Trust Me…The BEST Coconut Cream Pie EVER!

Sometimes it pays to listen to Peepaw…especially when it comes to coconut.

The other day we were visiting with some of our friends and we decided to get together for a pot luck dinner on the deck…kind of a send-off for one of our snowbird friends who was heading back North. I asked the folks if they all liked coconut since I was thinking of making a batch of my Rocky Road Brownies to share for dessert. But Peepaw gave me a sad puppy dog face and asked me if I couldn’t make a coconut pie instead. (That sad face works nearly every time…but don’t tell Peepaw I said so!)

I pretended I really didn’t hear his plea, but I decided to scour the Internet to see what kind of coconut pie recipe I could come up with. I stumbled onto the site called My Recipes. And the first coconut pie recipe listed was one from Southern Living. The reviews of that recipe were top notch so I decided to give it a whirl, especially since I realized I had all the ingredients on hand. (And no…I did NOT climb the neighbor’s coconut tree…I had a bag of sweetened coconut in the cupboard!)

Now…those of you who know me know I am famous for not following recipes as they are written. (I’ve always been a rebel!) But this time I decided to stick with the recipe as it was written. Well…almost!

I brushed some of the unused egg whites on the raw pie crust before baking. This helped to keep the crust from getting soggy after the custard filling was added. And I blind baked the crust to keep it from shrinking in the pie pan. And then I used those four unused egg whites to make an egg white omelet for my breakfast. (Waste not want not, I always say!)

So here is the finished pie…and OH. MY!!!

Well…let me tell you…This pie is one for the record books!

And did our friends like it?

Well…Nancy couldn’t eat the whole piece during dinner, but she took the rest of her uneaten slice home with her. Later she told me she actually got up in the night to eat the rest of it! She couldn’t stand the thought of waiting until morning to to finish it…it was THAT good.

So there is your answer Dear Readers.

Now…go make this pie!

5 from 2 votes

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Best EVER Coconut Pie

If you like coconut...THIS is the pie for you! And don't cheat and use prepared topping on this one. Make your own fresh whipped cream. It's worth the effort. Trust Meemaw on THIS one!

Ingredients

• 1 Rolled, Refrigerated Pie Crust
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Corn Starch
• 2 Cups Half & Half
• 4 Egg Yolks Reserve Egg Whites to Coat Raw Crust
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Cup Sweetened, Flaked Coconut
• 2 1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract, Divided!
• 2 Cups Whipping Cream
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Toasted, For Garnish If Desired

Instructions

1. Fit piecrust into a 9 in. pie plate. Fold edges under, and crimp the edge. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork. Brush some of the reserved egg whites over the surface of the crust before baking. (This will help to keep the pie crust crisp.) Bake according to the package directions for a one crust pie. If making toasted coconut garnish you can place the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven while the pie crust is baking. Watch the coconut carefully or it can burn very quickly! (You may choose to blind bake the crust if you wish.) Allow the crust to cool completely after baking. 

   Combine 1/2 C. sugar and 1/4 C. Cornstarch in a heavy saucepan.Whisk the Half & Half and the Egg Yolks into the dry mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, WHISKING CONSTANTLY FOR ONE MINUTE. Then remove from heat. Stir in Butter, 1 C. Coconut and 1 tsp Vanilla Extract. Cover surface of the pudding mixture with a sheet of plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. After 30 minutes, stir the coconut custard mixture and spread into the baked crust. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until set.

   Beat whipping cream at HIGH speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the 1/3 C. Sugar and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract, beating until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe whipped cream over the chilled pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired. Refrigerate until serving and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.