Coconut Cream Pie in a Shortbread Crumb Crust
Coconut Cream Pie is a perfect pie for any season. I added a shortbread crumb crust to the rich coconut custard filling and topped it with vanilla bean whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Did you know National Pie Day is tomorrow, January 23? Apple pie is still America’s favorite pie, but I’m more of a cherry or berry pie lover. Cream pies, cheesecake, key lime pie, banana cream, or coconut cream pies are also favorites. Now that I think about it, there’s not many pies I don’t love.
Lorraine, Not Quite Nigella, my sweet adopted Australian daughter, knows about my love of pies and sent me a wonderful cookbook, A Year Of Pies, for Christmas. Since I’ve been obsessing about coconut oil this month, I was drawn to the coconut cream pie recipe in the cookbook.
I substituted coconut milk and coconut oil for whole milk and butter in the filling. Instead of a traditional pie crust, I made a crumb crust with coconut oil and a package of shortbread cookies left over from Christmas. It was a great crunchy addition to the pie, and a nice contrast to the creamy filling.
This pie is easy to make and comes together quickly. You still have time to whip it up for national pie day.
Coconut Cream Pie in a Shortbread Crumb Crust
Ingredients:
Crust
- 8 ounces shortbread cookies (about 10 large shortbread cookies)
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk)
- 3 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter)
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (can substitute extract)
- 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (to serve)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325º. Crush cookies in a Ziploc bag in to fine crumbs. Add butter and toss until well combined.
Press crumbs evenly/firmly into bottom and up sides of a 9″ pie plate. Bake until about 10 minutes until crust starts to brown. Cool on wire rack to room temperature.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-size saucepan. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Remove 1/2 cup of the cooked mixture and pour it slowly in to the beaten egg yolks in a small bowl, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined. Add this mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
Whisk in vanilla and coconut oil. Beat until the coconut oil is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the coconut.
Transfer the coconut custard to a medium size glass or ceramic bowl. Cover and allow to come to room temperature.
Once cooled, pour into cooled crust, using a spatula as necessary to distribute the custard evenly.
Assemble the pie:
Pour the cream into a medium-size bowl. Add the powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste and using either a mixer or whisk, beat the cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
Pile the whipped topping over the pie, mounding in the center and covering the filling completely. Sprinkle the toasted flaked coconut evenly across the top.
Place the pie in the refrigerator and keep chilled until ready to serve.
More pie recipes you might like:
Blueberry Apple Mini Pies, Barbara Bakes
Almond Joy Pie, Barbara Bakes
Fresh Triple Berry Pie, Barbara Bakes
Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie, Vintage Mixer
Chocolate Cream Brownie Pie, The Girl Who Ate Everything
At the request of a friend who wanted coconut cream pie with a chocolate crust, I made that recipe listed here. It was good but the coconut custard just wasn’t exactly what I wanted. She again requested the pie, so I decided to try this custard instead and still go with the chocolate crust. Unfortunately the custard didn’t set this time. I didn’t know what the problem was, I followed the recipe to a T. I went with another recipe to finish the pie (I hadn’t poured the custard in the pie) instead. While making that one, I realized making that where I probably went wrong. This recipe says to “add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly”. I checked the original recipe I used from this site and it says “return all of the mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes”. I did not bring this recipe to a boil after and only heated it for the 3 minutes as stated. Disappointed.
Hi Leigh – sorry the directions weren’t more clear. I’ll update them. Thanks.