Classic Coconut Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 11, 2012
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes one 9-inch pie)
Ingredients
Crust
5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut 9 graham crackers (about 5 ounces) broken into rough pieces2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFilling
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (not cream of coconut)1 cup whole milk ½ cup (1 ¼ ounces/35 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut ⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 5 large egg yolks ¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 piecesWhipped Cream Topping
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled1 ½ tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ teaspoons dark rum (optional)Before You Begin
Unsweetened shredded coconut is available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. When toasting the coconut, keep a close eye on it because it burns quite easily.
Instructions
- For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the 5 tablespoons coconut in a 9-inch glass pie plate and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 9 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. When cool enough to handle, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnishing the finished pie.
- Pulse the graham crackers and the remaining 4 tablespoons toasted coconut in a food processor until the crackers are broken down into coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Process the mixture to evenly fine crumbs, about 12 seconds more. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the sugar to combine; add the melted butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Wipe out the now-empty pie plate and empty the crumb mixture into it. Use the bottom of a 1/2 cup measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust. Bake the crust until deep golden brown and fragrant, about 22 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack while making the filling.
- For the filling: Bring the coconut milk, milk, shredded coconut, 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture reaches a simmer, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl to break them up, then whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch until well combined and no lumps remain. Gradually whisk the simmering liquid into the yolk mixture to temper it, then return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla and butter. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling, and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.
- For the topping: When ready to serve, beat the cream and sugar in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add the vanilla and rum, if using. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon toasted coconut over the whipped cream. Serve.
Time
1½ hours, plus 3 hours coolingYield
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes one 9-inch pie)Ingredients
Crust
5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
9 graham crackers (about 5 ounces) broken into rough pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (not cream of coconut)
1 cup whole milk
½ cup (1 ¼ ounces/35 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Whipped Cream Topping
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons dark rum (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
9 graham crackers (about 5 ounces) broken into rough pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (not cream of coconut)
1 cup whole milk
½ cup (1 ¼ ounces/35 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Whipped Cream Topping
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons dark rum (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
9 graham crackers (about 5 ounces) broken into rough pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (not cream of coconut)
1 cup whole milk
½ cup (1 ¼ ounces/35 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Whipped Cream Topping
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons dark rum (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
**In the video, Bridget mistakenly calls for 10 graham crackers in the crust and 1/3 cup sugar in the filling. The correct amounts should be 9 graham crackers and 2/3 cup of sugar.** Most recipes for this diner dessert are nothing more than a redecorated vanilla cream pie. A handful of coconut shreds stirred into the filling or sprinkled on the whipped cream might be enough to give it a new name, but certainly not enough to give it flavor. We wanted a coconut cream pie with real coconut flavor rather than a thinly disguised vanilla custard. We found that using not-too-sweet graham crackers made a crust with a delicate, cookie-like texture that didn’t overshadow the coconut filling. For the filling, we started with a basic custard, using a combination of unsweetened coconut milk and whole milk. For more coconut flavor, we stirred in unsweetened shredded coconut and cooked it so the shreds softened slightly in the hot milk. Lastly, we topped the pie with simple sweetened whipped cream and dusted it with crunchy shreds of toasted coconut.
Before You Begin
Unsweetened shredded coconut is available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. When toasting the coconut, keep a close eye on it because it burns quite easily.
Instructions
- For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the 5 tablespoons coconut in a 9-inch glass pie plate and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 9 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. When cool enough to handle, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnishing the finished pie.
- Pulse the graham crackers and the remaining 4 tablespoons toasted coconut in a food processor until the crackers are broken down into coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Process the mixture to evenly fine crumbs, about 12 seconds more. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the sugar to combine; add the melted butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Wipe out the now-empty pie plate and empty the crumb mixture into it. Use the bottom of a 1/2 cup measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust. Bake the crust until deep golden brown and fragrant, about 22 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack while making the filling.
- For the filling: Bring the coconut milk, milk, shredded coconut, 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture reaches a simmer, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl to break them up, then whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch until well combined and no lumps remain. Gradually whisk the simmering liquid into the yolk mixture to temper it, then return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla and butter. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling, and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.
- For the topping: When ready to serve, beat the cream and sugar in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add the vanilla and rum, if using. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon toasted coconut over the whipped cream. Serve.
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