making this recipe ( it’s amazing) again, & again, & again. Craving happily satisified and a new recipe ………. W*I*N – W*I*N
    THANK YOU,

    Reply

  20. Connie

    Hi…pls help. I’m in the middle of making this, at the part where you mix the milk with egg mix, back on the stove…but it will not thicken! After almost 30 min. of stirring it’s still as runny as when I started!, I’ve turned up the heat thinking that’ll help but no such luck…

    Reply

    • 100krecipes

      So sorry, this comment got snared in the spam filter!

      I don’t know why it’s happened. Maybe you measured ingredients incorrectly.

      Reply

      • Sallie Day Gentry

        Exact same thing happened to me Christmas Fay. Measured exactly and I could never get the sauce to thicken. Comparing this recipe to others similar, this one seems to have way more milk (liquid) than others. Maybe my eggs were smaller than yours? IMm not sure, but looking for another recipe to substitute.

        Reply

  22. Deb Villegas

    Timing to thicken the filling is way off. I rebooked mine with a hotter temp not low, added more cornstarch and water to thicken. In the fridge now with fingers crossed it works out.

    Reply
5 from 49 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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