This is a pie that tastes like a nostalgic coconut cream pie, but it has a sleeker, silkier texture, and it’s going to be more aromatic. The texture is custard-smooth, not thick or gelatinous, and the crust I’ve made here gives it a warm vanilla hug! If you prefer to use graham crackers instead of nilla wafers, go right ahead! You can alternatively roll out a crust if you want to.
You’ll see the use of coconunt flakes (“Angel Flake) and just want to make sure you know to toast some of it in the oven and bloom the rest of it. his gives stunning depth of flavor: warm, nutty, aromatic, creamy layers.
Ingredients for the Nilla Wafer Coconut Crust
Ingredients:
2 cups crushed Nilla wafer crumbs
½ cup lightly toasted sweetened shredded coconut (the toasting makes a big difference and use Baker’s Flake Sweetened Coconut)
6 to 7 TBSP melted salted butter
Optional: 1 TBSP sugar
Instructions to make the crust
-
Preheat oven to 350°F to make the crust (but for the custard, you’ll have to reduce the temperature so keep reading below)
-
Mix wafers + toasted coconut + melted butter (+ sugar if using).
-
Press firmly into a 9-inch pie dish (sides + bottom).
-
Bake 10 minutes, cool completely before adding custard.
NOTE: If you make this the night before just cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Ingredients for the Coconut Custard
To make the custard you will need:
1 cup whole milk
½ cup coconut milk
3 large eggs plus 1 extra yolk (for silkiness)
⅓ cup evaporated cane sugar
1 TEA vanilla extract
1/8 TEA almond extract
1/4 TEA natural coconut extract
2/3 cup TOTAL coconut make sure you use Baker’s “Angel Flake sweetened coconut”
→ ⅓ cup of this will be lightly toasted (to toast it, you can spread it on a piece of parchment paper in a cookie sheet and bake at 325°F for about 10 – 15 min)
→ ⅓ cup of this will be bloomed (to bloom it, put it in some milk and let it bloom for 10 min – see below for more details in the instructions)
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1 tablespoon butter (stirred in at the very end)
Instructions:
① Prepare Coconut
-
Toast ⅓ cup of the Angel Flake coconut (available at any grocery store).
-
Bloom ⅓ cup Angel Flake coconut in about ¼ cup of whole milk for 10 minutes. Don’t bloom it in coconut milk – it doesn’t work as well.
② Warm the base of the pie – the custard
In a medium saucepan, combine all of this:
1 cup whole milk
½ cup coconut milk substitute
The bloomed coconut and its milk
Pinch of salt
Heat on medium-low until steaming (do NOT boil the mixture). I’m obsessed with my digital thermometer, you want it between 170 – 180 degrees Farenheit. That’s the right temperature, and the time to temper the eggs, see next step. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll see gentle steam rising and small bubbles around the edge of the pan.
③ Temper the eggs
In a bowl whisk the eggs + extra yolk with your sugar until smooth with your fork or whisk, do not use a blender because that will add too much air.
Slowly drizzle in the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. This is the final stovetop thickening stage and the MOST delicate part of the whole pie. Return mixture to the pot and continue to cook on low 3 to 4 minutes until it is slightly thickened. If you don’t see it thicken, keep going and checking the temperature frequently. It needs to visibly thicken and maybe even stick to the back of your spatula a little bit (otherwise you’ll pour this pie!) Once slightly thickened turn the heat off. The temperature should be 165 – 175 at this point.
⚠️ Important Warnings
-
Do NOT let it hit 180–185°F because that’s when the eggs start to grain and the custard gets lumpy.
-
Do NOT let it simmer or bubble — even little bubbles around the edges mean “too hot.”
If you see bubbles:
→ Immediately remove from heat and whisk continuously for 10–15 seconds.
④ Finish the custard
Remove the thickened custard from heat and stir in 1 TBSP of butter and all of your flavoring extracts (the vanilla, almond and coconut extracts), as well as your 1/3 cup of toasted coconut.
⑤ Fill and bake
Pour into the cooled Nilla crust. Put the pie tin directly on the rack. If you’re using a metal pie tin bake at 325°F for 35–45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a gentle jiggle. The time is not a hard fast rule, check the temperature of the custard periodically. You don’t want to burn it and custard heats up quickly.
(If you’re using a porcelain/glass pie tin then it may take 40-50 min.) This is important: The temperature of the custard should be 170 – 175 degrees, not more than 175. That’s really the best way to know if your custard is fully cooked because it may not look “cooked” – custards look a little bit wet and jiggly even when they’re fully baked.
Don’t be tempted to overcook it because it will look kind of wet, trust me, it will continue to set later as it cools off. Cool completely before slicing – this will take about 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Cover the custard directly with some cling wrap before chilling in the fridge.
Decorate with Amaretto Chantilly Whipped Cream – here’s the LINK FOR THE RECIPE.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
