Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie
You guuuuys! I know I’m always excited about food, but THIS! I made a Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie, and you neeed to try it!
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This dreamy Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie puts a Fall spin on a classic! The filling is a coconut cream/pumpkin spice custard, topped with cinnamon-vanilla whipped cream, toasted coconut, and candied pumpkin seeds! I just LOVE how the coconut and pumpkin play so nicely together, without one overpowering the other! I truly could have eaten this entire pie by myself. 😀
For the Best Pie Crust
Okay, I know. You looked at the ingredients and vegetable shortening doesn’t necessarily sound delicious. I like an all-butter crust as much as the next gal, but I prefer shortening because it’s so much easier to work with the dough, and the dough will keep it’s shape better when baked. If you’re hesitant to try vegetable shortening, or you’re curious about a better-quality option, check out the kind that I use here. It’s organic, fair-trade certified, and only uses sustainable palm oil. <3
While a pastry blender isn’t necessary to cut in the butter, it does make the job faster and easier. If you’re looking to buy one for yourself, you can find one here.
Pie weights help when blind-baking a crust, keeping the dough from rising/getting bubbles as it bakes. This makes sure that you have the room that you need for filling. You can buy actual pie weights if you’d like (like these here), but I just use black beans. They’re cheap and you can use them over and over again.
Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie Filling
If you’re familiar with making custard, the process of making this custard is a breeze. If not, just follow the steps (don’t skip that step where you temper the eggs!) and soon you’ll be a custard-making veteran!
The ingredients are pretty straightforward for the filling. You’ll want to make sure that you’re using coconut cream, and *not* coconut milk! Coconut cream is thicker with a higher fat content (#sorrynotsorry), so it makes for a thicker, creamier custard. If you can’t find it where you shop, you can get some here.
Use only the thick part of the coconut cream in the recipe. I added a step where you process the coconut cream with the pumpkin and spices in a food processor to ensure that it’s as smooth as possible, since otherwise the coconut cream will be quite lumpy.
Adding the coconut extract to the custard is optional, but I like the extra oomph of coconut flavor! I prefer to use pure extracts (no artificial garbage!), so I use this kind here.
Whipped Cream & Garnishes
Next you top your Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie with cinnamon-vanilla whipped cream and, if you’d like, toasted coconut and candied pumpkin seeds!
I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste, so I couldn’t resist adding some to the whipped cream! If you’d like to get some vanilla bean paste for yourself, you can find some here. If you’d rather substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
I’ve been leaning toward lining my pans with parchment over silpats these days, but in this case, a silpat is definitely the way to go since the candied pumpkin seeds are sooo sticky. You’ll save yourself a lot of hassle and cleanup! If you’re interested in getting some for yourself, you can find them here.
This Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie has earned itself a spot in my Fall dessert rotation! It would also make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu! My husband isn’t interested (he doesn’t like pumpkin OR coconut!!), but that just leaves more for me! 😉
Other posts you may like:
Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1½ cups flour
- 10 Tbsp vegetable shortening (see note)
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water, cold
Pumpkin-Coconut Filling:
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 6 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup coconut cream, thick portion only (see note)
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ cups shredded, sweetened coconut
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp coconut extract (optional; see note)
Candied Pumpkin Seeds (Optional):
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds, hulled (also called pepitas)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp water
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch salt
Toasted Coconut (Optional):
- ¼ cup shredded, sweetened coconut
Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (see note)
Instructions
For Pie Crust:
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and vegetable shortening. Using a pastry blender (see note) or fork, cut shortening in until no large pieces remain.
- In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and cold water. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly into a ball. Form the dough into a disc, wrap, and chill for at least one hour.
- After the dough has chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface large enough to fit your pie plate. Line the pie plate with the dough, then place the lined pie plate in the refrigerator to chill while the oven preheats to 375° F.
- Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights (see note). Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil/weights, and return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes, or until crust looks dry in the center and slightly golden around the edges. Let cool.
For Filling:
- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside (near the stove).
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the coconut cream (see note), pumpkin purée, and spices. Pulse until mixture is combined and free of any lumps. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, warm the milk until it bubbles around the edges. Pour about a half cup of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream into the egg mixture while whisking. This step will temper the eggs so they don't scramble in your custard! Once combined, pour the egg and milk mixture into the saucepan.
- Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick. Turn off the heat and add the pumpkin/coconut mixture, shredded coconut, vanilla extract, and coconut extract (optional; see note). Mix to combine.
- Scrape the custard into the baked pie crust, cover with plastic (pressing the plastic to the surface of the custard so it doesn't form a skin), and chill until cool and firm, at least three hours.
For Pumpkin Seeds:
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat (see note). In a small bowl, combine the sugar, water, and spices. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
- Add the hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and stir to coat. Spread the seeds out on the prepared pan, trying to keep them in one layer.
- Bake until the seeds are slightly browned and puffed, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Seeds will be stuck together, and can be broken apart to be used a garnish.
For Toasted Coconut:
- If you'd like to garnish your pie with toasted coconut, preheat your oven to 350° F. Spread the coconut out on a baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake the coconut for 7-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure even toasting and that you don't burn the coconut. Allow to cool completely.
For Whipped Cream:
- Combine all whipped cream ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
For Assembly:
- Once the filled pie has chilled, remove the plastic and pipe or dollop the whipped cream on top. Garnish with toasted coconut and candied pumpkin seeds, if desired. Pie keeps very well in the refrigerator for a few days.Enjoy!