This is the Best Coconut Cream Pie Recipe without dairy and sugar! Made with only 8 grams of sugar and a buttery graham cracker cookie crust. You'll be making this one all year long!
Try my Whole30 Brownies and Keto Cauliflower Ice Cream next for another low-sugar delicious dessert.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 3 hours to chill and set)
- 🌡️ Cook Time: About 19 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 3 hours 40 minutes, mostly hands-off chilling
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 572kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet coconut custard with a buttery graham cracker crust and fluffy whipped topping
- ✋ Difficulty: Moderate, easier than it looks, and simpler than my dairy-free chocolate ganache frosted cakes
Quick Answer
Pulse graham crackers, coconut flakes, sugar, and butter into a fine crumb, press it into a pie dish, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Simmer coconut milk, coconut flakes, monk fruit sugar, and salt in a saucepan, then gradually whisk the hot milk into egg yolks mixed with cornstarch. Heat until thickened, stir in butter, vanilla, and coconut extract, pour into the crust, and chill for 3 hours. Top with whipped cream and coconut flakes and serve chilled.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Coconut Cream Pie Using Coconut Milk
- Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Coconut Cream Pie FAQs
- Other Recommended Low-Sugar Desserts
- Best Coconut Cream Pie Recipe with Coconut Milk
This is not your typical grandmas coconut cream pie, as it is made with a few "better for you" ingredients. That being said, it is still delicious and is a must-have for any and all dessert lovers!
This classic, Southern-style recipe is light and fluffy, with a sweet custard egg and coconut cream filling and Whipped Cream Topping. It is then finished off with a rich, buttery graham cracker or cookie crust. The creamy coconut flavor is sure to please, and the lightly-crisped crust seals in all the flavor.
Whether served for a special occasion or just enjoyed as a decadent treat, this coconut cream pie is sure to be a hit both in taste and presentation that tantalize your taste buds!
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cornstarch keeps the filling from getting watery. Whisked with the egg yolks and then heated with the milk, it thickens the custard and releases some of the water as it cooks.
- Tempering the eggs is the key move. Gradually adding the hot milk mixture 1 cup at a time keeps the yolks silky instead of scrambling them.
- Full fat canned coconut milk does the work of cream. The healthy fats set into a rich custard, and the pie can be made completely dairy-free.
- Monk fruit sweetens without the sugar. It stands in for sweet evaporated milk, bringing the pie down to only 8 grams of sugar per serving.
- Plastic wrap pressed on the filling prevents a skin. Letting it touch the surface while the pie chills for 3 hours keeps the custard perfectly smooth.
- The chill sets the slice. Three hours in the refrigerator is what takes the filling from pudding to a clean, sliceable pie.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Better-for-you dessert. This recipe is gluten-free, almost sugar free with only 8 grams of sugar per serving, and can be made dairy-free.
- Easy dairy-free option. Make a sugar-free whipped cream or coconut whipped topping for a full dairy-free version: chill a few cans of coconut cream, flip upside-down to open, drain the water, and use the cream in place of heavy whipping cream.
- Healthy fats. The filling is healthier with "good for you" healthy fats from coconut milk.
Key Ingredients
- Graham crackers - gluten-free, or your favorite cookie like shortbread or vanilla wafers.
- Full fat coconut milk - from cans and not the box version.
- Large eggs - the yolks are heated and thicken into a custard filling.
- Monk fruit - the natural sugar substitute to sweeten this pie instead of using sweet evaporated milk.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes - adds a little crunch and extra coconut flavor.
- Butter, salt, cornstarch - vegan butter works for less lactose, pink Himalayan salt, and cornstarch acts as a thickener for the pie filling.
- Vanilla extract and coconut extract - to flavor the cream pie.
- Heavy whipping cream - for the whipped cream topping, or use coconut milk whipped cream.
See full recipe quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sugar - you can make coconut pudding pie with another sugar, but we like using monk fruit sugar since it is healthier than white sugar (plus I don't use that ever!).
- Cookie crust - use gluten-free graham crackers or your favorite graham crackers or cookies for the crust. Shortbread and vanilla wafers also work well in pie crusts.
- Milk - in this sugar-free coconut cream pie we use coconut milk from a can. You can substitute that with whole milk or cream.
