Coconut Cream Pie with a Homemade All-Butter Crust

A homemade coconut cream pie is such a treat. With the flaky pastry, the thick coconut custard, and the mounds of sweetened whipped cream, this is a pie worth celebrating. While many coconut cream pies are nothing more than vanilla pudding with a little sweetened coconut mixed in, this pie is the real deal. Thick and creamy coconut milk makes a rich and flavorful coconut pastry cream that’s flecked with vanilla bean, while natural unsweetened coconut flakes add texture and flavor, without excessive sweetness. This is a pie you’re going to want to make over and over for all your special occasions!

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The Three Components

All-Butter Flaky Pastry Crust

For the pie crust, I turned to my trusty All Butter Perfectly Flaky Pie Dough recipe. My recipe makes enough for a double crust pie, so you can either make 1/2 the recipe, or just wrap and freeze the other portion of dough for another pie. Since the coconut filling is not baked in the oven, you will need to pre-bake or blind-bake your pie crust, before you fill it with the coconut pastry cream.

Coconut Pastry Cream

For the filling, I made this gloriously creamy, rich and thick coconut pastry cream. You could also call it coconut custard or pudding. Rather than flavoring a vanilla pastry cream with coconut extract, I used canned coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is thick and creamy, perfect for cooking and baking. I thickened the filling with egg yolks and corn starch, then finished it with a little butter and vanilla bean paste. Lastly, natural unsweetened coconut flakes add texture and even more coconut flavor.

Whipped Cream Topping

While you could make a meringue topping for your coconut pie, fresh whipped cream is the best topping, in my opinion. Heavy whipping cream, a little powdered sugar to sweeten it, and vanilla extract are whipped until thick and fluffy, then dolloped on top of the filling.

Ingredients

Crust

• Flour. All-purpose flour provides strength and structure to the pie dough.
• Granulated Sugar. Just a touch of sweetness.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Adds flavor.
• Unsalted Butter. The butter adds richness and moisture, as well as creates flaky layers when the steam escapes the cold butter as it bakes.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. The acidity makes a tender pie crust.
• Whole Milk. Whole milk has more flavor than ice water, and brings the dough together.

Filling

• Canned Coconut Milk. Unsweetened canned coconut milk can be found near the Thai food on the ethnic food aisle at most major grocery stores. It’s thick and creamy, and perfect for baking and cooking. You should not use refrigerated coconut milk from the dairy aisle, as that’s intended for drinking, and will not work well in coconut pastry cream.
• Granulated Sugar. Sweetness.
• Corn Starch. Thickens the filling.
• Egg Yolks. Egg yolks also help to thicken the filling, but they also add richness and flavor.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness.
• Vanilla Bean Paste. The flecks of vanilla bean are just delicious in this coconut cream pie filling.
• Unsalted Butter. A touch of butter added at the end adds flavor and richness.
• Coconut Flakes. I prefer to use natural, unsweetened coconut flakes. If you only have sweetened shredded coconut, then you can use that, too.

Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream. To make homemade whipped cream, you must use heavy whipping cream, not table cream, or light cream, or half ‘n’ half.
• Powdered Sugar. Whipped cream doesn’t need to be too sweet, so just a little powdered sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

How to Blind Bake the Pie Crust

The process of “blind-baking” or “pre-baking” pie dough involves baking an unfilled pie crust, during which you’ll need to weigh the dough down with something (such as dried beans), since it’s being baked without any other filling. This weight helps prevent the bottom crust from puffing up too much and the sides from sliding down the side of the pan.

The pre-baked crust will later be filled with a prepared cream or custard filling that doesn’t need to be baked or only needs a very short bake time.  For example, a lemon pie, coconut cream pie or chocolate cream pie needs a pre-baked pie crust that is ready to be filled with a prepared filling. Pecan pies and pumpkin pies also greatly benefit from a pre-baked crust.

Roll, Dock and Chill the Dough

To blind-bake your pie dough, roll out your pie dough and fit into your pie pan, with the dough hanging over the edges just a little.  Fold the edges of the dough under slightly, to make a neat edge.  Use a fork to lightly prick the bottom of the dough all over – this is called “docking” the dough. Docking the dough helps prevent it from puffing up too much by allowing steam to escape the tiny holes.  Refrigerate for one hour so the dough is well-chilled.

Fill with Pie Weights and Bake

While the dough is chilling, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Set a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) onto the chilled crust, and fill the paper with pie weights or dried beans/rice.  Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack in the oven.  Remove from the oven, and carefully remove the parchment paper with the weights and set aside.

Brush with Egg White and Finish Baking Without Pie Weights

Use a pastry brush to brush an egg white wash all over the crust.  Return the crust to the oven (without the weights), and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and cooked through.  If needed, cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield if they’re getting too dark while you’re waiting for the bottom to cook.

Cool and Fill your Pie Crust

If the pie crust puffed up at all, you can gently press it back down with the back of a spoon while it’s hot.

Now, let the crust cool.  It’s ready to be filled with your prepared filling.

Make the Coconut Pastry Cream

• In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn starch and salt. Add the egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, whisking until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remainder of the coconut milk.
• Over medium heat, cook the pastry cream, whisking constantly. After about 7-8 minutes, it should start to boil and thicken. Once it boils, continue to cook for 2 more minutes, still whisking constantly.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the vanilla bean paste and butter, until melted and smooth. Stir in the coconut flakes.
• Immediately pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cooled and set, several hours, or overnight.

Make the Whipped Cream Topping

• Before serving, prepare the whipped cream. With an electric mixer, whip the cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until the cream is thick enough to hold its shape.
• Pipe, spread or dollop the whipped cream on top of the pie. Sprinkle with a little more coconut flakes for garnish. To get the look on my photographed pie, use two large spoons to create a “quenelle” shape with the whipped cream, and then drop the quenelles onto the pie.
• By adding the powdered sugar at the end of the whipping process, and whipping the cream until it’s thick enough to hold its shape, you’re making a stabilized whipped cream. This means you can top the pie with your whipped cream and it will hold its shape for days without deflating or weeping. We still had a few pieces of pie left after 5 days, and the topping was still perfect, and the crust still crisp!

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