Mix up this quick and easy coconut pie. It only takes about fifteen minutes. You will wow your guests!
I love to create recipes that surprise people. Typically it happens when they have some preconceived notion about how something’s supposed to taste, probably based on past experience. They don’t like what they had, and they figure that flavor or experience translates to all things in that genre.
For instance when I met my husband, he did not like quiche or Lemon Meringue Pie, two of my favorite things in the whole wide world. I made them anyway because I love them and eventually he tried them. He found out that his first experience was not universal. He won’t eat just any Lemon Meringue Pie. He says he only likes mine. Ha!
(And quiche has to be really hot.)
This pie is like that. I’ve had more people than I can count say that they don’t like coconut or that they specifically don’t like coconut pies. Then they try this and their minds are blown.
True confession: I love to blow people’s minds.
This pie was originally featured in my first cookbook, Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook. This week when I made it, the price of shortbread was through the roof. Probably best to make this at Christmas to save some coin — or use a different kind of cookie.
The cookie is not just the base of the crust; it makes up a significant part of the filling, so you need to use a cookie that you really like. I don’t think graham crackers would do it. I used Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookies (like Biscoff). They are a crunchy cinnamon cookie that we love plain and often use in desserts. I imagine you could use all kinds of cookies, just as long as they crumble easily. Biscotti would be too hard and crunchy.
Another bonus to this dessert is that it’s not overly sweet. There’s a little powdered sugar in the whipped cream and whatever is in the cookies, but it’s not a cloying dessert. In fact, I insist that you use unsweetened coconut. The sweetened kind is just too sweet. Bob’s Red Mill sells unsweetened. You can buy it at your local health food store. I found mine at Sprouts.
One of the best parts of this dessert is that it is freezer-friendly. Make it today and freeze it for next week. If you’ve got fresh sliced strawberries to serve with this, it will be even more amazing than it already is. 😉
Recipe: Coconut Crunch Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs (you can use another style cookie if you like)
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup coarsely crushed shortbread cookies (you can use another style cookie if you like)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the shredded coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the oven and cool completely
- In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Pat the crumb mixture into an 8-inch pie plate. Chill in the freezer.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) whip the cream and the confectioner’s sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the crushed cookies and coconut.
- Spoon the whipped cream mixture into the cookie crust. Freeze until firm.
- Wrap the frozen pie with foil and place in the freezer. Store frozen for up to a month.
- To serve, unwrap the pie. Let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time:5 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
For more freezer-friendly recipes, check out my cookbook, Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook.
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I had to laugh when I was reading the intro to this post. When the email came I thought “oh, I won’t like this one” lol! I don’t like coconut pie. Or never have before…so I’m going to make it sometime just to see how this compares:) The recipe looks like it would taste completely different than the overly sweet ones in my past.
Sarah
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Jessica, this sounds so yummy. I hope you can answer this…the recipe calls for 3 cups of cookies. About how many packages/oz would that be? Say if I were using the TJ’s cookies you mentioned, would that be one package? Thank you!
I used about 1 1/3 boxes of the TJ cookies. And I just looked at the box. The name on the package is Speculoos. Biscoff is a name brand of that kind of cookie.
Thanks! I might be going to TJ’s tomorrow, and I’ll look into some cookies for this pie!
I’m not really a huge fan of cookies in the filling of a pie, but this pie looks so inviting. I can’t wait to have my mind blown by this one.
Look forward to hearing what you think.
How many times have I told the kids to read a recipe all the way through. I apparently didn’t, not realizing it was to be frozen—as in to eat,not just to store. I knew it needed to be chilled and planned for that, not the freezing! LOL. Well, I have the ingredients and my coconut is toasted. 🙂 (oh, for other areas of the country, Kroger carries unsweetened coconut.) Oh well, we’ll have it for dessert TOMORROW!
It wouldn’t have to freeze THAT long. It was probably ready by bedtime last night. Did you sneak a bite?
🙂 No, I was good (let’s just say there was a nice amount left on the spoon so I wasn’t too neglected). I actually only did the baking parts earlier since the oven was on. Since I expected to freeze it I through the rest together after dinner. We all enjoyed it after dinner last night!
All the recipes I’ve tried from your blog have been so great! Looking forward to trying this one,too. I just ordered your freezer cookbook and am so happy to have Amazon Prime….with the holidays, I need the book ASAP! Thanks for all you do, Jessica.
Thanks for your support!