I had never heard of a coconut macaroon pie crust until I received The Book on Pie for Christmas. I have been salivating at the thought of making the coconut macaroon crust but couldn’t decide what to fill it with. On Pi day, Smitten Kitchen shared a recipe for a chocolate pudding pie and my mind went straight to the coconut crust. Combining these two recipes resulted in a pretty outstanding pie. The pudding filling is creamy, decadent, and chocolatey without being too heavy or rich. The coconut crust has the chewy texture of a macaroon – it is genius! This pie is surprisingly simple to make, there aren’t any complicated techniques so it’s a very approachable recipe. If you love coconut and chocolate, this pie is a winner!
Chocolate Cream Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust
Creamy chocolate pudding in a coconut macaroon crust and topped with whipped cream.
Servings: 8 generous slices
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
Coconut Macaroon Crust
- 1 Tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white (35 g)
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (170 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
Chocolate Pudding Filling
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces (112 g) 60-70% dark chocolate* (can use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons icing sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate for decorative shavings (optional)
- Egg chocolates like Mini Eggs or Eggies for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Coconut Macaroon Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg white, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until combine but not frothy. Add the coconut and stir with a spatula until evenly mixed in.
- Pour into prepared pie plate and press the mixture in evenly with the spatula. Press the mixture in the corners and up the sides of the pie plate, using your fingers if necessary.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until edges are deeply golden brown and the bottom is lightly browned. Keep an eye on it and check after 20 minutes. The crust will hold it's structure better if it is browned rather than pale on the bottom. Let cool completely. You can make this the day before, just cover tighly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
Chocolate Pudding Filling
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and instant coffee (if using). Over medium heat, gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom edges of the pot with a spatula. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes while whisking constantly. The mixture should be thick and smooth.
- Remove the pot from heat, add the chocolate and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover the surface of the filling with wax paper or parchment paper then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Whipped Cream
- Place a metal bowl and beaters for the electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes or more. This will help the cream to whip up quicker but is not necessary.
- Beat the heavy cream on medium speed in the chilled bowl with an electric mixer. Once it's starting to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla then continue to beat until it holds soft peaks.
- Spread on top of the chilled pie, leaving a small edge of chocolate showing. Use a vegetable peeler to shave some chocolate over the top and garnish the centre with chocolate eggs, if desired.
Notes
- I used 70% dark chocolate from President’s Choice (here). I don’t recommend using chips.