This homemade diner-style coconut cream pie with mile-high meringue is a coconut lover's dream! Made from scratch with triple the coconut flavor, it features a flaky homemade crust, perfectly thickened creamy coconut custard, and pillowy meringue topped with freshly toasted coconut shavings.
Don't like meringue? No problem - it's equally delicious with sweetened whipped cream!
This coconut cream pie holds a special place in my heart - a sweet tribute to my Mama and Granny! It was Mom's childhood favorite among the 10 or more pies Granny would prepare each Christmas when company came to visit.
This recipe is slice of cherished memories, perfected for the last birthday I shared with my Mama so that she could feel all of those warm fond childhood memories. Each creamy bite is infused with love, laughter, and joy - just like my Mom! It's perfect for summer gatherings, holiday desserts, or anytime you're craving a slice of creamy, coconutty heaven.
If you love this pie, you might also enjoy my Black Sesame Coconut Cream Pie or this delicious chocolate Best Ever Arkansas Possum Pie that hails from my home state of Arkansas.
Jump to:
What is Coconut Cream Pie?
For my friends around the globe who may not be familiar with this delicious Southern pie, homemade coconut cream pie (aka coconut custard pie) features a flaky blind-baked pie crust filled with a creamy coconut custard topped with meringue or sweetened whipped cream. If you love coconut pudding you will love this pie!
Why You'll Love This Pie
People usually fall into one of two categories when it comes to coconut -- you either love it, or you hate it. We happen to love all things coconut and this old-fashioned coconut cream pie is no exception.
- Features an ULTRA flaky homemade pie crust
- It uses coconut milk plus regular milk to make it more coconutty and rich
- Large hand-shaved coconut flesh adds texture, flavor, and a dramatic flare
- It's perfectly sweetened, not cloying like many overly sweetened coconut cream pie recipes
- Homemade coconut custard is ready in about 12 minutes (it makes a great pudding too!)
- Double the meringue recipe for a Mt. Everest mile-high meringue (see photo below)
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to create this showstopping coconut cream pie:
For the pie & coconut custard:
- one homemade pie crust or sub store-bought
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Whole milk or half-and-half
- Sugar
- Vanilla bean powder (optional)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut extract (optional)
- Cream of tartar (for meringue)
- Shaved coconut for garnish
For the meringue topping & garnish:
- Sugar
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Vanilla extract
- Freshly shaved coconut for garnish
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Let's walk through the process of making this simple Coconut Cream Pie step by step. If you're in a hurry, use a store-bought crust to shave off even more time and effort.
Start with the crust: Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in cold butter and lard, then add ice water until the dough comes together. Chill, roll out, and blind-bake the crust. For a perfectly flaky result, keep everything cold and work quickly.
For the coconut custard: Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch; set aside. Heat coconut milk, milk, sugar, and vanilla bean powder to a boil. Temper the egg mixture, whisk it into the coconut milk mixture, and cook until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in shredded coconut, vanilla extract, and butter; whisk to combine.
Assemble and bake the pie: Pour the coconut pie filling into the cooled crust and top with meringue while the custard is still hot. Garnish with freshly shaved coconut pieces and bake until meringue is set.
Hint: To prevent a watery pie add meringue to the hot filling and seal it all the way to the crust leaving no open gaps at the edges and do not overcook it.
See recipe card for detailed steps.
In-Depth Step-by-Step Recipe Photos
Substitutions
- Dairy-free - Use all coconut milk instead of milk or half-and-half, and replace butter with coconut oil
- Vegan - Use all coconut milk instead of milk or half-and-half in the custard, replace butter with coconut oil, use a vegan pie crust, and use acquafaba for the meringue
- Vegetarian - Replace the lard in the pie crust with equal amounts of butter
- Gluten-free - Use a gluten-free flour blend for the crust
- Store-bought crust: Use a store-bought crust to save time
- Topping: Swap meringue for whipped cream
- Half and Half: Use half and half instead of whole milk for a richer custard
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Use sweetened coconut for a much sweeter pie
- Dehydrated coconut flakes garnish: Swap out the fresh coconut shavings for crunchy dehydrated coconut flakes or toasted dehydrated flakes in below photo
Variations
In our opinion, this recipe is perfection, but here are a handful of tasty ways to change it up if you're feeling frisky or have other dietary needs.
