Triple Coconut Cream Pie is a coconut milk pastry cream loaded with a healthy amount of sweetened coconut, nestled in a coconut cookie crust, finished off with whipped cream and more toasted coconut!
When you don’t have the time to travel to paradise you can live a day, dreamily in coconut heaven at home!
“♫ I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts ♪ ♫” Today let’s channel the island tropics with Triple Coconut Cream Pie.
This pie requires A LOT of coconut. I have great and undying gratitude to those that harvest coconuts for us. If you have ever tried getting coconut out of the shell you share this gratitude. And to further make sure Triple Coconut Cream lives up to it’s name, coconut milk! Using a higher quality coconut milk is key. So, don’t be alarmed if you open a can of coconut milk and there are solids on top. Simply transfer the entire contents of the can to a medium sized bowl and whisk the solids and liquid together. That’s your coconut milk.
Pro Tip: my grocer stocks a couple of brands of coconut milk on the “Ethnic” food aisle AND different brands on the baking aisle. So, don’t be discouraged, shop both sections.
The coconut pastry filling is cooked on your stove top and poured right into the prepared crust. Cover with some plastic wrap and pop into the fridge to cool. While your pie filling is cooling it’s the perfect time to toast some coconut.
Why Toasted Coconut?
Toasting coconut intensifies the nutty natural flavor of coconut. Anything for more flavor to enhance a fabulous pie!
Toasting coconut is very easy. HOWEVER, I have burned it more than once! I am easily distracted (squirrel) so I stay by the oven, watching the entire 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 F, spread 1 to 2 cups of coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven and in about 3 minutes stir, and watch! In about 3 more minutes stir again, and watch! Once it starts to brown, it continues to brown VERY QUICKLY! Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let cool. Once cooled your toasted coconut will last for weeks!
Click on the link for printable instructions on Toasting Coconut.
After the filling has cooled completely in the fridge (see above), remove plastic wrap. Spread a layer of whipped cream just shy of the edge.
Pipe on whipped cream, garnish with toasted coconut, and your Triple Coconut Cream is ready to serve.
Coconut cream pie also freezes quite nicely, especially if you’re saving that last slice for yourself.
Other recipes with coconut that you may like to try: Samoa Cookie Pie, Almond Joy Pie, Hummingbird Pie, and German Chocolate Pie.
Happy baking & creating pie peeps!
Triple Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Coconut Pastry Cream
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked or shredded coconut (toasted optional)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup butter, cut up into chunks
- 1 prepared vanilla wafer or coconut cookie crumb crust
Coconut Cookie Crust (one 9-inch pie crust)
- 1-1/2 cups coconut cookie crumbs (Dutch girl cookies are fab)
- 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar (optional)
- 6 tablespoons butter
Whipped Topping and Garnish
- 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup pure cane powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- Toasted coconut for garnish
Instructions
Coconut Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and sugar.
- Add melted butter while stirring with fork until thoroughly combined. Press into 9 inch pie plate and bake for 7 minutes at 350.
Coconut Pastry Cream Filling
- In a medium to large size sauce pan, mix sugar and cornstarch together (this step will help ensure there are no clumps of cornstarch).
- Whisk in milk, coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla into the dry ingredients.
- Over medium to medium-high heat, cook and whisk constantly until it begins to thicken and bubble (about 7 to 9 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Stir in coconut and butter until the butter is melted.
- Pour into prepared pie crust, place plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent skin from forming, and refrigerate until cool (3 to 4 hours).
- When pie has cooled, spread whipped cream over entire surface of pie, pipe swirls around the edges and garnish with toasted coconut.
Whipped Topping
- In an electric mixer (I like KitchenAid) whip the whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Use to garnish on cooled pie as above.
