If you love coconut, you're in luck. This delicate coconut cream pie is melt-in-your-mouth creamy, dreamy, light tasting, and absolutely delicious. It was love at first bite with this one for me :)
About a year ago a reader emailed in and asked for a coconut cream pie recipe. I was traveling at the time, so had no means of making it, and it sort of got shelved in the back of my mind amidst all the excitement of traveling.
I have a very old recipe on the blog for a chocolate banana coconut cream pie that I thought would maybe fit what the person was looking for, but they insisted on no bananas. So, I dreamed up a pure as snow coconut pie to make, and then of course somehow managed to absolutely forget all about it... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Fast forward almost a year later and I suddenly got a hankering for a coconut pie myself. I took a few stabs at it, and this recipe was by far the winner. I envisioned something very simple, creamy and light, and very delicate and it checked all those boxes the instant I tasted it.
Best of all, I'm so pleased that this recipe, though very simple to make, requires no baking or freezing, and that it fits a very wide variety of dietary needs, as it's vegan (and therefore dairy-free and eggless), refined sugar-free, nut-free, gluten and grain-free, soy-free, and free from added oils, etc.
On that note, because there's always someone asking -- no, coconuts aren't considered a nut. This recipe is truly nut-free.
And, if you are into coconut desserts of this nature, you might also like some of these treats:
But back to this pie, my taste testers couldn't believe this recipe is nut-free. They were convinced it was full of cashews in the filling and almonds in the crust (largely because they are so used to sampling cashew and almond-laden desserts of this nature from me). It took a lot of convincing to assure them the pie was safe for their kid to take to school (a nut-free environment), which I found quite interesting. I guess this treat might be a big bonus if you're the kind of person who can't have nuts or cashews and keeps on having to pass on the vegan cashew-based cakes and pies.
A few last little notes: I kept the sweetener in the filling here quite low (compared to my usual sweetness standards, anyhow). Somehow it seemed fitting to keep this not overly sweet. But feel free to adjust the sweetness level by tasting the blended filling. You can always add a bit more if you prefer something on the sweeter side.
Also please see the recipe notes for the specific type of chips I used here and the other recipe alternatives (as what you use might make a difference in quantity for the crust).
PrintCoconut Cream Pie
This no-bake delicate coconut cream pie is a delicious melt-in-your-mouth treat that's sure to please. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, and uses no added oils.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 7" pie
- Category: Pie
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ¼ cups toasted coconut chips* (194 gr)
- 5 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 2 ½ tbsp coconut butter (manna), slightly warmed so that it's softened**
- 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water
Filling:
- 1 ½ cups coconut cream (the solid white stuff from chilled full fat coconut milk)***
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp raw ground vanilla bean****
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup coconut water (leftover from the cans that the cream got removed from)
- 1 tbsp agar agar flakes (or 1 tsp powder)
Instructions
1. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky crumble. Transfer to a 7" pie plate with a removable bottom and press down into a crust along the base and edges. Place in the fridge while working on next step.
2. Blend all filling ingredients, except coconut water and agar agar flakes, in a high power blender until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Place coconut water and agar agar flakes into a small sauce pan. Warm on medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble lightly, stirring all the while to help the agar agar dissolve. Simmer for another 1-2 mins, stirring, to let the mixture thicken a little. Remove from heat. Add this mixture to the filling mixture in the blender and blend once again to incorporate it into the filling.
4. Transfer the filling into the prepared pie crust. Tap the pan lightly on the counter several times to release air bubbles. Place in the fridge for 5-6 hours (or overnight) to set. Slice and enjoy! (Keep leftovers refrigerated).
Notes
*For the coconut chips, you'll want to use ones that are as similar to these in texture and consistency (crisp, thick, and nicely toasted). I used these (you'll need about 194 gr). You can usually find them at health food shops and the natural aisle of many grocery stores, or online (amazon or iherb etc.). If you can't find those, look for something similar, just keep in mind that if you're using finer chips, for example, you might need to make a bit more of the crust as they'll process into a finer consistency. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can use almonds or other nuts / seeds of your choice (just keep in mind whatever you're using will probably require a smaller quantity, more like 2 cups).
