Coconut Custard
intro
Velvety, aromatic coconut-infused baked custard with a delicate wobbly texture and toasty coconut topping, served warm or chilled for a comforting, not-too-sweet tropical treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and ramekins
Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F, convection setting turned off). Use the 5g of softened unsalted butter to evenly grease the inside of four 180ml (6 oz) ceramic ramekins, then arrange them in a deep-sided baking dish with 2cm of space between each. Boil 1 liter of tap water to use for the custard water bath while you prep the base.
Toast coconut topping
Place a small dry skillet over medium-low heat (heat level 3 out of 10). Add the 30g of unsweetened shredded coconut, and stir constantly with a silicone spatula for 2-3 minutes until the flakes turn light golden brown and release a rich nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the toasted coconut to a small plate to cool, to prevent burning from residual pan heat.
Mix custard base
In a medium mixing bowl, crack the 4 large eggs, add the 80g granulated sugar and 1.5g fine sea salt. Whisk gently at a slow speed for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth, with no visible streaks of egg white left—do not whisk vigorously, as this creates unwanted air bubbles that cause cracked custard. Slowly pour in the 400ml full-fat coconut milk and 5ml vanilla extract, whisking constantly at the same slow speed until fully combined into a uniform, pale creamy liquid.
Strain custard mixture
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large liquid measuring cup with a pour spout. Pour the custard base through the sieve to catch any lumpy egg bits and trapped air bubbles, which ensures an ultra-silky final texture. Discard any small solids left in the sieve, then pour the strained custard evenly between the four greased ramekins, filling each to 5mm below the rim.
Bake in water bath
Carefully pour the pre-boiled hot water into the baking dish around the ramekins, until the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins—this gentle, even heat prevents curdling and cracking. Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated middle oven rack, and bake for 38-40 minutes. The custard is done when the edges are fully set, but the center 2cm of each custard has a soft, jello-like wobble when you gently nudge the dish.
Cool and serve
Once baked, use kitchen tongs to carefully lift the ramekins out of the hot water bath, and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. You can serve the custard warm, or chill them covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for a firmer, cooler texture. Top each custard with an even sprinkle of the pre-toasted shredded coconut right before serving.
Tips
2.Do not overbake the custard: if the center is fully firm when you pull it from the oven, it will turn rubbery and grainy as it cools. The soft, jiggly 2cm center will set completely during the cooling period.
3.For an authentic Thai flavor twist, add a 2cm bruised pandan leaf to the coconut milk and heat it gently over low heat for 5 minutes, then let it cool completely before mixing into the egg base; remove the leaf before straining the custard.
OMG this silky baked coconut custard is INSANE. I brought it to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe! The texture is so perfectly smooth, no weird lumps at all, and the coconut flavor is just right—not too overpowering. Total game changer for easy dessert options.
My kids are OBSESSED with this custard. I’ve made it three Sundays in a row for our post-family dinner dessert and they keep begging for more. It’s so easy even I don’t mess it up, which is saying something because I burn 90% of the baked goods I attempt. The only tweak I made was adding a tiny sprinkle of toasted coconut on top right before serving, chef’s kiss.
SO good! I made a big batch on Sunday for meal prep and it held up perfectly in the fridge all week for quick little sweet treats after work. I was worried baking it for that long would make it rubbery but nope, it stayed silky the entire time. 10/10 will be in my regular rotation.
This is so tasty, but I feel like it was missing a little bright note for my taste. Has anyone tried mixing in a bit of lime zest? I don’t want to mess with the custard base too much and lose that perfect silky texture the recipe promises.
I’ve never made custard from scratch before and I was so sure I’d mess up the tempering step and end up with sweet scrambled eggs, but the instructions were so clear I pulled it off! It came out perfectly silky, my roommate said it’s better than the coconut custard we got at that fancy Thai restaurant downtown. Only note: I wish I’d let it chill a little longer before digging in, warm is good but cold is next level.
Made this for my grandma’s 82nd birthday party because she loves coconut anything, and she said it tasted exactly like the coconut custard her mom used to make when she was a kid. I may have teared up a little ngl. Super easy to throw together even with a million other party dishes to prep, no fancy equipment needed. 10/10, will make again for every family gathering from now on.
I tried making this last night without a water bath because I was in a rush to get to my kid’s soccer practice, and the edges got a little rubbery even though the middle was still good. Do I really need the water bath to get that full silky texture all the way through?