If you're looking for the most delicious dessert to take to your next potluck you'll definitely want to give this decadent recipe a try.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Just 5 minutes of prep time!
- This decadent pie is perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall celebration. We like it for Easter, too.
- Use the microwave to ensure the custard doesn't scorch - I'll show you how.
- Learn how to toast pecans for a more delicious flavor. I'll show you how to do that, too!
Picture classic, custardy coconut cream pie but made for todays lifestyle and tastes.
With a pecan praline crunch layer and sweet, cloud-like whipped cream on top, you'll quickly understand why some people call this recipe "coconut praline dream pie."
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Melt the brown sugar and butter together and pour into the bottom of pastry shell.
- Add the chopped, toasted pecans.
- Microwave the coconut filling in a large bowl as directed in the instructions below and spoon carefully over the pecan layer.
- Chill for 4 hours. Cover with whipped cream before serving.
🥫 How to store coconut praline pie
The pie itself can last covered (or stored in an airtight container) in the refrigerator for three to four days. However, homemade whipped cream is only good for about 24 hours in the fridge. After that, it can start to break down.
So, if you think you'll have leftover pie (two words rarely seen together!) you can add a bit of sifted cornstarch or gelatin to the whipping cream when beating it. That will stabilize your whipped cream and extend its storage life to three or four days, too.
📖 Variations
- You can use store-bought pre-baked pie crust or refrigerated crust dough. Alternatively, make your own easy, flaky pie crust.
- A crumb crust would work, too.
- I think pecans taste best in this praline mixture, but for a fun twist, you could use another toasted nut that you prefer.
- Add a pinch of flaky salt to the pecan praline mixture for a sweet, salted caramel taste.
- Drizzle slices of pie with some of the praline syrup (or caramel sauce) and dust them with powdered sugar for an extra pretty plating.
- Make a double batch of the pecan mixture and let it set on parchment paper. Sprinkle with extra coconut flakes for added flavor! After it hardens, you can crumble it over ice cream as a praline topping, or cut and eat as easy, no-bake coconut pecan praline "cookies".
- Use a double-boiler to gently thicken the coconut cream mixture, instead of microwaving it. However, don't let the hot water touch the bottom of your bowl. Keep whisking the cream constantly to avoid burning.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Make sure your mixer whisk(s) and bowl are really cold before beating the cream. I like to pop them into the freezer to chill for a few minutes while I'm prepping the other ingredients.
- If you're making your pie crust from scratch and have a dough border along the top edge of your pie plate, put the dish on a rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet for easier transport out of the oven.
- You'll want the large pyrex bowl for the filling because you don't want it to boil over.
- Make sure to stir your coconut pie filling every minute, stopping once it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- If you drag your finger across the custard-coated spoon, the line remaining shouldn't "fill in" super quickly.
- Let it thicken sufficiently, but don't overheat it, either.
- Cool on a wire rack until it's room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating.
- If you spray the plastic wrap with no-stick cooking spray before putting it over the pie the filling won't stick to it.
- You can use a 8 oz tub of whipped topping if you'd rather not make homemade whipped cream.
- Someone said that this was too much for their 9 inch pie dish, so I suggest that you use a 10" if you have one. It fits in my deep 9 inch pan just fine.
👩🍳 FAQs
You definitely should NOT freeze this pie. The custard and whipped cream will get grainy and watery.
You can, yes! Just make sure it's full-fat coconut milk. However, this substitute will give your coconut pecan praline pie an extra kick of coconut flavor. (Which, if you're nuts about coconut, you might not mind.)
Yep! As with most of the best pies, the chilling time allows the filling to solidify so it doesn't run all over the place when you dig in! This one sets up relatively quickly but you should still give it a few hours.
This coconut praline pie is perfect without it! The butter and brown sugar mixture cools on the bottom of the pastry shell crust and creates delicious, caramelized gooeyness all on its own.
📚 Related recipes
- This decadent Old-Fashioned Coconut Pie tastes caramelly and gooey, almost like a pecan pie—but better.
- Chocolate, pecan, coconut, and—oh yeah—no baking required (!!) for this absolutely addictive German Chocolate Pie.
- Another no-bake dessert favorite, this nostalgic Banana Cream Pie is so good, that I wouldn't even mind if it was thrown in my face! Yum.
🍽️ Serve with...
This pie is very rich. It goes well with hearty meals like beef stew. I like to serve a crispy salad and some warm dinner rolls along with it.
📞 The last word
Let me tell you a little story about this here coconut pie. It was once raffled off in a fund-raiser for over $65.00. Yep. Seriously.
Is it that good?
