Cream of Coconut Pecan Pie is a delicious, tropical take on a classic Thanksgiving staple! The addition of coconut flavors is SO amazing, you may never go back to traditional pecan pie!
Well, Unofficial Pie Week has officially ended after this recipe. But have no fear – there are still plenty of pie recipes I’ll be posting throughout the rest of the season, in plenty of time for Thanksgiving.
…which hi, is in like a matter of weeks. How??
Still unclear at which point we entered a time warp and are now basically in November. But at the same time, I’m glad? Who wants to live in this year any longer than necessary? Speed up to the finish line PLEASE.
Anyway, I wish I could say this pie was inspired by a tropical vacation I’ve taken had it not been for the state of the world currently, but let’s be real – it’s not. It’s inspired by me being inspired by somewhere tropical had I had money to visit a tropical location and had we not been in a pandemic. I wish I could just jump on a plane and head to Puerto Rico or Turks & Caicos and eat yummy coconutty pies on the beach, but alas, I am poor and well, yeah, that says enough.
I don’t know why I didn’t think to put coconut flavors with pecan pie sooner! We all know coconut and pecans go merrily in a coconut pecan frosting for German chocolate cake, so why not pie?! This mashup is seriously tasty; I know you’re going to love it!
Traditionally, pecan pie filling has corn syrup in it, but this version uses cream of coconut. Now, take note because cream of coconut and coconut milk are not the same thing. CREAM of coconut is often found on the alcohol/mixer aisle as it is a staple for pina coladas. It is thick – almost a glue consistency – whereas coconut milk is runny. These two are not interchangeable, so make sure you grabbed the right one!
We also add some coconut extract and shredded sweetened coconut to the filling to really drive home that coconutty flavor. The result is a sweet and nutty pie that is sure to send you straight to a tropical beach without leaving your house.
Cream of Coconut Pecan Pie! Welcome to paradise!
Cream of Coconut Pecan Pie
This Cream of Coconut Pecan Pie is fantastic! Nutty, buttery, and bursting with amazing coconut flavor in the filling and from the toasted coconut sprinkled on top. Such a fun and tropical twist on a classic!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- One 9″ frozen deep dish pie crust
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups cream of coconut
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut divided
- 1½ cups chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Place the frozen pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet – this helps in case the pie filling were to spill over. Set aside.
For the filling: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until brown flecks appear on the bottom and butter smells nutty. Watch very carefully and closely as this happens FAST and once it has burned, it’s no good. Once browned, remove from heat immediately and whisk in the cream of coconut, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes to cool slightly.
To the slightly cooled butter mixture, whisk in the lightly beaten eggs and coconut extract until combined. Add in the chopped pecans and 1/2 cup of the coconut. Pour into the prepared pie crust.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center appears set and somewhat dull looking. Check the pie halfway through the baking time and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly. Remove from heat and cool completely, then refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
For serving: Toast the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and toasty. Cut pie into slices and top with fresh sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut shreds.
Notes
Make sure you use cream of coconut, which is thicker and richer, than coconut milk, which is far too runny. The two are not interchangeable! Cream of coconut can sometimes be found on the Asian food aisle, but I most commonly find it on the alcohol aisle near the mixers.
Buttery, nutty, coconutty and sweet, this tropical take on a classic pecan pie is sure to win your family over!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
