Meaningful Eats
Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie (Southern-Style!)
8 servings
If you eat gluten-free and you love coconut cream pie you're in the right place! This pie has the most amazing, from-scratch coconut pudding nestled in my tried-and-true gluten-free pie crust.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (43g) cornstarch
- 1¼ cups (300ml) whole milk divided
- 1 13.5-ounce can (400ml) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 1¼ cups (100g) sweetened shredded coconut toasted, divided
- 1 Gluten-Free Pie Crust fully baked and cooled
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and ¼ cup of milk.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup milk, canned coconut milk, granulated sugar and salt. Set the mixture over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle some of the hot milk into the egg yolks. Do this slowly so you don’t accidentally cook the eggs. Continue whisking until you’ve added about ½ of the hot milk.
- Pour the egg-milk mixture into the saucepan over medium-low heat and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and mix in the butter, vanilla extract and coconut extract, stirring until butter has melted. Stir in ¾ cup of the toasted coconut (reserve the rest for topping on the finished pie). Refrigerate the coconut filling for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour the coconut filling into the cooled, baked pie crust. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly over the surface of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.
For the whipped cream topping:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
Notes
Gluten-Free: This pie uses my tested and perfected gluten-free pie crust!
Dairy-Free: Use unsweetened dairy-free milk of choice and dairy-free butter in the filling. Use a gluten-free, dairy-free pie crust (there are many frozen options!). Use dairy-free whipped cream topping.
Nut-Free: This pie is naturally nut-free.
To Make-Ahead: The filling and crust can be made up to 2 days in advance. You can combine them or keep them separate. Either way, wrap in plastic wrap, with the wrap touching the custard's surface so it doesn't develop a skin, then refrigerate. Wait on the whipped cream and add it fresh when serving!
To Store: Once the pie is fully assembled with the whipped cream, store leftovers in the fridge, loosely covered in plastic wrap to avoid smashing the whipped cream. It will keep for up to 3 days, but the crust will soften the longer leftovers are stored.
To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing this pie. Custard-based pies tend to separate when frozen and the whipped cream won't thaw well.
Nutrition
Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg