Name: Coconut Custard Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell; 2 ½ cups whole milk; 4 large eggs (slightly beaten); ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (divided); 1 1/2 cups whipped cream (for topping); toasted coconut (for topping)

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There are only 6 ingredients in this Coconut Custard Pie filling, and you’ll have the pie ready for the oven in about 10 minutes. Each slice of this custard pie is loaded with coconut flavor. It’s the perfect dessert for holidays, and for coconut lovers, is a fun change from traditional coconut cream pie.

coconut custard pie with shredded coconut and whipped cream

Our custard recipe is one of our most popular recipes, featured from our much loved Amish cookbook that is over 30 years old. I took the homemade custard and turned it into our creamy custard pie recipe that features my grandma’s flaky pie crust, and now we’re adding coconut in this coconut custard pie recipe.

This custard pie with coconut flakes has only 6 ingredients and can be mixed up in 10 minutes. It features scalded milk, which helps with the flavor and creamy texture of the pie. Dollop homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut on top for a pretty presentation!

Ingredients Needed

There are just a handful of ingredients needed for a homemade coconut custard filling:

coconut custard pie ingredients on table

Milk. A whole milk is best for custard pies to get that creamy texture. No whole milk? Use a lower fat milk and add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to raise the milk fat. I haven’t yet tested this with coconut milk, but it should work well and would be a great way to get extra coconut taste.
Shredded coconut. I have used both sweetened and unsweetened coconut and both work well with not much difference in sweetness and texture.
Coconut extract. Substitute vanilla extract if you prefer. This will cut back on coconut flavor, though.

See the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts.

How to Make Coconut Custard Pie

Start with the pie crust. I use my grandma’s pie crust recipe, which uses a mix of butter and shortening for flavor and perfectly flaky texture. Use a store bought pie shell for a great shortcut when needed!

Scald the milk in the microwave, heating it until just before boiling (to 180 degrees). Alternatively, scald the milk in a saucepan on the stove.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla.
Take 1 cup of scalded milk and drizzle it into the egg mixture, whisking quickly and constantly. Once you’ve drizzled in the first cup, then slowly drizzle in the rest of the milk, whisking the entire time. Fold in the shredded coconut.

To avoid a soggy crust, brush the bottom bottom of the unbaked pie dough with egg whites. This forms a barrier and helps keep the crust from getting too soggy. Another option is to mix together 1 teaspoon of flour and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then sprinkle that over the bottom crust.
Pour the custard mixture into the prepared pie pan. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Bake the pie on the lowest oven rack for 30-35 minutes. The pie will seem “jiggly”, but a knife inserted into the center of the pie should come out clean. Let the pie cool on a wire rack.

overhead view of a baked custard pie with coconut

To decorate the pie, dollop whipped cream along the outer edge with a large Wilton decorating tip (either 2D or 1M). Then sprinkle the coconut custard pie with toasted coconut.

a coconut custard pie with one slice out

How do you know if coconut custard pie is done?

The pie is still going to seem “jiggly” when it is done. The top of the pie will no longer be wet. You should be able to stick a thin knife in the center of the pie and have it come out clean, with no liquid on it. The pie will continue to firm up as it cools to room temperature.

a piece of coconut custard pie on a plate

Storage Instructions

Once the coconut custard pie is cooled to room temperature, cover lightly with plastic wrap or foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing custard pie is not ideal, but you can make it a day in advance.

Serve this pie with a scoop of our vanilla frozen custard! And next, try our lemon bars.