Gluten-free coconut cream pie in all it’s glory!
Makes: one 9 inch pie
Prep Time: 50 minutes, includes time to bake and cool crust
Total Time: 6 hours (includes chilling time)
When I went gluten-free I thought the days of enjoying some of my favorite sweet treats were over! Turns out, necessity DOES force creativity, so I got busy with a replacement for graham cracker crust. I have always preferred this flavor and texture to the usual dough pie crust made with regular flour, especially for cream pies, but graham flour has gluten, too, so something needed to happen. I wasn’t giving up on pie, that was for sure! The coconut flour is similar in color to graham flour and gluten free, of course, so I started there. It also inspired the filling; COCONUT CREAM! With that theme in mind, I kept going with the coconut! The addition of sweetened coconut flakes to the crust mix here adds an extra hit of coconut flavor and a slight crunch to the crust. I upped the ante on the butter from the usual 4 or 5 tablespoons because coconut flour has a tendency to absorb a lot of moisture and this helps keep it together after it is baked and later cut into pieces…using less butter leaves a crumbly crust that is not as easy to serve. To top it off, literally, I toasted coconut flakes….Enjoy!
Crust
1/2 cup gluten free coconut flour
1/2 cup gluten free almond flour
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
3 Tablespoons raw sugar or packed brown sugar
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Coconut Cream Filling
1 can (13.5 – 14 ounce) coconut milk (not coconut water)
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup gluten free corn starch
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ounces cold butter, cut into small pieces
Whipped Cream Topping
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon light rum (optional but worth it)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup toasted sweetened flake coconut
1. Prepare Crust: Pulse ingredients together in a food processor to combine. Press onto bottom and sides of a pie plate with a measuring cup or base of a glass.
2. Bake Crust: Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes or so until it becomes fragrant and edges begin to brown.
3. Cool & Fill: Cool completely on a wire rack before adding filling for the pie.
4. Cook Pie Filling: In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, whisk the coconut milk, milk, coconut flakes, 1/4 cup sugar and salt together until is begins to steam.
5. Temper Eggs: As milk mixture heats, in a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and corn starch together. Whisking constantly, add about 1 cup of the heated milk mixture to the eggs to temper, then add the tempered eggs back to the milk mixture and turn heat to medium. Continue to whisk until it begins to thicken an bubble, about 2 minutes.
6. Finish Pie Filling: Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla to combine. Let cool 5 minutes, whisking once every minute to prevent a skin from forming.
7. Cool Pie: Pour cooled filling into cooled pie crust and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure plastic wrap is touching pie filling, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
8. Top & Serve: Just before serving, make whipped cream mixture. In a medium bowl, whip cold whipping cream, sugar, rum and vanilla together until peaks form.Dollop whipped cream on top of pie, spreading to the crust. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve. Enjoy!
