I woke up one day, wanting a coconut cream pie. I have no idea why, but I wanted one.
Maybe it was a flashback of a memory from one I had on a trip to Vancouver that was, quite possibly, the best pie I have ever eaten. We had had a lovely, but busy, day, and we stopped for an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up. What we found in addition to the warm drinks, was a very enticing pie selection.
I couldn’t resist and picked out one that was piled high with a creamy topping and filled with an even richer coconut crème. It was perfection: not too sweet, with a crunch crust and a whipped topping. I haven’t stopped wanting another piece of it since.
So, this day in question, I took my best stab at recreating that pie. I researched lots of recipes, that had varying methods of for the crust, the filling and the toppings. I am personally not a fan of meringue, so I decided to go with a whipped topping. The cocoa nibs were a spur-of-the-moment addition that I thought would be good, and they gave it a nice crunch.
The filling was also great. While you could easily make this filling with whole milk, I thought the coconut milk gave it a more well-rounded coconut flavor.
This crust and topping would go with almost any filling – chocolate, vanilla, even lemon. It is crunchy and went really well with the creamy pie filling and topping. If you are in the mood for a more traditional crust, you could obviously swap that out.
This version of the pie was a big success. Everyone loved it, and I actually liked it so much I had the leftovers for breakfast the next day. It would be a great dish to bring to any event you have coming up. I will be making it again as soon as another craving sets in.
Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 35 vanilla wafer cookies (about 5 ounces)
- 1/3 cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts (about 2 ounces)
- 1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Pie filling:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
- Topping:
- 1 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa nibs
Instructions
- Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. Finely grind cookies and nuts in processor. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in coconut. Add butter and stir until blended. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter metal or glass pie dish. Cover and freeze 30 minutes.
- For the Filling: Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour in medium bowl. Bring milk and coconut to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to same saucepan; cook until pastry cream thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and coconut extracts. Transfer pastry cream to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent formation of skin. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Transfer filling to crust. Cover; chill overnight.
- For topping: Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream all over top of filling. Sprinkle evenly with cacao nibs. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve cold.
