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Coconut Cream Pie – Low Carb and Gluten-Free

Creamy coconut custard in a flaky gluten-free almond flour pastry crust. All topped off with coconut whipped cream. A wonderful low carb dessert for any occasion.

Low Carb Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie

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I have three young kids.  You probably already know this by now, because I have a tendency to repeat this fact quite frequently.  It’s my cover, my excuse, for everything.  If I am late, it’s because of the kids.  If I am tired, it’s because of the kids.  If I am frantic and crazed and feeling like I can never complete what I started, it’s because of the kids.  I love them, but it’s a challenge to keep up with them and the chaos they bring.  Dinner time can be particularly maddening.  Although my children are not particularly picky eaters, they all have their likes and dislikes and have no problems vocalizing these.  Every meal gets completely dissected, one child complaining about the veggies while another rolls his eyes at the way I’ve prepared the fish.  They usually agree on dessert, but as I am always experimenting with new ingredients and flavours, even that’s not always met with enthusiasm.  It can be a little disheartening at times, to say the least.

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Low Carb Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie

But I recently read an interesting little tidbit from Shaina of Food For My Family.  She stated that it takes upwards of 15 tries to get kids to accept a new food.  I found this bit of information quite cheering.  Sure, 15 tries can still be absolutely agonizing when your child throws a fit for the first 14.  Okay, I exaggerate, my kids don’t throw fits over their food, and if they did, they’d be sent to their room to work it out on their own.  Still, having them turn up their noses 14 times before they finally like it can be painful.  But worth it in the end.  So we keep trying, because when they do finally accept that food, victory is sweet.

This little drama recently played out in perfectly in my house.  For quite some time, my kids have not liked anything with strong coconut flavour.  I love coconut, and considering its comeback on the health scene, it plays a large role in my baking and cooking.  But no matter how delicious I found the final product, they resisted.  And resisted.  And resisted.  And then suddenly the tide turned.  I made that delicious Low Carb Three Layer Coconut Cake and I guess it was too pretty for them to not try it.  Lo and behold, they all gobbled it up.  And then, the biggest shock of all, they started requesting that I make Coconut Cream Pie.  You could have bowled me over with a feather.

Flaky Low Carb Almond Flour Pastry Crust

So once I worked out my almond flour pastry crust and made the low carb Strawberry Hand Pies, I figured it was time to put it to the test and make one large pie crust out of it.  It was definitely tricky.  The crust is very fragile and it’s hard to pick it up and get it into the pie pan.  I found that the best thing to do was to freeze the crust for about 10 minutes AFTER it had been rolled out.  That way, I could flip the whole piece of parchment upside down into the plate.  It still needs a gentle hand, and you may get some tearing and cracking.  But it does patch together well so you can fix any little tears.  Let it warm a bit if you want to crimp the edges of the crust.  Then it blind bakes beautifully and holds together so well when filled with coconut custard and topped with coconut whipped cream.  Delicious.  And absolutely worth the first 14 attempts to get my kids to like coconut! For a super easy pie crust, check out my low carb Easy Press In Pie Crust.

Low Carb Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie

Update: While this crust is delicious, I also highly recommend my Easy Low Carb Press In Pie Crust.

Also be sure to check out my low carb Coconut Cream Poke Cake!

Low Carb Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie
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Coconut Cream Pie – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Chill Time
4 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 10 mins
 

Creamy coconut custard in a flaky gluten-free almond flour pastry crust, all topped off with coconut whipped cream. A wonderful low carb dessert for any occasion.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 383 kcal
Ingredients
Crust (also check out my Easy Press In Pie Crust:
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 2 tbsp Swerve Sweetener or granulated erythritol
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter well-chilled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 - 4 tbsp ice water
Filling:
Topping:
  • 1 can coconut milk chilled overnight
  • 3 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener or other powdered erythritol
  • 1/2 cup shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut lightly toasted
Instructions
Crust:

