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Traditional Coconut Custard Pie | Old School Comfort Pie

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Friends, I am really excited to bring you this coconut custard pie recipe. It’s about as old-school as old-school pie recipes get.

Simple ingredients bake up into a wonderfully custardy and delicious pie with just a hint of lemon. And here’s a secret: this is really an egg custard pie that happens to have coconut in it, so if you leave out the coconut, you’ll have a whole new pie!

If you like this traditional pie, you may also enjoy my chocolate chess pie and my sugar cream pie recipes.
Here are all of my old fashioned pie recipes.

For ease of browsing, here are all of my pie and tart recipes. Thanks for stopping by!

This post was originally sponsored by my client, Dover Publications.

A slice of coconut pie with a fork on a beige plate.

Watch my coconut custard pie web story here.

What You'll Find in This Post Click to view ToC

What’s So Great About This Recipe?

This recipe has definitely stood the test of time. By that, I mean it originally was published in a cookbook, The Epicurean, written in 1893. It doesn’t get much more traditional than that!

Other things to love:

  • The ingredient list is short
  • The mixing method is straightforward
  • The hint of lemon brings a bit of zing to an otherwise mellow pie (and yes, you can use lime if you’d rather

Original Recipes

A whole coconut pie in a metal pie pan next to book titled: "Delmonico's Chef Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean, The classic 1893 cookbook".
It doesn’t get more old-fashioned or traditional than a coconut pie recipe from the late 1800s!

I made both the pastry dough and the custard from recipes in The Epicurean. The results?

  • A super-buttery, very sturdy-but-not-tough pastry
  • rich, silky-smooth, lightly lemon-scented custard
  • a thick layer of coconut
  • The pie divides into layers, so you get creamy smooth, topped with coconutty-crunchy-chewy. For such a simple pie, it packs a lot in the flavor and texture departments!

Before I share the conventional recipes, I’m going to let you see the recipes as I followed them in The Epicurean.

First, the pastry, or “Foundation Paste.” Ranhofer offers three versions in The Epicurean, and I chose to make Foundation Paste, Fine for the base of my traditional coconut pie. Incidentally, coconut is spelled “cocoanut” in this book. Which I kind of love.

And here’s the recipe for the coconut pie as written out in The Epicurean:

Copy of recipe for "cocoanut pie" from The Epicurean cookbook.

I just love that these recipes are written out just like you would tell someone how to make your famous chicken salad if they asked.

“First you take a chicken, cover it with water, and poach until done. Then let it cool and shred the meat….” I can almost guarantee you that, if you asked me how to make a cake, I wouldn’t start by spouting off a list of ingredients.

Conventional recipe writing makes it easier to make a shopping list, but it’s not really how we cook. The recipes in The Epicurean are written just as we’d do them. I love it.

Closeup of coconut custard pie with one slice cut from it.
I really enjoyed working with the dough from The Epicurean, but feel free to substitute your favorite pie crust recipe or start with store-bought. The coconut custard is the real star of the show!

Can I Really Make This Pie Based on the Directions in The Photos?

Foundation paste from The Epicurean 2 images--one of flour with pieces of butter on top and one with the finished dough on a floured countertop.
This crust is so old-school there isn’t even a bowl to make it in!

Yes, you really can. I did.

You will probably want to read the rules through a couple of times. And note that everything is expressed in weights, so you will need an accurate kitchen scale (which you totally should already own). You will also have to trust the “feel,” especially of the dough.

I ended up only using about 3/4 of the flour and maybe half the water, and it worked out perfectly.

But, if you are not really familiar with making pie crust, you may be better off using a recipe that is written out conventionally and has been exhaustively tested, just to make sure you are successful.

I recommend my friend and pie guru Kate McDermott’s book, Art of the Pie. You will find truly foolproof recipes for pie crust between those covers.

For an online recipe, my friend Beth has a great tutorial all about the ins and outs of making pie crust.

How Long Does It Take to Make?

