Coconut Custard Pie

321 Ratings
  • 5 37
  • 4 72
  • 3 124
  • 2 64
  • 1 24

We skipped the cream on top to let the tropical custard filling be the star.

Everyday Food, November 2008

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

total:
1 hr
prep:
30 mins
Servings:
10
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press a sheet of aluminum foil onto crust, draping over rim of pie plate. To blind-bake: Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Remove beans and foil; let crust cool completely, and set aside.

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  • While crust is baking, place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan (off heat), whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in whole milk, making sure to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in coconut milk and egg yolks.

  • Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble sputters, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; immediately pour custard through sieve into bowl.

  • Pour custard from bowl into cooled crust; smooth top with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours (or loosely covered, up to 1 day). To serve, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coconut.

Cook's Notes

To toast the coconut, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. Lining unbaked crust with aluminum foil and filling it with dried beans or pie weights prevents the crust from puffing up as it bakes. Store the beans, and use them again the next time you bake a pie.

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Reviews (20)

321 Ratings
  • 5 37
  • 4 72
  • 3 124
  • 2 64
  • 1 24
Martha Stewart Member
09/21/2020
Why is this recipe still offered? Two problems: You do NOT bake a pie crust @ 400 degrees for 45 minutes! Right off the bat I knew there was a problem. So I baked my crust @ 380 degrees for about 15 minutes. HOWEVER, the real problem is that like most of your reviewers - the custard turned out soupy!!! What a major disappointment. You need proofreaders for your recipes and adjustments when necessary. I cooked mine for about 6 minutes (plus 1) but still got soup. Did not read the reviews before I started. Should have. What a waste of time and ingredients. Now I have to bake another pie tomorrow for my husband's birthday. Take this recipe DOWN!
Martha Stewart Member
10/22/2019
My pie came out fabulous. The filling was super thick and luxurious. Wonderful taste. I did add one tsp of vanilla. The only thing I changed was I left the sugar out of the crust and added another 1/4 C to the filling. I didn't use a sieve either, if you stir all the cornstarch lumps out, you don't need it. Great presentation.
Martha Stewart Member
08/27/2019
I used a classic graham cracker crust which added wonderful texture and flavor. Made the custard just as directed, and it turned out smooth, flavorful and very sturdy. If you have coconut extract lying around, a drop or two could help pull out the flavor.Very easy custard to make, with little room for error.
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Martha Stewart Member
12/09/2018
Just made this last night and I liked the custard just fine. What I did differently was to cook unsweetened coconut flakes in the milk to get the essence. Strain the milk then cook the rest of the ingredients like in the recipe. Like others had said, be patient, keeping stirring the content until it thickens. The custard is very tasty and fragrant. For the crust though, I used Joy of Baking's shortbread crust recipe. The combination of the crust and the custard was awesome.
Martha Stewart Member
11/16/2016
Made this and did not like it at all. And neither did my husband, and my son. Try something else.
Martha Stewart Member
12/31/2014
Love this pie! I add coconut into the custard before pouring into the pie crust. I also use a frozen crust and bake it before filling. Never had any problems with the pie not firming up and the flavor has always been on point. I think adding the coconut makes a big difference!
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Martha Stewart Member
11/14/2014
I was pretty happy to find a recipe for a custard pie that did not need to be cooked in the oven. Have to say, I am a little disappointed in the flavor of the custard. It is very bland. Can't say I will make this again. :-(
Martha Stewart Member
11/30/2012
I was in the mood for coconut custard pie, so I made this recipe. It was very good. No trouble thickening, just took about 10 minutes. I strained the custard, but it really wasn't necessary. After chilling in the fridge overnight and cutting a slice for breakfast, I found the pie to be more like coconut cream than coconut custard. Next time, I'll try one of the baked coconut custard pie recipes I've seen elsewhere. Still, a very nice pie. Love the coconut milk flavor.
Martha Stewart Member
07/16/2012
Except for the sieve part, I followed the recipe exactly, and the pie came out very good. I had no issues with the custard thickening. But in past experience when making other custards, I've found that if it cooks too quickly or too slowly, it can cause issues with how the cornstarch reacts...and your custard could be soupy. All in all, leave out the sieve part and be patient when cooking the custard. (Note: I added a dash of vanilla flavoring to my custard, for extra flavor!)
Martha Stewart Member
12/22/2011
made this recipe twice on different days thinking i did something wrong. it never thickened for me. turned out soupy. ruined my day TWICE ! don't use this recipe ! wait. just read BonoBabe's comment. i poured the filling out of the shell into a pot and reheated it. she's right ! i cooked it for 10 minutes and it finally thickened up. poured it back into the shell and it's in the frig. we'll see what happens. i was wondering when it said to smooth the filling with a spoon. it was too thin befor
Martha Stewart Member
11/28/2011
Some of you mentioned this to be soupy. i had made this twice. The first tiem I added more starch to thickien it. THe 2nd time I followed the directions exactly however it was more like 10 minutes (not 5min as mentioned) of stirring before it magically turned into a custard. So be patient and constantly stir. Family loved it at Thanksgiving this year and I was happy to have figured it out much better than the first time.
Martha Stewart Member
11/26/2010
I made this for Thanksgiving. Also found custard to be bland, but you can help this by adding very small amount of salt to boost
Martha Stewart Member
12/25/2009
I am with you on this one MBR62, very disappointed. Mine came out soupy as well and I followed the recipe exactly. Only mine I did the day before Christmas and I have nothing else for a back-up. Very upset.
Martha Stewart Member
01/25/2009
Baking the pie shell for 45 minutes at 400 doesn't seem right to me. I checked Joy of Cooking which recommends 12 minutes at 450 and that worked perfectly. Perhaps 14-15 minutes at 400 is what was meant? Filling thickened nicely and had a rich texture, but I found it blander than other recipes, even with extra coconut. I didn't see the need to strain the custard. I recommend cooking custards in the microwave - works perfectly every time. Crocus
Martha Stewart Member
01/25/2009
Baking the pie shell for 45 minutes at 400 seems excessive and I wonder if it's a typo. Joy of Cooking suggests 12 minutes at 450, which worked perfectly for me. Perhaps 14-15 minutes at 400? Filling had a nice texture and thickened well, but was blander than other recipes I've used even with extra coconut. crocus
Martha Stewart Member
12/16/2008
I added 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut to custard filling and did not strain... also used graham cracker crust... very good!!
Martha Stewart Member
11/30/2008
I followed the recipe exactly and after refrigerating overnight the custard was still soupy, not firm at all. A little disappointing on Thanksgiving. Fortunately I had a Libby's Pumpkin Pie in reserve!. What went wrong?
Martha Stewart Member
11/28/2008
Made this and did not strain and it was great! I can't imagine straining it, it was super thick and delicious!
Martha Stewart Member
11/24/2008
It is ok to do so but in order to do it you must make sure the cornstarch is fully incorporated so the filling wont be lumpy. in my opinion, cocnut custard tastes better with the bits of coconut in it
Martha Stewart Member
11/19/2008
Would it be O'K not to strain the final custard and leave in the coconut bits?
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