  1. Combine almond flour, all purpose, Swerve, guar gum and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.

  2. Sprinkle butter over and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. With processor running on low, add ice water 1 tbsp at a time until dough begins to clump together.
  4. Cover work surface with a large sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with almond flour. Turn out dough and form into a disk. Sprinkle with additional almond flour and top with another piece of parchment, then carefully roll out in all directions to form a 11 inch circle.
  5. Place on a baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
  6. Remove rolled crust from freezer and remove top layer of parchment. Place a 9-inch pie pan upside down on crust and then carefully flip both over so crust is lying in the pie pan. Remove parchment.
  7. You may get some cracking and some tears. Let crust warm up a bit and then use overhanging bits from the edges to patch up any tears or cracks. Crimp edges of crust after it warms up and prick bottom several times with a fork.
  8. Freeze shaped pie crust for 1 hour.

  9. Preheat oven to 350F.

  10. Remove crust from freezer and place a large piece of foil inside the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans (I use dried black-eyed peas and I use them over and over again for pies. Much cheaper than pie weights!).
  11. Bake 18 minutes, the remove foil and pie weights and bake 5 more minutes. Let cool.
Filling:
  1. Bring cream to just a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolk and Swerve. Slowly stir in about 2/3 cup of hot cream, whisking continuously, to temper. Then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture back into cream.

  3. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, whisking continuously, until mixture begins to thicken.
  4. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and stevia. Sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk briskly to combine. Stir in shredded coconut.
  5. Let mixture cool 20 to 30 minutes, then spread in baked pie crust. Chill in fridge at least 2 to 3 hours.
Topping:
  1. Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in freezer for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove can of coconut milk from refrigerator and turn upside down to open. Pour off all of the coconut water, then scoop out the thick coconut cream that has collected at the bottom and add to chilled mixing bowl.

  3. Add powdered Swerve and beat until thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Spread over chilled filling and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Let set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Serves 12. Each serving has 9 g of carbs and 3 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6 g.

Other Nutritional Facts: 383 Calories; 38g Fat (85.9% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

Nutrition Facts
Coconut Cream Pie – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 383 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 58%
Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 6g 12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

  1. Ohmygosh, girl! Your low carb Coconut Cream Pie ROCKS! So proud of you over using that small 1/4 cup amount of gluten-free AP flour in your pastry…just enough to make it work while keeping carb counts down. Fabulous tip on chilling the dough after rolling out but before placing into pie plate…similar to sugar cookie dough for easier handling. BRAVO! Will be pinning everywhere possible to share! xo

    Reply

  3. Love it! My older two love coconut but the youngest has still no taste for it! I recently made a crustless coconut custard but again no such luck for him, although he tried it every time at least! 3 kiddies for me too so every dessert made I use them as my excuse LOL! You made a pretty pie Carolyn!

    Reply

  4. If I send you $$ right now would you make one of those, freeze it and ship it to me??? pretty please??? it looks so beyond delish and exactly what i am craving right now (modified induction phase). YUMMMM!!!! It really is the prettiest, healthiest looking coco cream pie I have ever seen.

    Reply

  5. This pie is gorgeous!

    My kids are THE pickiest eaters… but sadly, the things one WILL eat, the other WON’T. It’s like they are magnets in opposition. There’s never any agreement 🙁 So I feel your pain.

    Reply

  7. Did I miss something? The filling ingredients lists one cup shredded coconut, yet the directions say nothing about when to add it.

    Reply

  11. My worlds collide. I have adored Shaina for years. You, I’ve adored for the past year or so. I can attest that your pie crust is divine. I had your recipe all ready to make hand pies and ran out of time, so I pressed it into a pie plate and made a lip-smackingly delicious blueberry pie that was gluten free and sugar free — and my very discriminating “I swear I can taste fake sugar at 100 paces” husband ate two slices! Definitely a keeper — Shaina, you AND your delicious pie crust! 🙂

    Reply

    • Yes, Margi! The first time I saw this pie crust recipe and how delicate it was, made me wonder why not just pat it into the pie pan. I have other recipes that do that. Then you don’t have to worry about rolling it out and transferring it. This would work wonderfully for any one crust pie!

