French Coconut Pie is a rich, custard-style coconut pie with a crisp crust, creamy center, and lightly golden top that bakes up with minimal fuss from simple pantry ingredients. It delivers the nostalgic flavor of old-fashioned Southern coconut pies—sweet, buttery, and full of chewy coconut—yet is easy enough for busy weeknights or last-minute company.
This version uses a single unbaked pie crust filled with a stirred-together mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and shredded coconut. As it bakes, the filling sets into a soft, custardy texture with a lightly caramelized coconut top, and the pie can be served either warm or chilled, making it a flexible dessert for any season.
Why you’ll love this pie
French Coconut Pie is a true “stir and bake” recipe: you whisk the filling in one bowl, pour it into a ready crust, and slide it into the oven. There is no need to temper eggs, blind-bake the crust, or cook a stovetop custard, which makes it less intimidating than traditional cream pies while still delivering a luxurious texture.
The flavor combines buttery richness, subtle vanilla, and plenty of coconut, similar to old-fashioned coconut chess or custard pies found in many Southern-style cookbooks. It is sweet but not heavy, and the shredded coconut gives every slice a bit of chew that pairs beautifully with a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
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