This old-fashioned pie is filled with rich, creamy custard, then capped with a cloud of toasted meringue and a generous sprinkling of sweet coconut flakes. It tastes as if you pulled it straight from the dessert case of your favorite diner—only better, thanks to our tender homemade pastry. It’s sure to be a hit with any coconut lover.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | one 9-inch pie |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Instructions
- For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 4 to 5 times until the dough forms a ball. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.)
- Transfer the dough to a work surface. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- For the filling: Whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the milk and the cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth and well combined. Stir together the remaining 3/4 cup milk, the half-and-half, sugar and kosher salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until barely simmering. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring the hot milk and cream into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Pour the custard back into the pan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is very thick and smooth, about 5 minutes; it will be the consistency of a pudding. (If the filling has scrambled a bit, or doesn’t look smooth, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl before adding the coconut.) Stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla and shredded coconut. Spread the filling into the cooled pie crust. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pie and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
- For the meringue: Add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels very hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to completely cover the filling and meet the crust all around the edges. (This will completely seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to form swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling. Sprinkle all over with toasted coconut and serve.
Reviews
I have to admit that I made the crust & merengue the way my mom taught me many years ago. The coconut filling though is the BEST! Will absolutely make this again.
I don’t care for meringue so I used my own whipped topping recipe. Then it is 5 star.
Very good fresh was a short ingredient list. Thanks for sharing!!
Have a. Great day!!!
Have a. Great day!!!
Shouldn’t this actually be called a coconut meringue pie? This has plagued me for decades. I have had many coconut cream pie experiences totally ruined by someone passing off meringue as a whipped topping. Furthermore, I think there are a lot of people perpetuating this misnomer including the good people of the food network. Call it what it is…Coconut Meringue Pie. Meringues may look pretty but as I can guarantee with 100% certainty, a whipped cream topping is FSR more appealing. And, substituting in a whipped cream topping in this recipe woul allow you to call it a Coconut Cream Pie.
I thought it was good but not the best. I made it exactly as written, and becareful not to overwhip the meringue or it breaks, I learned this the hard way.
I made this recipe over a two day period, saving the meringue for last. The finished result was gorgeous. A show stopper at the table, my guests were very impressed. I doubled the meringue recipe and found that it made for an awesome pie topper presentation. Watch the meringue in 15 to 10 second increments while broiling or else it burns easily.
I think it delouse
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Really, really good! I added 1/2 tsp of coconut extract to the pudding. My first dessert that I have eaten since Lent started!! Yum, yum!!
Made this for my family and it was delicious. I did tweak it a bit, added a tablespoon of Malibu in the coconut pudding and used homemade whipped cream. The crust was flaky and delicious. First time making my own crust and I was very pleased in how easy and simple the steps were. Definitely recommend this recipe.