Coconut cream pie is one of my favorite kind of pies. It competes with chocolate cream pie and blackberry pie as my favorite. It's great because its one of the most requested pies I get asked to make.
I love the different levels of creaminess this pie has. It's balanced with a buttery crust and the toasted coconut of a coconut cream pie. The coconut custard is rich and thick, with sweet shreds of coconut. The whipped cream adds a lightness that cuts through some of the richness of the custard and the toasted coconut and crust add texture and offers nice contrasting flavors.
I'm a little different and I like making coconut cream pies in smaller tart/quiche pans. It's perfect for 2 people to share and I don't feel guilty eating a whole pie to myself... cause that may have happened before..... Unless I'm making the pie for a party I always use the smaller pans.
I've used both canned coconut milk and fresh (cause I'm crazy like that sometimes) for this recipe and they both work well. Though, I do taste the difference and love how the fresh coconut milk tastes.
I've also used both the sweetened coconut flakes for the toasted topping and unsweetened flakes tossed with maple syrup. It's a little extra work but I highly recommend using the unsweetened flakes and maple syrup, the taste and texture is so much better. If you're on the fence make both and taste the difference. I'm pretty sure you'll never use the sweetened flakes for topping again.
You might also like my Paleo Coconut Custard Cups for a healthier option with less sugar.
Mini Coconut cream pies
Flaky pie crust, rich coconut custard and fluffy whipping cream come together in these mini pies for the perfect dessert.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
The Crust
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 flour blend
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Water
The Coconut Custard
- 3 Egg Yolks
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- ½ cup Half n' Half
- ¾ cup Coconut Milk
- 1 ½ TBS Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Butter
- 1 pinch Salt
- ½ cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
Whip cream and toppings
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping cream
- 2 tsp Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 TBS Maple Syrup
Instructions
The Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a stand mixer combine the flour, butter, salt, and brown sugar. Mix till it's a sandy consistency and then add the water. Stop the mixer and grab a handful of dough. It should just barely come together when squeezed.
- Divide the dough between two small tart pans and use your fingers to push the dough into shape. Try to make the dough a quarter inch thick throughout. Once shaped prick the dough several times with a fork. Cut parchment to fit inside the tart shells and wight the parchment down with dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to completely cool.
The Custard
- In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, half n' half, and coconut milk. Set this aside.
- Place a large skillet on a medium-high burner and add the cornstarch and butter. Allow this to melt together then add the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk till it thickens.
- Add the pinch of salt and flaked coconut. Remove from the burner once the custard is as thick as pudding and allow to cool.
The toppings
- In a stand mixer whip together the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled and set aside.
- Combine the coconut flakes and maple syrup and bake in a 350F oven till light golden brown (5-7 minutes). Set aside and allow to cool.
Putting the pies together
- Once the crusts and custard is at room temperature you can begin assembling the pies. divide out the custard between the crusts and using the back of a spoon or pastry blade spread the filling around ans smooth out the top. Then divide the whipping cream between the pies and smooth it out to the edges of the crust. Sprinkle with toasted maple coconut flakes and chill for 20 minutes. The pies are ready to serve once they are chilled.
Nutrition
- Calories: 874
Keywords: Coconut, Gluten free, Pie
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