Yep. Seriously.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Pecan Praline Coconut Pie
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 Pie Crust, 9-inch deep dish or 10-inch crust, baked
Praline Layer
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ cup chopped pecans, I like to toast them first
Coconut Cream Layer
Topping
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons sugar , or to taste
Instructions
Praline
- Melt the brown sugar and butter together over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar loses it's graininess.
- Quickly pour the mixture into the bottom of the prepared crust, gently spreading to cover.
- Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups chopped pecans.
- Set aside.
Coconut Filling
- Whisk the sugar, flour, egg yolks, salt, and milk together in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
- Add the coconut.
- Microwave for 9 minutes or so, stirring about every minute, until mixture coats a spoon. You can also use a double boiler but guard against scorching.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes and then add the vanilla and butter.
- Pour the mixture over cooled praline layer and chill with a layer of greased plastic wrap over the surface. This works best if you spoon the filling around the edges of the pie first, and then fill in the middle.
Topping
- Just before serving whip a pint of cream with sugar to your taste and place a thick layer over top of the pie. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
To Toast Pecans
- You don't have to do this step but it does add flavor.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent scorching.
Notes
- Make sure your mixer whisk(s) and bowl are really cold before beating your cream. I like to pop them into the freezer to chill for a few minutes while I'm prepping the other ingredients.
- If you're making your crust from scratch and have a dough border along the top edge of your pie plate, put the dish on a rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet for easier transport out of the oven.
- Make sure to stir your coconut pie filling every minute, stopping once it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- If you drag your finger across the custard-coated spoon, the line remaining shouldn't "fill in" super quickly.
- Let it thicken sufficiently, but don't overheat it, either.
- Someone said that this was too much for their 9 inch pie pan, so I suggest that you use a 10" if you have one. It fits in my deep 9 inch pan just fine.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published June 17, 2010. Last updated July 19, 2023 for editorial improvements and mroe helpful information.
Lisa says
I’m so confused by the note of adding the hot mixture to egg yokes???? But it says to add the eggs in with the flour and everything else….
Marye says
That's my mistake. Add them with the flour.
Melanie C says
I have a large deep dish pie dish and it worked perfectly for me. This is possibly the best pie I think I've ever tried, I have a thing for praline.... but then also for coconut so it's the best of both worlds for me! Best dessert ever!
Penny says
Made this pie for Thanksgiving today. So delicious and no problems what so ever. It was perfect! Thanks for sharing.
Sara says
I too have had problems with this recipe. Twice I've tried to make it and the coconut filling did not set, it remained very liquid. I did not use the microwave, but used a double broiler. After stirring for about 20 minutes with no thickening up, I added cornstarch and it thickened it up. Not quite sure what the issue was since I followed the recipe to a tee both times. Tastes delicious though.
Marye Audet says
Sara, I have no clue! I make this all the time and it always comes out perfectly. The double boiler shouldn't make that much difference. You use the tall can of evaporated milk, right, not evaporated skim milk or regular milk or regular skim milk? I can't imagine what the difference is. 🙁
Angie says
That's very strange. I even bought a deep dish pie crust. Since it came with two shells I made more of the first layer, and although I didn't have enough pecans as in the recipe, I had plenty of the cream filling to go again all the way to the top of the pie crust. I guess I 'm happy I now have two pies for work instead of one, but it would have been much easier if I had made them both at once and separated the pecans.
I look forward to tasting and sharing it. Thank you.
Marye Audet says
I'm sorry. The only thing I can think of is that my pie pans are ancient... They are glass pans from the 1930s - 40s and I wonder if the volume is different? I changed the recipe to suggest a ten inch pan to see if that helped. SO sorry that you were frustrated but I hope you love the pie. 🙂
Angie says
This recipe was VERY frustrating because it makes TWO pies and not one! I poured ALL of the first mixture into a DEEP DISH pie crust like it said to do, then when I added the pecans the pie was almost filled to the top! I took some of the pecans out, but did not want to ruin the crust by trying to scoop out filling. Then of course there was double of the top layer. VERY FRUSTRATING!
Marye Audet says
I'm sorry Angie. This is the way I make it and it fits just fine. Not sure what the difference is.
Alta says
Wow. I think I'm in love. I swoon over pralines, and I can never eat too much coconut. It's like my universe has shifted...I would pay $65 for this pie too!
maryeaudet says
LOL thanks Alta. where were you when I had my restaurant, hmmmm?
Sarah says
Wow... my mom would KILL for this pie, she loves both of these elements. You are a genius, you know that?
maryeaudet says
Aww, thanks Love. A genius? Hmmm... it is a great pie though.
Elle says
Lordy, this pie looks amazing! I love coconut--love it! I seriously need to try this, and soon. I love that the coconut cream isn't too sweet--perfect!
maryeaudet says
One of these days I am gonna make it with coconut milk to see what happens... let me know how you like it.