Pumpkin Coconut Pie

You guuuuys! I know I'm always excited about food, but THIS! I made a Pumpkin Coconut Pie, and you neeed to try it!

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This dreamy Pumpkin Coconut 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. 😀

If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes, Pumpkin Pie with Gingerbread Crust, and Pumpkin Pie Cookies!

Ingredients

Here's a summary of all the ingredients you need! All the amounts for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card, below.

Pie Crust Ingredients

• Flour - Provides structure for the crust. I used all-purpose flour.
• Vegetable Shortening - For moisture and a flaky texture. I like an all-butter crust as much as the next gal, but sometimes 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 curious about a better-quality shortening option, check out the kind that I use here. It's organic, fair-trade certified, and only uses sustainable palm oil. Of course, you can opt to substitute the shortening with an equal measure of unsalted butter if you prefer.
• Egg - For moisture and making the crust more pliable and easier to roll out.
• White Vinegar - To help prevent the formation of gluten, so your pie crust will be more tender.

Pumpkin Coconut Filling Ingredients

• Egg Yolks - For moisture and richness.
• Sugar - For sweetness.
• Cornstarch - To thicken the pastry dream.
• Salt - To balance and enhance the flavors of the custard.
• Coconut Cream (thick portion only) - For flavor. You want to make sure that you're using coconut cream, and *not* coconut milk! Coconut cream is thicker with a higher fat content, so it makes for a thicker, creamier custard.
• Pumpkin Purée - For flavor and moisture.
• Spices - For flavor. The recipe includes ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Whole Milk - For moisture and richness. Whole milk works best, as it has the highest fat content.
• Shredded, Sweetened Coconut - For flavor and texture. Be sure that it's sweetened coconut, as its sweetness has been taken into account in the rest of the recipe. Additional coconut can be toasted and used as garnish if you desire.
• Vanilla Extract - For flavor.
• Coconut Extract (optional) - For flavor. Adding coconut extract to the custard is optional, but I like the extra oomph of coconut flavor!

Hint: Since this custard uses egg yolks, you're going to have leftover egg whites. If you're not in the mood for an egg white omelet, check out my post with 25+ Recipes Using Egg Whites! There you'll find recipes that use egg whites, as well as instructions on how to best store them to use later (you can freeze them)!

Candied Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients

• Pumpkin Seeds (hulled) - You'll want to make sure that you have hulled pumpkin seeds, which are also called pepitas.
• Sugar - For sweetness.
• Spices - Ground Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, & Nutmeg are included for flavor.
• Salt - To help balance and enhance the flavors.

Whipped Cream Ingredients

• Heavy (whipping) Cream - Can't make whipped cream without it! 😀
• Powdered Sugar - For sweetness. I prefer using powdered sugar because it dissolves so well, and because the small amount of cornstarch in powdered sugar helps the whipped cream to hold its shape for longer.
• Ground Cinnamon - For flavor.
• Vanilla Bean Paste - I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste, so I couldn’t resist adding some to the whipped cream! If you’d rather substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.

Instructions

Here's a quick summary of the steps to make this gorgeous pie! For full instructions, check out the recipe card, below!

Making the Pie Crust

• Combine the flour and vegetable shortening. 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 and line a pie plate with the dough. Fill the crust with pie weights and bake.

Making the Filling

If you're familiar with making custard, the process of making this filling 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!

• In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the coconut cream (thick portion only), pumpkin purée, and spices. Pulse until mixture is combined and free of any lumps.
• Warm the milk until it bubbles around the edges. Pour about a half cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking to temper the eggs. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan.
• Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until thick. Turn off the heat and add the pumpkin/coconut mixture, shredded coconut, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Mix to combine.
• Scrape the custard into the baked pie crust and chill until cool and firm.

Making Candied Pumpkin Seeds

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Combine the sugar, water, and spices. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add the hulled pumpkin seeds 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. Allow to cool completely. Seeds will be stuck together, and can be broken apart to be used a garnish.

Making the 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.

Equipment

Pastry Blender - While not strictly necessary to cut in the butter, it does make the job faster and easier.

Pie weights - 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, but I just use black beans. They’re cheap and you can use them over and over again. 

Silpats - I prefer lining my pans with silpats for the candied pumpkin seeds because they're sooo sticky! You'll save yourself a lot of hassle and cleanup.

Storage

This Pumpkin Coconut Pie will keep, covered loosely, for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

You can prepare the pie crust ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months.

You can also freeze the pie without the whipped cream, just make sure that the filling is cooled completely before freezing. Wrapped well, the pie will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the pie in the refrigerator prior to adding the whipped cream.

FAQ

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 means more for me! 😉

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