**Can also use coconut oil instead, if you prefer.
***For this recipe I chilled five 160 ml / 5.4 oz cans of full fat coconut milk (I used the really small Thai Kitchen brand ones). Note: it's important the cans are chilled first, usually I chill mine overnight, but give them at least 4-5 hours for best results -- the chilling helps the white cream solids separate more fully from the coconut water, which you don't want getting into the filling here.
****Can scrape half a vanilla bean pod in as an alternative.
kath says
This pie filling has the lovliest texture.. Both the crust and the cream filling are very very easy to eat :)
The Real Person!
Hi Kath. Thanks so much for the sweet feedback. I'm so glad you're enjoying this pie! :)
Pratiwi Romero says
Question: I just made the coconut cream pie. The video says to freeze, the instructions say put into fridge to set. Do I freeze for 5 to 6 hours or put it in the fridge?! 😅
The Real Person!
Hi Pratiwi. Good catch, I didn't even notice that in the video! Whoops. So originally I made it just in the fridge as per the written recipe instructions. That said, you could freeze it as well, it's not an issue. And you can also first freeze it and then transfer it to be stored in the fridge so that it's a softer consistency. It will work either way. Enjoy it :)
Nikki says
Looking forward to making this soon ( maybe for my upcoming birthday). Any ideas on whether or not I could substitute gelatin for the agar agar?
The Real Person!
Hi Nikki. I'm sure it's totally possible, but I haven't tried it out myself as I don't eat gelatin. But going based on reader feedback from similar recipes it should work fine. The substitution should be in the same quantity — I’m assuming you’re using gelatin powder, which would be equivalent to agar agar powder (not flakes).
kat says
Hello :) I wondered if adding fresh lemon juice would work in making it a lemon cream pie? Or would that react with other ingredients. Thank you!
The Real Person!
Hi Kat, I haven't tried that yet, though it's on my to-do list to make a lemon version of this -- great minds ;) To be honest, I'm not sure what the reaction will be. It might curdle, or it might totally work and be fine. I suspect it should work fine. I have a vegan lemon curd recipe on the blog using similar ingredients if you're interested, but I can't say with certainty how the lemon would react with the coconut milk, so will have to report back to you. Or, if you give it a try let me know what happens :)
Jessica says
Hi, I have some experience with this! I made coconut-lemon flans and also cashew-based lime pie using Agar, and I have found that 1., Lemon juice DOES curdle coconut milk and can make the finished product look unattractive, and 2., the higher the acid content of your recipe, the more Agar you will need to use to achieve a firm consistency, so if you add lemon to this recipe, you will need to increase the amount of agar you use (you’ll have to experiment, as I believe the limes/lemons where I live are a bit more acidic than those available in the U.S. and Europe).
The Real Person!
Thanks so much for sharing, Jessica. Great info and interesting tip about acidity = more agar needed.
Hang says
but if I use eggs I'll need to bake the crust.. so I guess that was a stupid idea...sorry
The Real Person!
Yes, that's right. It wouldn't make a very good "raw" or "no-bake" cake that way.... But the good news is that the alternative is quite simple (see reply to your earlier comment).
Hang says
thank you so so much!!!
Hang says
hello Audrey! all your cakes and pies look amazing!!
I've noticed that you always use dates for the crust... I'm fructose-intolerant:( are they used for binding the crust? if so, can I use eggs + rice syrup instead? thanks
The Real Person!
Hi Hang,
The dates are there for a bit of binding, a bit of a chewy texture, and a bit of sweetness. But in raw cakes they are not essential. Just add another tbsp of maple syrup and another tbsp of coconut oil to replace the dates and you'll be good to go.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Who wouldn't love a beautiful coconut cream pie? I love that this recipe is so easy to make, is minimal in ingredients, and is oil free! Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most stellar. I would love to add a vanilla bean flower, shaved chocolate, or some rose petals with pistachios as decoration!
The Real Person!
Those decorations would definitely make this pie look gorgeous :)
roxanne says
hi audrey could i please ask about coconut cream... once this cake is made... can it be stored or kept in fridge? for how long... thanks so much x
The Real Person!
Hi Roxanne -- yes, I kept this pie refrigerated the entire time (not frozen). You can serve it at room temperature as well. Mine kept well in the fridge for 5 days (and then it was all gone :) ). Enjoy!
Teresa says
Hi
Can I use raw honey to replace maple syrup.
Thanks,
Teresa
The Real Person!
Hi Teresa. Yes, for sure. Enjoy it! :)