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!
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!
Notes
Note on vegetable shortening: I know. 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. <3Note on pastry blender: While a pastry blender isn’t necessary to cut in the shortening, it does make the job faster and easier. If you’re looking to buy one for yourself, you can find one here.Note on pie weights: 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. Note on coconut cream: 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 to ensure that it's as smooth as possible, since otherwise the coconut cream will be quite lumpy.Note on coconut extract: Adding this extract 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.Note on silpat: I've been leaning toward lining my pans with parchment over silpats these days, but in this case, silpats are definitely the way to go since these 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.Note on 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 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.