It’s been rumored that you cannot make your own Cream Pie recipes ahead of time and freeze them because they will become watery & separate. This is not entirely true. Here is our tried and true recipe and follow up directions to show you HOW to properly make your own Make-Ahead Coconut Cream Pie.
You’ll Need:
- 2/3 c. Sugar
- 1/4 c. Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 c. Cold Milk
- 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 2 T. butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (don’t use the fake cheap stuff).
- 3/4 c. flaked coconut

Mix sugar, cornstarch & salt in a heavy 2 qt saucepan, stirring well, add in cold milk, whisking continually over medium heat.

Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil for exactly 1 minute.
Remove from heat, pour approximately half of the mixture in the beaten eggs, mixing (fast!) and thoroughly. (This process is called Tempering) Pour the tempered egg/mix back into the saucepan.
Boil and stir 1 full minute.

Remove from Heat, stir in butter, coconut, and vanilla, mixing well.

Place on a cooling rack for 16-18 minutes. Do NOT cool for too long as a film will form on the top of the filling.
Carefully spoon into a vacuum seal bag. (It’s quite helpful to fold down the top of the bag to prevent a mess from getting on the edge of the bag, preventing a good seal.)

Vacuum Seal the Warm Filling, try to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Label & Toss it into the freezer. As you can see in the picture on the left, this particular recipe was divided into 1/3’s.
This is because only 1 member of our family prefers this type of pie.

So when we want to make a pie for him, I simply make tart size pies.
To Use the filling:
Remove it from the Freezer and place in the refrigerator. DO Not attempt to thaw this on the counter-top- for several reasons- it contains milk, butter, and eggs (which can spoil), thawing on the counter will cause the filling to separate.
- Thaw in the fridge- 1 full-size package takes approximately 8 hours to thaw completely. (Of course, this is entirely dependent on the temperature of your fridge!)
- Prepare your favorite pie shell (prepared pastry shell, phyllo shell, or crumb crust, as desired. Cut off the corner of the bag and pipe into the pie shell.
- Smooth the top, Add Fresh Whipped Cream! Garnish with toasted coconut, if desired.

Make-Ahead Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cold milk
- 4 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup flaked coconut
Equipment
Instructions
- In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the cold milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches a rolling boil.
- Boil for exactly 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and pour about half of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, mixing quickly and thoroughly.
- Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.
- Boil and stir constantly for 1 full minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, and flaked coconut.
- Cool on a rack for 16 to 18 minutes.
- Spoon the warm filling into a vacuum-seal bag, remove as much air as possible, seal, label, and freeze.
- To use, thaw in the refrigerator for about 8 hours, then pipe into a prepared pie shell, phyllo shells, or a crumb crust. Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut if desired.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Yield is estimated as enough filling for 1 standard 9-inch pie, about 8 slices.
Prep time estimate includes measuring, tempering, cooling, and bagging the filling.
Cook time estimate includes bringing the custard to a boil and the two 1-minute boil stages.
Freeze for up to 1 month for best quality.
After thawing, use the filling within 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
An assembled pie should be refrigerated and used within 3 to 4 days.Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!📌 Love this Coconut Cream Pie- OAMC? Pin it!