The “foundation paste” took me about 10 minutes to make, and then it rests in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Once it rested, you roll it out (it is super easy to roll–I really loved this dough!), line the pie pan and make some sort of decorative edge.

In Ranhofer’s words, you “raise up the edges, pinch all around, and leave stand in a cool place for twenty minutes in a cool place.”

While the dough was standing in a cool place (the fridge), I mixed up the custard, which literally took maybe 5 minutes.

I let it sit until the 20 minutes were up (I actually think I gave it 30), spread a thick layer of desiccated coconut on the bottom, and then slowly strained the custard into it.

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It baked about 45 minutes at 350F, and then it took awhile to cool. But I think serving it warm–not hot–is an excellent plan.

So, from start to finish without breaks (which you are allowed to take), plan on about 1 1/2-2 hours from no dough to pie out of the oven. Then add on cooling time.

How to Tell When It’s Done

A whole coconut custard pie in a pie plate next to The Epicurean cookbook.

Coconut custard–or any other filling really–will continue to cook once you remove it from the oven, so use an instant-read thermometer to pull it from the oven when the center reads 160F or when there is about a silver dollar-sized bit in the center that is still a little jiggly.

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Storing

Any egg-based pie should be fine for a week, but my Serve Safe rules say to ditch any egg-based foods after 3 days to be on the safe side.

Some of the liquid caught up in the denatured egg proteins can start to leak out after 2-3 days, so you may end up with a bit of watery syrup in your pie pan, and that will make your crust soggy.

So, for aesthetic reasons as well as food safety reasons, you really should plan on finishing the pie off in just a couple of days.

Is There a Difference Between Coconut Custard and Coconut Cream Pie?

In short, yes.

I’ll tell you the steps in making each, and you will be able to see the difference.

To Make Custard Pie

  • Line pan with pie dough
  • Pour in the custard filling (eggs, sugar, flavorings, maybe some starch, etc)
  • Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling has set.
  • Chill in the fridge.

To Make Cream Pie

  • Line pan with pie dough and blind bake. (Fill with weights and bake until done)
  • Cook your filling (eggs, sugar, flavorings, starch, etc) on the stove.
  • Cool your filling to room temperature.
  • Fill pie crust and top with whipped cream.
  • Chill in the fridge.

The main difference between custard pie and cream pie is that custard pie filling is baked in the shell while cream pie filling is cooked on the stove and then used to fill a pre-baked crust.

A close up of a bite of traditional coconut custard pie on a fork.

I’m not going to write the foundation paste recipe up, because there is just too much variability in flour and humidity and whatnot.

Know that, if you are well-versed in pie dough making, you can rely on the photo of the recipe above and then just go by feel.

The pie itself can absolutely be made with a conventional recipe, and I have written it up for you here.

You’re going to love it. The pie is as silky as it is chewy, and vice versa. And the custard mixture can be scaled up or down–you can even bake it in a pan without a crust and cut it into squares.

This is the custard of my school childhood that the cafeteria ladies used to make and sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg. Smooth, creamy, not-too-sweet, a bit eggy, and so very comforting.

Enjoy!

A Note About Measurements

NOTE: Most of my recipes are written by weight and not volume, even the liquids.

Even though I try to provide you with volume measurements as well, I encourage you to buy a kitchen scale for ease of measuring, accuracy, and consistency.

This is the scale I use, love, and recommend. If you’re unsure, please read my post about how to use a food scale.

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If you have questions about this post or recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can leave a comment on the post and I will get back to you within about 24 hours.

If your question is more urgent, please shoot me an email, and I will respond within 4 hours, unless I’m asleep.

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Traditional Coconut Custard Pie

Traditional Coconut Custard Pie

Yield: 8 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

This traditional coconut custard pie is equal parts creamy, smooth custard and chewy coconut. So comforting and delicious, it will remind you of your grandma's pie, if your grandma was a great baker and made coconut custard pie!