      Reply

      • I wanted to make a pastry crust that CAN actually be rolled, but patting it into place is fine too.

        Reply

  12. 15 tries?! Wow. Apparently I give up way to easy. I always make them try some of everything at dinner. My oldest son is pretty agreeable to this… and my daughter eats everything under the sun. But my 4 year old? He will sit there and go hungry. So stubborn… and so picky. This pie however… they would all gobble it up! I am still amazed at how flaky your crust looks. I use to own a small pie company a few years back, I had a special request for gluten free… I destroyed it. Worst things I ever baked in my life. The crust was grainy and fell apart so easily. I am over the moon excited to try this recipe for crust out on my friend to make up for my failure years ago!

    Reply

  13. My Mom’s absolute favorite pie!!!…Question…Could I possibly omit the gums without sacrificing the quality of the crust?…Or use something else…ground golden flax..or psyllium flakes…or? Thank you for this beautiful offering.

    Reply

  14. This pie looks delish! The only problem is, I would be the only one to eat it, LOL……so, my question is, do you think if I sliced it into individual pieces and froze them for later it would be OK? Has anyone every had success freezing pieces of pie like this and just taking out a slice at a time? Opinions eagerly awaited!

    Reply

    • I’ve never tried freezing a custard pie like this. Can you google it? I think the crust would hold up well, though.

      Reply

  15. I LOVE this recipe but is there any substitute for the Gluten-Free flour? Really trying to stay away from anything with Tapioca or Potato starch in it!!

    Reply

    • I feel that the crust needs some starch to bring it together and allow it to be flaky. If you decide to go without, I’d suggest more almond flour and more xanthan gum. I cannot guarantee it though.

      Reply

  16. This is very beautiful Carolyn. It’s a shame that I’m allergic to most of the G/F flours they have out. But I make a great crust w/ almond, coconut and glucomannan. Thanks I’ll use your filling.

    Reply

    • @ Esther..That sounds perfect for my digestive issues with gluten-free flours…Is there any chance of procuring the recipe?! I would be so appreciative!

      Reply

    • Esther, I’d love it if you shared that crust recipe. Carolyn’s crust looks perfectly flaky (unlike any GF crust I tried). I will try it with arrowroot as I, too, am intolerant of tapioca and potato, but please share your recipe:-)

      Reply

  19. I love coconut, but when I see your crust all I can think is pot pie! If I omit the sugar do you think this would make a good crust/top for pot pie?

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried it as a top crust yet. I have plans to do so but you’re welcome to try. I would just make sure that the filling isn’t too liquidy.

      Reply

      • Will be trying this crust for pot pie with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. Any texture/volume adjustments needed if I omit the Swerve to make it taste savory? Thx, Carolyn!

        Reply

  23. Hello Carolyn!! Thank you for taking the time to compose this pie! I do have a question….I’m having a hard time finding Unsweetened coconut, except for frozen. Can I use the frozen without it adding too much moisture to the filling. Would that extra moisture cause it not to thicken, do you think?

    Reply

    • I think it might be a problem because shredded coconut is also dessicated. So I might buy the frozen and dry it out in the oven for a while first (maybe 175F for 2 hours?).

      Reply

  24. Ooo, this is my husband’s favorite. Gorgeous! Would coconut cream (also called coconut butter) work as a sub for the coconut milk in the topping? If so, how much coconut milk solids did you use? Thanks.

    Reply

  25. I love that they’ve turned the corner to coconut, and I’m so glad you found that fact inspiring. I think once you know that it gives you the stamina to keep offering it up. Seriously, that pie looks incredible. The coconut cream there is just perfection.

    Reply

  26. I have made this twice. I LOVE it, but think I am doing something wrong. I filling curdles. Is it supposed to look like it is curdled? I used half and half the first time, (I’m guessing it’s calling for heavy whipping cream?). The second time I used canned milk. Do you think not using cream, could cause the curdling? Thank you. Midge

    Reply

    • The filling is essentially coconut pastry cream, which will curdle when overcooked. I think it’s likely that the lower fat content in the milk or half and half means it doesn’t thicken very well, and so it over-cooks before you manage to see it thickening properly.

