This french coconut pie recipe has a crackly, sugary crust with a wonderfully gooey vanilla and coconut center. It is sinfully good! It only takes a few minutes to prep for baking and is easy to make. However, it tastes like it took a lot of work and effort. It is AMAZING.
Simple and Easy French Coconut Pie
I love EVERYTHING about this pie. In fact, it could be my favorite of pies…The different textures of a light crackly crunch topping and a gooey center… the perfect balance in flavors of butter, vanilla, sugar, and coconut… I mean it is just INCREDIBLE!!!
It is also easy. So easy in fact, that I always double it and make two. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and one hour in the oven. How great is that? If you give that second pie away to someone special, they will absolutely adore you!!!
I will only make this french coconut pie recipe when I know I have guests coming over. Otherwise I will eat that whole thing by myself. I can’t help myself. It is like crack. It is so darn good I want to eat more, and more, and more…
However, the last time I made two… one being for my dinner party… and the extra I was going to share with my in-laws…. Well, my guests got the French Coconut Pie recipe fever themselves and tore into that second pie! And then they wanted the leftovers… because it is like crack… they just couldn’t help themselves!!
Needless to say, that extra pie didn’t make it to my poor, sweet in-laws. But I will make them one soon.
What is the difference between French Coconut Pie and Coconut Cream Pie?
Besides featuring the flaky coconut as the main ingredient, French Coconut Pie and Coconut Cream Pie are COMPLETELY different. I love both. However, French Coconut Pie is similar to a chess pie. It has a lovely crunchy, crackly top crust. It is always baked. The filling is a thick, rich, gooey, sweet coconut center. It is typically served at room temperature. A Coconut Cream Pie is a custard based pie. It typically has mounds and mounds of whipped cream on top. It has a light, custard, creamy coconut filling. It is always served cold.
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut when baking?
Have you ever taken a bite of unsweetened coconut before cooking with it? It is often chewy, dry, bland, and not that good…. However its sweetened version can be ate by the hand fulls. Shredded sweet coconut flakes taste like candy. But which do you use when baking? Particularly in a very sweet pie? Typically, you would use sweetened coconut in any baking recipe that asks for shredded coconut. Unless stated otherwise, the author assumes you will use sweetened coconut. The unsweetened coconut is perfect for savory recipes.
This French Coconut Pie recipe is super sweet. I love it just as it is. However, if you wanted to cut just a little of the sweetness, or if the unsweetened coconut is all you have on hand (and you don’t want to make another trip to the store) the unsweetened coconut will not make much of a difference in the flavor. You are perfectly fine using the unsweetened shredded coconut.
Do you need to refrigerate the French Coconut Pie?
You do not need to refrigerate French Coconut Pie. There is enough amount of sugar in the recipe to store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. (However, it will never last that long. Little elves eat in the night if you do not!) If you prefer to eat it chilled, however, you can store it in the refrigerator. Leave it out 30 minutes to warm to room temperature before serving.
Can you Freeze the French Coconut Pie?
You can freeze the French Coconut Pie with no problem. Cook it according to directions. Wrap it in saran wrap really well and seal it air tight. Thaw it completely before serving. It is best served at room temperature. Once thawed, leave it out 30 minutes to warm to room temperature before serving.
Why do you add vinegar to a Chess Pie?
This French Coconut Pie is a flavor version of a chess pie. Chess pies require a lot of sugar. The sugar makes the crackly crust and the gooey center. The vinegar acts as an acid to balance some of that sweetness. You will not taste the vinegar in the pie. If it was a lemon chess pie, the lemon juice would replace the vinegar, but have the same effect.
Now go make this french coconut pie recipe and come back to tell me how much you love it!
Do you love coconut as much as me? Then check out my other coconut inspired recipes:
Also, my friend Dawn, from Girl Heart Food has a lovely Baked Coconut and Lemon Donuts recipe. My friend Karrie, from Tasty Ever After has a delicious Coconut and Caramelized Pineapple Popsicle recipe! YUM!
Deliciously Fresh and Easy French Coconut Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 in pie shell
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbs white vinegar
- 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
- 1 stick of butter melted
- pinch of salt
- 1¼ cup shredded coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Add sugar, vinegar, and vanilla to beaten eggs. Mix well.
- Slowly pour in melted butter.
- Add in pinch of salt. Mix egg mixture.
- Add coconut to egg mixture and mix well.
- Pour coconut filling into pie.
- Cook for 50 to 60 minutes. Top should be lightly brown and crackly hard at touch.
- You can serve warm, but it is best to wait for the pie to cool at room temperature before serving.
Pavani says
That is such a delicious looking coconut pie. Love the crunchy top and I am with you on eating handfuls of sweetened coconut – love that stuff!
Katie Crenshaw says
I am sorry the directions were confusing. It is a 9in pie shell, 1 and 1/4 cup shredded coconut, and 1 and 1/2 cup of sugar. I had a different kind of recipe card on my site. When I changed over, some things changed wonky. I updated the directions to look more clear. I hope you enjoy the pie!
Dennis says
The way the directions is printed is confusion . is it 1/4 cup of coconut or 1 1/4 cup is it a half a cup of sugar a one and a half cups of sugar i’m sure you mean a 9 inch pie shell not a not a 19
Katie says
No. I am sorry, but it will not be a good combination. The pie crusts are located in the freezer section by the desserts.
Maria Larracuente says
Can I use a Graham pie crust instead? Couldn’t find a regular pie crust.
Katie says
Hmm… I have never had that happen. Did you mix the coconut in with the filling? Because that in itself should weigh the topping a bit. It is supposed to form a crackly crust that will rise a little as it finishes baking….but it should not rise that much or completely away from the filling. It will have a crunchy crackly top with a gooey filling, so that part is accurate. The only thing I can think of is maybe cook it a little less time, like 5 to 10 minutes? Ovens are all different. Maybe it is getting a little over cooked.
Bill says
When I make this pie, the crust rises away from the filling like a big bubble. It is literally ¾ inch above the pie. Should it do that? The picture look like the crunchy crust is like a layer on top of, but mixed in with, the filling. It tastes fine, but when I cut the pie, it sort of breaks apart and collapses. Any ideas?
Katie says
It will be fine in a 10in. It will just be a little more shallow than the 9in and you will have a little more crust.
Shelby says
How much should I add if all I have is 10″ pie crust? Its Thanksgiving and I dropped the ball and bought the wrong one ?
Katie says
I don’t cover the crusts, but if you notice the crust getting too cooked, you can cover the edges with tinfoil. Amazon even sells a tool that just covers the pie shell crust edges to protect it from getting too dark. It is called pie shell protector. I don’t seem to have that problem when I cook mine… My pie just browns a little more on the darker sides, but not in a bad way.
Andria says
I’ve made this for years and the crusts always too dark and sticks to pan but we done care because we like the crunchy gooey ness. Do I have to cover the crust or lower rack? Family favorite
Katie says
Dolly, you use a 9 inch pie shell.
Katie says
It won’t change the taste either way, so it is a matter of personal preference. I have used both.
Dolly Smith says
Is it 1 9 inch pie crust? Or 19 inch pie crust? Where do it get a 19 if it is indeed 19 inch.
Brit says
This sounds so incredible! I’m planning on making it for Thanksgiving, and I’m wondering if I should use salted or unsalted butter?
Katie says
Yes. Just wrap it in tinfoil or Saran Wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Set it out an hour to room temperature before serving or warm it up in the oven long enough to room temperature. It is best served at room temperature.