Now that we’ve finally gotten a bit of cooler weather here in Southwestern Ohio, I find myself wanting to make pie, in particular coconut cream pie. 

I’ve got 2 recipes for you to try. One is completely from scratch. I call this the “restaurant” version. 

The other recipe starts out with a cook & serve box of vanilla pudding mix.

Augmented with a whole egg and extra vanilla, it’s a close second and a good pie to make if you’re not inclined or have the time to make one from scratch. The egg gives it homemade goodness, and you can never go wrong with a bit more vanilla.

Both recipes call for sweetened flaked coconut, toasted or not. Toasting brings out the coconut flavor and adds a little crunch, as well. 

Full disclosure: I forgot to toast the coconut, and the pie was still scrumptious. 

Regardless of which custard filling you make, be sure and use a good pan and know that you’ll need to stir a lot when it cooks to prevent sticking/scorching. 

Old fashioned coconut cream pie from scratch 

The “cream” part is the half and half. The flour helps the filling set up nicely. 

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted if desired (toast in 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes), divided into 3/4 and 1 cup.

3 cups half & half

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 baked pie crust, cooled

Instructions

Whisk together half & half, sugar, flour, eggs and salt in pan.

Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This took about 15 minutes on my stove.

Remove from heat, stir in 3/4 cup coconut and vanilla. Let cool a couple of minutes only, give it another stir, then pour into pie crust.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup coconut, and chill until firm, about 4 hours. 

“Old fashioned” coconut cream pie from boxed pudding mix

You’ll need the large box, 4.6 oz., of cook & serve vanilla pudding mix.

Put one large egg in a 4 cup measuring cup, beat it a tiny bit, then pour enough whole milk in to equal 3 cups total. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and whisk until smooth. Just follow directions on box for cooking, then stir in 3/4 cup coconut. Pour into cooled pie shell, sprinkle with 1 cup coconut, then chill until firm, about 3-4 hours.

Gilding the lily

Instead of sprinkling the pie with coconut before chilling, chill without adding coconut. After chilling, spread on a layer of sweetened whipped cream (1 generous tablespoon powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to 1 cup whipping cream), then sprinkle coconut on top. 

Good pie crust

Another recipe with a secret ingredient. Baking powder to give the dough a lift and flakiness as it bakes.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour, spooned into cup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons chilled shortening

5 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.

Drop real small pieces of shortening on top, then cut shortening in with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.

Drizzle water in, stirring as you go with a fork. When you can pinch a bit into a ball, it’s ready to take from the bowl. If you have to add more water, do it a tiny bit at a time as too much water makes the crust tough. Gather it up, pat into a disk, then wrap and chill 20 minutes. To prebake, preheat oven to 425, prick shell on bottom and sides in a few places with a fork to prevent bubbles, then bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.