Coconut Cream Pie

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Coconut Cream Pie is a creamy pie full of delicious coconut flavor with whipped cream and toasted coconut on top.

May 8th is National Coconut Cream Pie Day! Celebrate by eating pie! Bake your own coconut cream pie, or go to your favorite pie-serving establishment and order it there. You can even make coconut cream pie cupcakes! Celebrate your pie by sharing a photo of it on social media using the hashtag #NationalCoconutCreamPieDay or #CoconutCreamPieDay and #RecipesForHolidays. Be sure to follow all of the food holidays in May by following my May Food Holidays calendar.

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”

-David Mamet

The History of Coconuts and Coconut Cream Pie:

Coconuts date back to 3000-1500 BCE. They were not introduced to the Western world until the 1500’s when Portuguese explorers transported them from their travels through tropical islands in the Indian ocean. The coconut got its name from European explorers who called it “coco,” which means hobgoblin, because the three dots on the shell looked like a spooky face.

As far as Coconut Cream Pie goes, here’s the story. A Philadelphia businessman received a shipment of coconut from a Cuban business colleague. He capitalized on this by shredding and drying the coconut meat and selling it to the general public. Bakers were happy to experiment with this new ingredient. Recipes for coconut cream pie began appearing in American cookbooks around 1895.

How to make Coconut Cream Pie:

This pie starts with an easy-to-make crust. There is not rolling involved at all. It’s a cream cheese crust that is pressed into the pie plate and baked. A pre-made crust from the market can be substituted.

The filling:

In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Heat until thickened. Then slowly combine half of the hot milk mixture with 4 egg yolks to temper the eggs (bring them to a warm temperature without cooking them!) Then pour the warmed egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot milk and cook until thickened. That mixture is then combined with coconut milk, shredded coconut and butter. The butter will melt, and the custard filling will be nice and smooth. Pour this into the baked pie crust. Place plastic wrap right on top of the surface of the pie and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

How to toast coconut:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the coconut on a sheet pan, spreading it evenly, and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, until evenly browned. Let cool.

How to whip cream:

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

Spread the whipped cream over the surface of the pie. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Refrigerate your coconut cream pie until ready to serve. You’ll get cleaner slices if it’s nice and chilled.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the Easy as Pie cookbook by Saura Maddani. The filling of this coconut cream pie comes directly from the book, and the crust is my favorite, easy, no-rolling-needed crust recipe.

Fun Facts About Coconuts:

• 20 billion coconuts are produced each year.
• The coconut is a fruit, a nut and a seed.
• The coconut tree is the national tree of the Maldives.
• A coconut tree can produce coconuts for up to 80 years and live for up to 100 years.
• The trunk of a coconut tree is used in the construction of bridges, houses and boats.
• Falling coconuts kill about 150 people per year- more than sharks!
• Coconuts are buoyant and water-resistant and can travel a long distance across the ocean.
• The song, “Coconut,” by singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, was #66 in 1972 Billboard