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The Coconut Rum Cream Pie next to a blue plate with a slice of pie on it, a jar of cinnamon sticks, and a bowl of toasted coconut flakes.

Coconut Rum (Coquito) Cream Pie

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: African American, Puerto Rican/Hispanic, Soul Food, Southern
Keyword: coconut, coquito, pie, rum
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
chilling: 10 hours
Total Time: 11 hours
Servings: 10
Calories: 1024kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
Coconut Rum (Coquito) Cream Pie has a flaky, homemade pie crust filled with a coconut, cinnamon, and rum custard, topped with fluffy whipped cream.
Begin the evening before you plan to serve it to allow for cooling. Prep time includes an overnight chilling period.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • rolling pin
  • 9-inch pie plate
  • ceramic pie weights or dried beans
  • electric hand mixer with a whip attachment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound portion (455 grams) mealy pie dough
  • 2 cups (145 grams) sweetened coconut flakes separated

For the Coconut Rum Custard

  • 3 1/3 cups (2 13.5 ounce cans or 800 milliliters) coconut milk (full-fat if using canned coconut milk)
  • 2 tablespoons (15 milliliters) dark rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (75 grams) cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) vanilla extract or coconut extract

For the Whipped Cream Topping

  • 2 3/4 cups (660 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) rum extract or vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

Optional Garnish

  • ground cinnamon

Instructions

Blind Bake the Pie Shell (May Be Done Up To 2 Days Ahead)

  • Skip this step if you're using a store-bought pie shell. Follow the package instructions to fully bake the pie shell.
  • Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C).
    Roll the pie dough out into a 12-inch circle and line your pie plate with it.
    Fold over the excess dough to create a crust, and use your fingers to flute it in a decorative pattern.
  • Use the tines of a fork to pierce venting holes in the pie dough to keep it from puffing up as it bakes. 
    Refrigerate the unbaked pie crust for at least 30 minutes to allow the butter in the dough time to firm up.

Bake, Then Cool the Pie Shell

  • Line the pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans into the liner. 
    Bake the pie dough for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
  • Remove the pie plate from the oven after 15 minutes and carefully remove the liner with the weights still in it.
    Return the pie plate to the hot oven and bake the pie shell for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
    You can tent a piece of foil over the shell towards the latter part of the baking time to keep it from baking too dark. 
  • Remove the pie plate from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature.
    Keep the oven on for toasting the coconut flakes.

Toast the Coconut Flakes (May Be Done 3 Months Ahead)

  • Spread the coconut flakes into an even layer on a small sheetpan.
    Toast the coconut in the hot oven for 1 minute.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and use a flat spatula or spoon to toss the coconut flakes around.
    Shake the pan to spread them back into an even layer, then return the pan to the oven.
  • Toast the coconut flakes like this in one-minute increments until the flakes are golden brown.
    Don't toast them longer than 1 minute, or they'll likely burn.
    Allow the coconut flakes to cool completely and remove 1/4 cup. 

Make the Coconut Rum Custard Filling (Begin 10 Hours Before Serving)

  • Stir the coconut milk, rum, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan.
    Bring the coconut milk up to steaming over medium heat.
  • Use a whisk to beat the large eggs and egg yolks together in a mixing bowl until runny.
    Next, sift the sugar, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon into the bowl with the eggs and whisk the ingredients together until they resemble a loose pudding.
  • Scoop the hot coconut milk from the saucepan and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
    Reduce the stove's temperature to medium-low heat.
  • Return the tempered eggs to the pot on the stove top, slowly drizzling them while whisking constantly.
    The coconut rum custard will begin to thicken within 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk constantly, ensuring you scrape the pot's sides while doing so.
  • Whisk in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract once the mixture holds a pattern from the whisk. After you add the butter, whisk vigorously to emulsify the custard.
    Fold the larger quantity of toasted coconut flakes into the coconut rum custard. 
    Allow the custard to cool for 10 minutes off the stove. 
  • Pour the warm coconut rum custard into the baked pie shell.
    Smooth out the surface of the custard and press a piece of plastic film onto it.
    Place the pie into the refrigerator and allow it to cool completely, usually 10 to 12 hours or overnight.

Make the Whipped Cream Topping

  • Put a metal or glass mixing bowl into a shallow dish of ice water.
    Add heavy cream, rum or vanilla extract to the bowl and begin whipping the cream with the whisk attachment of an electric hand mixer at medium speed.
  • Increase the speed to medium-high after 1 minute of whipping and sprinkle in the granulated sugar. 
     Whip the cream for another 4 to 5 minutes or until it holds stiff peaks. 

Top and Garnish the Coconut Rum Cream Pie

  • Use an offset spatula to smooth the whipped cream on top of the pie.
    Garnish your coquito cream pie with the remaining toasted coconut and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. 
  • Serve the coquito cream pie chilled with a glass of coquito, a mug of café con leche, or cold milk. 
    Keep the pie refrigerated when you're not enjoying it.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:
  • Replace the mealy pie dough with a frozen pie crust or store-bought pie dough.
  • To make a lactose-free coconut rum pie replace the whipped cream with non-dairy whipped topping and the butter with plant-based butter or coconut oil. 
  • To use freshly grated coconut flakes in this recipe add 1/4 cup more sugar to the custard recipe. Your coconut rum custard will be more oily and less sweet with fresh coconut.
  • You can also top coconut cream pie with a meringue topping. Use the instructions found in this post to whip your meringue.
  • Replace the homemade whipped cream with a store-bought canned whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping found in the freezer aisle. 
Make-Ahead Options:
  • Pre-bake the pie shell 3 months in advance, wrap it in plastic or foil, and freeze it. You can also bake it a day or two ahead, wrap the pie plate in plastic or foil, and store it at room temperature. 
  • You can toast coconut flakes up to 6 months ahead. Store them in an airtight container in the pantry only after completely cool.
Tips and Techniques:
  • Tempering eggs acclimates them to the hot liquid before they are added, which reduces the likelihood of curdling them. 
  • Strain grainy custard before adding the toasted coconut flakes to remove some chunky bits. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.  
  • The coconut flakes are a barrier between the warm filling and the pie shell.
  • Pouring the still-fluid custard into the pie shell while it's warm allows it to mold into the pie shell and settle before it sets up.
  • Be sure to toast the meringue after you top the pie, using a butane torch. 
  • Pressing plastic onto the warm custard keeps skin from forming as it cools.
Storage Instructions:
  • Coconut rum cream pie must be refrigerated to maintain its freshness and prevent foodborne illness.
  • Keep cream pies refrigerated when you're not enjoying them.
  • Press a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap against any exposed custard to keep it from forming a skin.
  • You can store coquito cream pie in the refrigerator for 3 days. 
Freezing Instructions:
  • Freeze coconut cream pie before topping it with whipped cream:
    1. Fill the pie shell with the warm custard and cover it with plastic wrap.
    2. Allow it to cool in the fridge for 4 hours, or until it no longer feels warm, then wrap the pie plate in foil.
    3. Freeze the coquito cream pie for 2 months.
    4. Thaw the coconut cream pie in the refrigerator, then top it with the whipped cream before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 1024kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 49g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 1184IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5mg