How to Make Coconut Cream Pie Using Coconut Milk
See full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
1Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor pulse the graham crackers, coconut flakes, sugar, and butter until it forms into a fine crumb. Press it evenly into a 9x9-inch pie dish and bake 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
2Simmer the filling. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut flakes, sugar and salt on a simmer, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
3Temper and thicken. Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together, then gradually add the heated milk mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking until completely combined. Return to the saucepan and whisk on medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and coconut extract.
4Chill and top. Pour the filling into the crust, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate 3 hours to set. Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and coconut extract 2 minutes to soft peaks, spread over the pie, and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Serve chilled.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use CANNED coconut milk. Make sure to use can coconut milk and not box for the filling. Shake it first to get the liquid and thick cream to mix. Do not use coconut water, which is different.
- Press the plastic wrap onto the filling. It should touch the surface of the pie filling while it chills so no skin forms.
- Patience on the set. If your pie won't set, it most likely has not cooled enough. The center should be a pudding consistency before pouring it into the crust, then give it the full 3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Storing. Store the pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Measuring help. Working between cups and ounces for the crust? Here is my handy ounces-in-a-cup guide.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Slice up some deliciousness for a special occasion, a holiday table, or just a decadent weeknight treat. Cool, creamy, and full of flavor, it pairs beautifully after dinner with a scoop of vegan banana ice cream or coconut milk ice cream for a full coconut theme.
If you love low-sugar desserts, keep the streak going with my chocolate mousse, dairy-free fudge, and Whole30 apple crumble skillet. Building a dessert table? My oatmeal no-bake cookies, healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies, and avocado chocolate pudding round it out without the sugar crash.
Coconut Cream Pie FAQs
Coconut cream pie has cornstarch in it to help it not get watery. You mix it with the eggs then heat it with milk, coconut flakes, and sugar until it thickens, which also releases some of the water.
Yes, always. The ingredients in this easy coconut cream pie recipe are perishable, and pies with milk and a custard filling need to be stored in the refrigerator. Do not even leave it out overnight since bacteria can set in if it is stored above 40 degrees F.
It is most likely that the pie has not cooled enough. Let it set in the refrigerator a bit longer. If it still has not set, it did not mix well before adding it to the crust. The center should be a pudding consistency before pouring it into the pie crust.
Yes! The filling is already made with coconut milk. For the topping, chill a few cans of coconut cream, flip them upside-down to open, drain the water, and whip the cream in place of heavy whipping cream. Use vegan butter in the crust and filling.
Monk fruit sugar, a natural sugar substitute used in place of sweet evaporated milk. It keeps this pie at only 8 grams of sugar per serving, and you can substitute another sugar if you prefer.
Store the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The crust stays crisp longest in the first 2 days, so it is the perfect make-ahead dessert for a holiday dinner.
Other Recommended Low-Sugar Desserts
I hope you enjoy this creamy and easy coconut cream pie recipe! Tried it? I'd love to see your creations! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below.
Best Coconut Cream Pie Recipe with Coconut Milk
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Ingredients
Crust
- 7 ounces graham crackers (you can use gluten-free or also vanilla wafers)
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons monk fruit sugar
- ½ stick butter (1 stick)
Filling
- 2 cups full fat coconut milk from a can
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¾ cup monk fruit sugar
- pinch of salt
- 5 egg yolks from large size eggs
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
Whipped Topping
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or cream only from can of coconut cream
- 4 tablespoons monk fruit sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon coconut extract
- ⅔ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor pulse the graham crackers, coconut flakes, sugar, and butter until it forms into a fine crumb. Using your hands, press down and on the sides of a 9x9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish so it is even all around. Bake 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack while you make the filling.
Filling
- In a medium saucepan, turn the heat to medium heat. Whisk together the coconut milk, coconut flakes, sugar and salt on a simmer, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolk and cornstarch until completely combined. Gradually add the heated milk mixture slowly, 1 cup at a time and whisk together until it is completely combined. Transfer back to the saucepan and heat on medium heat. Whisk until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add in the butter, vanilla, and coconut. Mix until combined. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Add a piece of plastic wrap on top so it touches the pie filling and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours to harden.
Topping
- Meanwhile, make the whipped topping by adding the heavy cream, sugar, and coconut extract to an electric mixer. Whisk on high (or use a hand mixer in a large bowl) for 2 minutes until it forms a soft peak and turns into whipped cream. Spread the whipped topping over the coconut cream pie and sprinkle the top with coconut flakes. Serve chilled.
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