- Coconut Cream Tarts: Use the filling to make individual mini coconut tarts
- No-Bake Coconut Cream Pie: Use a Biscoff cookie crust or graham cracker crust
- Mango-Coconut Cream Pie: Add ½ cup finely diced, firm, just-ripe mango
- Black Sesame Coconut Cream Pie: For a subtle toasty flavor and striking pie color use this black sesame coconut custard for the filling
- Chocolate Chip Coconut Cream Pie: Add ¼ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips to the filling for a chocolatey twist
- Coconut Macadamia Cream Pie: Sprinkle toasted macadamia nuts on top of the whipped cream
- No Crust Coconut Pie: Simply omit the crust and pour the coconut cream into desired serving dish because it makes an excellent homemade coconut pudding
- No-Bake Coconut Pie: Replace the pie crust with a no-bake graham cracker or Biscoff cookie crust
- Mini Coconut Cream Pies: Use mini pie plates or aluminum pie tins to make mini cream pies
- Coconut Cream Hand Pies/Fried Pies: Double the pie crust recipe, cut 3 or 4-inch circles, fill with coconut cream, and fry
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Medium saucepan
- 2 Medium mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Electric mixer or stand mixer (for meringue)
Storage
Store coconut cream pie in the refrigerator covered, for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, it's possible to freeze the pie for up to 3 months, but it's not ideal as the texture may change slightly upon thawing and the crust will likely soften.
That said, I've done it many times and it's still super delicious so long as you allow it to fully temper before eating it. Check out this unique coconut pie here to see what it looks like when you freeze it.
Serving
For same-day serving: Refrigerate uncovered or in a cake-keeper away from strong-smelling foods to prevent flavor absorption.
Top Tips
- For the flakiest crust, use a combination of butter (for flavor) and lard (for texture). Keep all ingredients very cold, and work quickly to prevent the fats from melting before baking. Pop it into the freezer or fridge as needed if your environment is hot.
- To avoid a weeping meringue, make meringue when it's not humid outside, add cream of tartar, apply meringue onto hot filling, and ensure it reaches all the way to the pie crust edges without any gaps.
Best Way To Crack Open a Whole Coconut?
The easiest way to open a whole coconut at home is to use a screwdriver and a hammer. First, find the three "eyes" at the top of the coconut and use a clean screwdriver (or similar blunt object) to poke through the single eye that sits alone is by itself.
Then, strain the coconut water or milk through a fine mesh sieve and reserve for another use or drink it like I do! Place the coconut inside a clean kitchen towel, wrap it well, and give it a good couple of whacks with a hammer to crack it open.
FAQ
There are a couple of reasons your pie may be watery including not adding meringue to the coconut cream soon enough here's how to prevent this:
For meringue-topped pies, pipe meringue onto hot filling, ensuring it reaches the crust edges without any visible gaps and do not over or undercook the meringue.
For whipped cream-topped pies, cool the filling completely in the cooled crust before adding the whipped cream topping which avoids condensation.
Yes, you can freeze coconut cream pie for up to 3 months. Wrap it well and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Note that the texture may change slightly after freezing.
Coconut cream pie lasts for 3-4 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Southern pie recipes or meringue recipes that are too cute for words? Try these:
Let's Get Started!
Print📖 Recipe
Diner-Style Coconut Cream Pie with Mile-High Meringue
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: One 9-inch Pie 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Indulge in this diner-style triple-coconut cream pie with mile-high meringue! This made-from-scratch dessert features a flaky crust, velvety coconut custard, and your choice of pillowy meringue or fresh whipped cream. Topped with toasted fresh coconut shavings, it's perfectly sweetened and full of coconut flavor.
