French Coconut Pie

Name: French Coconut Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3 large eggs ( room temperature); 1 large egg yolk ((reserve white for brushing on crust)); 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar ((275g)); ⅛ teaspoon table salt; 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar ( plus 1 teaspoon); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon coconut extract; ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled ((113g or 4oz)); 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut (like Baker's Angel Flake Coconut (127g or 4 1/2oz)); 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust ( homemade or store-bought)

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Rich and custardy French Coconut Pie

A slice of French coconut pie on a plate topped with whipped cream

One of the easiest pies you’ll ever make

I’m not sure if this French Coconut Pie is authentically French, but I do know it’s incredibly melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Everybody that loves coconut, loves this pie!

The first time I made this pie in 2011 my first thoughts were how incredibly easy it was to make. Whisk together the ingredients, fold in the shredded coconut and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Done and done!

I also remember thinking that the original recipe yielded a pie that was just a little too rich for me. My husband adored it as made, but I thought I could tweak it a little here and there and make it even better.

Over the years I’ve made some adjustments and now I’m so completely thrilled with this version, I had to share it with you!

The texture of the filling is silky but with plenty of chewy coconut. The flavor is still rich but not over the top sweet. I think you’re going to LOVE this one!

A bowl of pie filling with a cup of shredded coconut poured into the mix

Overview of ingredients

3 large eggs plus one egg yolk at room temperature
granulated sugar
table salt
white distilled vinegar
vanilla extract
coconut extract
unsalted butter melted and cooled
flaked sweetened coconut
unbaked pie crust either homemade or store-bought

Pie filling being poured into an unbaked pie crust

How to make the best French Coconut Pie:

1. Prep the pie crust and preheat the oven

Prepare an unbaked 9-inch pie crust. If using a store-bought pie crust, follow the package directions before filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a baking stone or heavy-duty baking pan in the oven to preheat. The pie will be baked directly on the preheated hot stone.

PRO TIP: Baking on a hot stone ensures the bottom of the crust will bake quickly and not turn soggy. No soggy bottomed pies here!

2. Whisk together the filling

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and sugar. Add the vinegar, salt, vanilla and coconut extracts.

Slowly add the melted butter while whisking constantly. Stir in the coconut and pour the mixture into the prepared crust.

3. Bake

Bake the pie on the hot stone for 50 to 55 minutes or until the pie is deep golden brown and the center is just set. Tent the pie with foil if needed to prevent over browning.

Cool the pie to room temperature or serve slightly warm topped with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Here are the changes made to the original recipe

Many readers agreed that the original recipe was a little too sweet.

While I also thought the custard pie was a little too sweet, I found that good flaked sweetened coconut was still the best way to go. Unsweetened coconut is best softened before baking and doesn’t brown in the oven like sweetened coconut.

Once I settled on using sweetened coconut, I tried reducing the granulated sugar from 1 and 1/2 cups to just one cup sugar total. While the pie was still tasty, the custard filling was pretty dry. As you know sugar melts into liquid and having just the right amount is essential for this recipe.

More testing

Next I tried reducing the sugar to 1 and 1/4 cups. While the consistency was much improved and not at all dry, there was still a little more work to be done.

To balance the flavor we increased the amount of vinegar from 1 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. This may not seem like much, but it really helped.

We added 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract along with the vanilla. Not so much that you can taste the extract, but just enough to enhance the coconut flavor.

Finally we increased the salt slightly and added 1 egg yolk to the mix. This final step sealed the deal. The additional egg yolk added plenty of richness without an overly eggy flavor.

The final version

While this final adapted version is still sweet, it’s sweet in a good way and not at all cloying.

To ensure the bottom crust didn’t get soggy, we assembled the pie in a metal pan that conducts heat very well and baked it on a hot preheated stone. No more gooey, soggy bottom crust!

You can serve this pie slightly warm, room temperature or even cold. Cut into small slices and top with lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.

A slice of French coconut pie on a plate with a fork

This recipe was worth the effort

If you’re a long time reader you probably know I have a thing for pies. This French Coconut Pie recipe was part of our year of pies. In 2011 we made a pie a week for the entire year. This recipe was No. 18.

I must say this recipe was worth the effort to rework and is now one of our all-time favorites.

With the adjustments this pie has the light crispy crust on top, a gooey, chewy coconut custardy middle and a flaky, buttery crust.

If you love coconut, you’re going to LOVE this pie!

A side view of a slice of coconut pie being taken out of a pie plate

How to store French Coconut Pie

This pie keeps well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage refrigerate leftovers.

You can also freeze leftovers well sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

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Close up of a slice of French Coconut Pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream

4.67 from 6 votes