      Reply

  28. Carolyn, this is amazing. I made just the custard, chilled it in a shallow bowl, scooped it out and served with whipped cream. Divinely delicious! My first foray into using xanthan gum and it’s not scary anymore. Keep up the great work in the kitchen!

    Reply

  30. My store did not carry “canned” coconut milk only in a “box” style package. It’s a 32 oz box of unsweetened coconut milk. Can you tell me in ounces what size of canned coconut milk you’re using? Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • They are typically 14 oz cans. But I am not sure the boxed kind is the same, it may not have a high enough fat content. My brand has 9g of fat per 1/4 cup serving…make sure the boxed kind has a similar fat content.

      Reply

  31. Apologies for a silly question, but could one use coconut cream in place of coconut milk? And if so, would the need to chill overnight be eliminated, as it is already thicker?

    Reply

    • Are you talking the coconut cream from Trader Joe’s or something similar? I am not sure but you can certainly try.

      Reply

  32. Hi, I just came upon this pie recipe. This pie is my absolute favorite and I can’t wait to try it, I’m a little confused on the whipping of the coconut milk. You said you dump out some water first? Will there be enough left to whip ?

    Reply

    • Yes, when you refrigerate the can overnight, the coconut “cream” rises to the top and solidifies. You whip that, after you’ve removed the water.

      Reply

  33. This looks wonderful, I would love to try it but I live in a rural area where some of these ingredients are not available. I could order them online, but in the meantime, are erythritol and xanthan gum essential to a good result with this recipe? Are there substitutes I could use?

    Reply

    • You can use a different sweetener if you need to. For the xanthan, you might be able to do a little gelatin. I am really not sure how well that will work, though.

      Reply

  34. Ohhhhh, Carolyn, this recipe is amazeballs. I made it last night, along with a sugar filled cream cheese peanut butter pie, to take to a dinner party for my type 1 daughter. It was soooo good. A few other people had some as well, and were amazed by it. It may become the dessert I take places when we need a diabetes friendly dessert! I loved it WAY better than the peanut butter pie, which I just realized I could use Swerve for if I wanted to. Anyway, thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

      • Hoping someone can help! Made this coconut cream pie last night & I am so sad about the results! I had problems with the filling; I did not get a thick custard but instead a liquid mess in the pie. I had hoped that it would “set” in the fridge but it did not. I used 18% mf table cream. We ate some anyway, & it tasted fabulous, just not a “pie”. Any ideas on what went wrong & what I can possibly “whip” up with remainder of pie. Thanks!

        Reply

        • Yes, the table cream is the problem. Heavy whipping cream is 35% fat, not 18. It thickens up a lot more than table cream when cooked.

          Reply

          • Ok! good to know. I guess now is the time to admit I also had a problem with the crust; Is 18 minutes really the baking time? My beautiful crust turned out somewhat burnt at 18 minutes. I did butter the baking dish before I put the crust in so that it wouldn’t stick.
            P.S. Have tried so many of your other recipes & they turned out fabulous! Who knew gluten free/low carb could taste so good – so Thanks for those!

          • Hmmm. 18 minutes is only a guideline and it’s possible that your oven runs hot. But did you use a glass pie dish or a metal one? That could be an issue too. Let me know if it is so I can adjust the recipe to specify a glass plate.

  35. LOVED this recipe! It is so yummy! It was a little time consuming for me and I could not get the coconut milk to separate so I put whipped cream on top. VERY good!

    Reply

  36. Hi…Is it ok if I bake this one day and fill it the next? Would you keep the pie crust in the refrigerator ?

    Reply

  37. In case anyone makes the same mistake as I did, the stevia extract is liquid stevia and not powdered stevia extract. Oops. Guess that’s what I get for not clicking on the link. 1/4 tsp liquid stevia should be equal to 1/32 tsp of powdered pure stevia extract.