Ingredients
Single Pie Crust Ingredients (or substitute store-bought pie crust)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lard pinched off into ½ inch pieces (38g)
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons butter cut into ½ inch pieces (38g)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (4g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (1g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice-cold water (30 to 45g)
Coconut Custard Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch (30g)
- 1 (14-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk (400g)
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk (240g)
- ⅔ cup sugar (130g)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (1g)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder (optional but recommended)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (use sweetened coconut for a sweeter pie) (75g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 drops coconut extract(optional but recommended)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (30g)
Meringue Topping
- 4 to 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (45g-90g)
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (1g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (3g)
Optional Coconut Garnish
- ¼ to ½ cup shaved coconut from a whole coconut (sub untoasted dehydrated or top pie slices with cripsy freeze dried coconut when serving)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the pie crust (or substitute store-bought and skip to Step 5): Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add butter and lard, then freeze for 30 minutes.
- Cut fat into the flour until pea-sized crumbles form. Add ice-cold water 1 tablespoon (15g) at a time, stirring with a fork until dough just holds together when squeezed. Form a dough disc, wrap, and chill it for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or freeze for 20-25 minutes) until firm but not frozen.
- Roll out chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface working as quickly as possible to keep the dough cold. Transfer to pie plate, trim excess, and crimp the edges.
- Freeze the dough-lined pie plate for 30 minutes.
- Blind-bake the pie crust: Using a fork, prick the crust all over, line with parchment and add pie weights (or rice or dried beans). Bake at 475°F/245°C for 20-25 minutes, removing weights for the last 5 minutes to allow the bottom to cook. Cool completely.
- Make the coconut cream filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until no streaks remain. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepot set over medium-high heat, bring the coconut milk, milk (or half-and-half if using), sugar, salt, and vanilla bean powder to a boil, and then continue cooking for 1-2 minutes longer. Reduce heat to low and whisk to combine.
- Temper the egg yolk mixture & finish the coconut cream. Working quickly, add ¼ cup of the hot coconut cream mixture to the egg yolk-cornstarch mixture whisking constantly so the eggs so do not curdle. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring the cream to a boil. Next add the tempered egg mixture to the coconut cream mixture in a slow steady stream while whisking vigorously. Continue cooking and whisking for about 2 minutes until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat, add the shredded coconut, vanilla extract, coconut extract (if using), and butter, and whisk well to combine. Top with parchment or sustainable cling film to keep a skin from forming.
- Make the meringue: Using an electric or stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium-hhigh until soft peaks form (3 minutes). Add cream of tartar and beat 1 minute. Gradually add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time stopping the machine periodically to scrape down the sides. Add vanilla, continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form (3-4 minutes more).
- Assemble & bake: Assemble the pie: Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Pour hot coconut cream into the cooled crust. Top with meringue, sealing edges completely leaving no gaps between the crust and the meringue to prevent weeping. Create design with spoon, spatula, or piping bag, add shaved coconut. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool completely, then chill 4+ hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- Do not use refrigerated coconut milk or Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut. Instead, use canned or boxed full-fat coconut milk (see photos in the main post).
- Check out the full pie crust tutorial over here to learn more about how to make a super flaky and tender pie crust.
- When making meringue, ensure there is no fat or oil of any kind (including egg yolk) in the egg whites, bowl, or on the whisk/beaters, or your meringue will not whip up correctly.
- Adding meringue to hot coconut cream will help you avoid the meringue weeping.
- The colder the whipped cream, the faster it will reach stiff peaks.
- For a traditionally sweetened meringue, add 6 tablespoons (90g) of sugar. For us, 4 to 5 tablespoons is perfectly sweet and more than enough sugar.
- For a Mt. Everest-style meringue as seen in the main post, double the meringue recipe.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Refrigerating Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pies + Cobblers + Crostate
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
Food safety
- Cook eggs thoroughly to avoid risk of salmonella
- Don't leave dairy-based foods at room temperature for extended periods
- Wash hands after handling raw eggs
Wendy M. says
Made this for my husband's birthday and he said it was better than his grandmother's! The mile-high meringue is impressive but the real star is the coconut cream! It actually tastes like real coconut and it's perfectly sweet not overly so (I'm from the South where sugar is overused and abused and while we love a good sweet dessert as much as the next guy, this pie is perfectly balanced).
Travis S. says
Best, most balanced coconut cream pie we've ever had! My wife and I followed the recipe to the letter except we used a sweetened whipped cream topping instead of the meringue. We love meringue but Seattle's weather doesn't always comply. Everything was perfect including this flaky tender pie crust. Thanks, you've officially gained some new fans!