Coconut Chess Pie
intro
A gooey, sweet Southern American baked pie packed with toasty coconut, set in a flaky buttery crust, with a caramelized, crackly sugary top.
Ingredients
Steps
Toast shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Spread 1/2 cup (47g) of the shredded coconut in an even layer on a small baking sheet. Toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring once at the 3-minute mark, until the coconut is light golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely; leave the oven on at the same temperature.
Prep and blind bake crust
Press the unbaked 9-inch pie crust evenly into a standard 9-inch pie dish, crimping edges to a 1/2-inch raised rim as desired. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with 450g (2 cups) of ceramic pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 10 minutes at 175°C (350°F), then remove the parchment and weights, and bake for 3 additional minutes to set the crust bottom and prevent sogginess. Remove from oven and set aside.
Whisk the filling base
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled melted butter, granulated sugar, and fine table salt together for 1 full minute until fully combined with no streaks of butter remaining. Add the beaten room-temperature eggs one at a time, whisking for 30 seconds after each addition to create a smooth, homogenous pale yellow mixture with no lumps.
Fold in coconut ingredients
Stir the full-fat coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, pure vanilla extract, and fine yellow cornmeal into the egg mixture with 45 seconds of gentle stirring until fully incorporated. Fold in the remaining 1 cup (93g) of untoasted shredded coconut, mixing just until evenly distributed throughout the filling—do not overmix, as this can create a dense final texture.
Bake the assembled pie
Pour the finished filling evenly into the partially baked pie crust, smoothing the top into an even layer with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved cooled toasted coconut evenly over the top of the filling. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 45-50 minutes, until the outer 2/3 of the pie is fully set and the center 2-inch circle jiggles slightly like set Jell-O (it will firm as it cools). If crust edges turn deep golden after 30 minutes of baking, wrap them in thin aluminum foil strips to prevent burning.
Cool pie fully before serving
Remove the baked pie from the oven and transfer the entire pie dish to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for 1 full hour to allow the gooey filling to set fully before slicing. Do not slice early, as warm filling will be runny and will not hold a clean slice shape.
Tips
2.Avoid overbaking the pie: the 2-inch center should have a soft jiggle when removed from the oven, as residual heat will continue to set the filling as it cools; overbaking leads to a dry, rubbery texture.
3.If using a frozen store-bought pie crust, thaw it for 10 minutes at room temperature before blind baking to reduce excessive crust shrinkage during cooking.
SO good! I’ve been searching for a coconut chess pie recipe that tastes like the one my grandma used to make when I’d visit her down in Georgia, and this nails it. The texture is perfectly gooey in the center, the top has that perfect little crackly crust, and the toasted coconut on top adds such a great nutty kick. It was so easy to throw together even after a long work day, no fancy ingredients needed. I’m already planning to make two for our office potluck next week!
Really solid recipe! I’ve made classic chess pie a dozen times but never added coconut before, and it’s a total game changer. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish the recipe noted how long to let it cool before slicing – I cut into mine after an hour and it was still a little runny, even though I baked it the full 70 minutes. Tasted amazing anyway, my roommates devoured half the pie in 10 minutes. Will definitely let it set longer next time!
My kids loved it! I was scrambling for a last minute dessert for our neighborhood block party and this came together so fast with stuff I already had in my pantry. I used sweetened shredded coconut because that’s what I had on hand, and it was perfect. I got so many compliments, three neighbors asked for the recipe! Will this keep okay in the fridge for a few days? I want to make it ahead for my son’s birthday family dinner this weekend.
Wait, is this supposed to be jiggly in the middle when you pull it out of the oven? I’ve never made any kind of chess pie before, I followed the recipe exactly but the center still jiggles a little even after the full 70 minute cook time. I’m scared I underbaked it! It smells incredible though, the whole house smells like coconut and melted butter right now, can’t wait to dig in.
OMG, took this to my buddy’s summer cookout last weekend and everyone was raving about it. I don’t bake a ton, mostly just grill and make brisket for get-togethers, but this was so straightforward even I couldn’t mess it up. I tossed a little extra toasted coconut on top because I’m obsessed with all things coconut, and it was chef’s kiss. Will definitely be adding this to my small rotation of easy desserts for future potlucks and backyard BBQs.