Ingredients

  • 1 single crust pie crust, store bought or homemade
  • 3-4 oz desiccated (unsweetened) coconut
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 oz granulated sugar (a generous 1/2 cup)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 pint milk or half and half, (2 cups)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350F and place a rack in the center.
  2. Line a standard pie pan with the pastry dough and crimp edges. The pie will be very full, so make sure the edge is nice and raised so the custard doesn't leak out.
  3. Spread a thick layer of coconut in the bottom of your lined pie pan.
  4. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest until nice and creamy. Whisk in the milk or half and half. ***The original recipe did not call for salt. I added about 1/4 teaspoon to my mixture. You can also add a bit of vanilla if you like, even though it isn't called for.***
  5. Strain the custard into the pie pan. The coconut will float. Use a spatula to press it down just enough to make sure it is all coated with the custard.
  6. Bake until set, fairly firm, and lightly golden brown on top, about 40-50 minutes.
  7. Let cool on a rack until barely warm before serving. Or cool completely and then chill before slicing and serving. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so for best texture and flavor.

Notes

What I would do differently: the recipe did not call for blind baking the crust, but if I were on my own, I'd have given it a good blind bake to make sure the bottom crust was crisp. I also would've applied an egg wash to the crust to make it more golden brown and shiny. These are two nitpicky details though. The pie is delicious. Enjoy!

 

Nutritionals calculated based on using 2 cups of whole milk as the dairy. Feel free to sub in half and half for half or all the whole milk for a richer custard, realizing that the swap will have a change on the calories and calories from fat.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information
Yield 8
Amount Per Serving Calories 289Saturated Fat 9gCholesterol 87mgSodium 147mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 2gSugar 17gProtein 6g
© from The Epicurean, by Charles Ranhofer as interpreted by me for the modern kitchen
Cuisine: French / Category: Pies and Tarts
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I’m Jenni, and I’m here to help you be Fearless in the Kitchen! Search for what you need, or give me a shout. I am only an email away and am happy to help you with any baking or cooking questions you have. I’m honored to be able to help. Learn more about me on my About Page.

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What Others Are Saying...

  2. Sandra Gutierrez says

    What an amazing compendium of recipes! And that pie looks absolutely divine. Is this the same book that has the corn cheesecake recipe you featured?
    Love your site, Jenni!
    Sandra G

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      It really is spectacular, Sandra! Actually, the corn cheesecake was inspired by a recipe my neighbor brought to our corn party. As far as I know, that one isn’t in a cookbook at all!

      Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enter. Such a fabulous glimpse into the past!

      Reply

  3. Kathleen Richardson says

    This recipe is a great one to raise interest in such an amazing looking cookbook. Love that it is presented conversationally makes me think of old recipe cards I would come across.

    Reply

  7. Heather says

    I would love to check out the book “Old-Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream: With 58 Original Recipes”. I love to make homemade ice cream and I am always looking for new recipes!

    Reply

  13. Amanda Wood says

    Ok, so this isn’t quiiiite a cookbook, but I did find it on the dover publishing website: Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide: How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks

    I have heard very fun things about this book and the old-timey recipes would be a blast to make, similar to the instructions in Epicurean 😀

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      Never a bad thing to have a mixology book! Don’t forget the discount code is good only for the Cookbooks, so pick up a cookbook or two when you grab the Bartender’s guide! The Epicurean is simply fascinating. Good luck in the giveaway!

      Reply

  17. Annette says

    I’d love to also own The Soup Book: Over 800 Recipes (eBook). I wish it were a hard copy, but I’m so crazy about soup recipes that I’d make an exception.

    Reply

  20. Birgit Heilig says

    In addition to The Epicurean, I’d be thrilled to own Chocolate (if I don’t already — I’ve inadvertently bought doubles of some of Medrich’s other books) and the native harvest book, as I love foraging.

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      How great that you’ve found so many! And the new version of Cocolat is worth having because of the updates she made to the front matter and the chocolate chart. Impressive! Best of luck in the giveaway, Birgit!

      Reply

  28. Georgia Beckman says

    In addition to “The Epicurean”, I would love the Treasury of Great Recipes. Also The First American Cookbook.

    Reply

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