    Reply

  38. Thanks so much for this recipe! The pie turned out amazing! I didn’t have any of the gluten free baking mix, but I had some of the Bob’s Red Mill low carb baking mix (which has gluten for it, probably not optimal for many people surfing this site, but I tolerate it well) and it worked beautifully as a substitute. I also found that a little extra salt improved the flavor. I made it as-is, but sprinkled the tiniest amount of salt on top after tasting it and I think it really tied it together. I never expected to love a low carb pie so much!

    Reply

  41. How do you think the taste would be without any artificial sweetener? I’m trying to stay away from those at the moment, but would still like to try some dessert items =).

    Reply

  42. Hello. This pie looks amazing.
    Can I ask what is the diameter of your pan? 🙂
    I have one that is 8 inch and another one is 11 inch.
    I would like to know so I can do some calculations. Thank you!

    Reply

  45. This was AMAZING! I used a different crust (I didn’t have gluten flour) and I felt the filling needed a little salt to balance the sweetness, but otherwise I kept it the same and it. was. incredible. Easily the best dessert I’ve made since beginning low carb. In fact, I made this to take with me on a crafting retreat with a group of SAD eating women, thinking I’d have something sweet to eat while they were chowing down on junk food. NO WAY! They eschewed their high carbs desserts until my coconut pie was gone within 24 hours (among 5 women, ha ha) and several asked for the recipe. I should have made two, clearly! This will have to be a special occasion pie because I’m still trying to lose weight, but on special occasions this is my new must have desert.

    Reply

    • You can use coconut cream but you may find you need a bit more xanthan gum to make it set properly.

      Reply

  48. OH my gosh — this pie is amazing! I mean seriously, it is perfect!! The crust is tender, super easy to make and slides out of the dish without crumbling or tearing! The custard was the perfect consistency and oh my — the coconut creme topping is heavenly. All-in-all — this is a fabulous pie!! Thanks Carolyn for sharing — and I will absolutely be making this next Sunday for Father’s Day!! 🙂

    Reply

  49. Think I could use THM baking blend in place of the almond flour/ gf all purpose? I have the almond flour but not the gf flour.

    Reply

  50. I don’t have a problem with gluten and just need low-carb. If I were to use regular all-purpose flour in the crust instead of gluten-free, would I need to omit the Xanthan Gum?

    Reply

  52. Okay, then I think your oven must run pretty hot. So next time with this pie crust recipe, start checking on it at 13 minutes or so. Hope that helps!

    Reply

  54. Ok; so did some more research on the “heavy cream” as I am running into more recipes I want to try that require it. FYI, finding cream that has a higher fat content than 35% in your local grocery store in Canada is next to impossible. Common in the U.S. but not here, unfortunately. I did look for substitutes online & found a mix of butter & whole milk that sounds great & while it can be used in some recipes, unfortunately, it does not whip. Any other ideas on substitutes that do whip?

    Reply

  55. Heavy cream is simply whipping cream and being from Canada originally, I know for certain you can get this in any grocery store. I am not sure where you got the idea that the two are different but they are the same and typically have a fat content anywhere between 35 and 40%. They will work the same for my recipes.

    I did find this little tidbit but it’s not what I am talking about when I say Heavy Cream: There is one type of heavy cream, called manufacturing cream, that is used commercially by bakers, cooks and bakeries. It has an even higher fat content of 40-50%.

    Edited to add: I actually googled it and some people do distinguish between the two. I do not. It is absolutely fine to use 35% Whipping cream in all of my recipes! Hope that helps!

    Reply

  56. Carolyn, I must say I am very impressed with your prompt replies! Who knew discussing “heavy cream” could be such a confusing topic! Ha! Ha! I have only ever been able to find 35% whipping cream here in my local grocery stores & based on my research this is not considered “heavy cream” & using the wrong type of cream can “make or break” your recipe ( as I have sadly experienced recently with 2 desert recipes!) However, I am determined to figure this out because there are far too many delicious recipes needing to be tasted! So I have decided to put this cream to the test & tomorrow I will whip it to a frenzy & hope that she peaks & holds! If not, I will have to sadly concede that perhaps baking is not my “forte”. Wish me luck!

    Reply

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