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This pie recipe takes banana cream pies and coconut cream pies and combines them to make this amazing Banana Coconut Cream Pie. For when you are feeling indecisive–make both!
Easy Coconut Banana Cream Pie
For starters, I used my amazing all butter pie crust as a base for this recipe. I then added the amazing pudding filling and a whipped topping, which is all homemade! No boxes or mixes! This easy pie uses real bananas and real coconut to get authentic flavors all around. All of these flavors pair so nicely together and will have you wanting more!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It is easy to make while being all completely homemade!
- Who doesn’t love a pudding pie? And this is the best of both worlds: combines coconut cream pie with banana cream pie!
Ingredients Needed
- All Butter Pie Crust: Store-bought or homemade! You are going to want to blind bake this crust. It is important to make sure the crust is cold when it goes into the oven.
- Cornstarch: This helps thicken the pudding.
- Whole Milk: You can use any fat content (whole, 2%, or skim) but whole is going to produce a richer, more indulgent pudding.
- Eggs: These will be lightly beaten. Eggs add body and richness to homemade pudding.
- Coconut Extract: Adds that amazing coconut flavor!
- Shredded Sweetened Coconut: This adds coconut flavor in the pudding, as well as for the topping.
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas that aren’t green but aren’t spotty. You don’t want them too over ripe or they’ll be mushy.
How to make Coconut Banana Cream Pie
- Place the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and milk in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, whisking/stirring almost constantly, until thick and bubbly.
- Stir a small amount of hot milk mixture into the lightly beaten eggs. Make sure you’re whisking the entire time so you don’t scramble the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons coconut extract. Strain the pudding into a medium bowl to make sure no egg bits remain.
- Stir in 2 cups coconut. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
- To assemble the pie: place a thin layer of pudding on the bottom of the crust. Place sliced bananas in a single layer and then top with remaining pudding.
- Toast coconut in a heavy bottomed skilled over medium-low heat. Top pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Expert Tips
- The crust needs to be cold when it goes into the oven. When it gets to warm it can slide down the pan and end up flat.
- Don’t leave pudding alone on the stove. Stir constantly until it thickens.
- I always strain my pudding with eggs because I want to remove any bits of egg that cooked and didn’t absorb into the pudding.
- Toast your own coconut! It can burn easily so check out the link on how to do it well!
- Use an 9-inch pie plate for this recipe, not a deep dish.
- Make sure the bananas are totally covered with pudding to keep them from browning.
FAQs
I don’t recommend freezing pudding pie.
The pie will last about 2 days before the whipped cream weeps and the bananas get too brown.
Coconut Banana Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 all butter pie crust from a pack of two or a homemade crust
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (32g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (711ml) whole milk
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 teaspoons coconut extract divided
- 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut divided
- 2 medium bananas sliced
- 1 ½ cups (355g) cold heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons (21g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Bake crust according to package or recipe directions for one crust pudding pie. Let cool.
- Place the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking/stirring almost constantly, until thick and bubbly (about 7-8 minutes), then reduce the heat to low and cook 2 minutes more.
- Stir a small amount of hot milk mixture into the lightly beaten eggs. Make sure you’re whisking the entire time so you don’t scramble the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more. It will boil very quickly after you add it back to the pan.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons coconut extract. Strain the pudding into a medium bowl to make sure no egg bits remain.
- Stir in 2 cups coconut. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
- To assemble the pie: place a thin layer of pudding on the bottom of the crust. Place sliced bananas in a single layer and then top with remaining pudding. Cover pie and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Toast the remaining one cup of coconut in a heavy bottomed skilled over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the coconut browns. Remove from heat immediately. Coconut toasts fast and burns fast, don’t stop watching it while you’re cooking!
- Before serving, make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy whipping cream on high speed, adding 1 teaspoon of coconut extract and powdered sugar slowly during mixing. Beat until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Serve within 2 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- The crust needs to be cold when it goes into the oven. When it gets to warm it can slide down the pan and end up flat.
- Don’t leave pudding alone on the stove. Stir constantly until it thickens.
- I always strain my pudding with eggs because I want to remove any bits of egg that cooked and didn’t absorb into the pudding.
- Toast your own coconut! It can burn easily so check out the link on how to do it well!
- Use an 9-inch pie plate for this recipe, not a deep dish.
- Make sure the bananas are totally covered with pudding to keep them from browning.
I don’t have coconut extract, could I substitute this with vanilla extract? Do you think it would dramatically change the taste?
You make your own coconut extract, very easy and delish. Google it!!!
I made some substitutes to this pie pudding: used tapioca starch in place of corn, almond milk rather than cow’s, coconut oil verses butter, organic coconut palm sugar rather than white sugar. My crust was almond and coconut. The results of which was just delicious and a healthier version.
Great to now all of those substitutions worked!! Thank you!
just made this pie in a 13×9 baing glass , used 1 cup of coconut milk replacing reg milk, because i did not have the coconut extract, also used a pastry crust to make this easier , and i am very happy this tastes so divine no need to buy the coconut cream pie at thanksgiving anymore , thanks perfect recipe and very easy
Do you use imitation coconut or can you find real? I don’t want to use imitation because propalyne glycol was in my body wash and my coconut flavoring, so that’s gross. I see that you go to all the trouble to make a crust, pudding and whip cream so I thought you might use real extract. It’s impossible for me to find.
Unfortunatley I’ve only ever been able to find imitation in stores. Possibly you can find real extract online somewhere? You can leave out the extract, but I like to add it since it adds to the coconut flavor. Without it you get a hint of coconut flavor and, of course, the texture from the coconut, but I want to really taste it. Just skip it if you prefer!
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