Traditional Coconut Custard Pie | Old School Comfort Pie

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

Watch my coconut custard pie web story here.

What’s So Great About This Coconut Pie?

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

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this pie. It’s a short list, I promise!

• single pie crust: homemade or store-bought. No need to blind bake unless you are going to try the chocolate variation under “serving suggestions.”
• dried coconut: I prefer unsweetened to sweetened because you can more tightly control the amount of sugar in the pie. Look for “desiccated coconut.”
• eggs: Provides the setting power and makes this a custard pie. Use large eggs.
• sugar: Provides the sweetness and helps the custard set into a creamy rather than rubbery texture. Granulated works best here, but if you want a richer flavor, try light brown sugar. Just be aware the color of the finished pie will be darker
• lemon zest: Adds a bit of a floral, sweet, lemony lift to the filling. You can leave it out and add vanilla or coconut extract if you prefer
• whole milk: For a richer pie, substitute half and half or light cream. For deeper coconut flavor, use a can of full-fat coconut milk for part of the dairy.
• salt: Not in the original recipe, a touch of salt always snaps the flavors into focus

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

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.

The Pie Dough

The recipe for the pie dough, is less of a recipe and more of a procedure.

I would recommend using a tried-and-true pie dough recipe rather than the one in the book, especially if you don’t make a lot of pie crusts.

My pate brisee recipe would work well as would rough puff pastry.

And your pie will still be great if you use a frozen or refrigerated 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.

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

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.

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.

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!

Serving Suggestions

This pie, with its simple, pure flavor, would make an excellent ending to a Thanksgiving meal.

Serve it with some softly whipped cream.

For a bit of a chocolatey edge, consider blind-baking the crust, letting it cool, and then painting it with some melted dark chocolate. Once that sets up, fill the crust with your coconut and custard, and bake with a guard over the edge of the crust so it doesn’t over-brown.

Or, since coconut and chocolate go so well together, serve it with some hot fudge sauce, quick fudge sauce, or chocolate syrup.

A Note About Measurements

This is the kitchen scale that I recommend for home cooks and bakers. Using a scale will help you be more accurate and consistent in your measurements.

It is lightweight, easy to store, accurate, and very easy to use.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.

You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.

If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.

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Thanks for spending some time with me today. Take care, and have a lovely day.