Crustless Coconut Pie for Holiday Food Fest
Today is the kick-off event of the Holiday Food Fest! Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free is the wonderful host of this event that occurs on Thursdays (excluding Thanksgiving) through December 17. Each week has a different host and different focus. You’ll want to read more here to see if you’d like to join in the next several weeks—please do! This week’s focus is Fall Desserts and Liz at Hoosier Homemade is our lovely hostess.
The category of Fall Desserts certainly makes me think of pumpkin treats—like my crustless pumpkin pie or easy pumpkin squares. I also think of apples and, therefore, my crustless apple pie. But, there are other desserts that while can be made year round, we tend to save for special occasions like holidays. My Crustless Coconut Pie is one of those. The last time I made it was for Mother’s Day for my mother-in-law. (I baked the apple pie for my mom.) That was six months ago and because it was a gift, I didn’t eat any. So, I’m looking forward to making it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and maybe even New Year’s Day! We are a family that truly loves pies. When I hosted Thanksgiving dinner two years ago, I believe we had six pies to share. And, unbelievably, there were other desserts as well. Of course, there were four bakers among us, but some serious dessert love there.
With Mr. GFE’s family, the holiday tradition is for each family member to place his/her Christmas list on his mother’s refrigerator at Thanksgiving. That gives everyone ample time for shopping, and more importantly, offers some specifics on what the recipient would like as a gift. Some items shared are too “pie in the sky,” like a new video gaming system or an expensive tool. So, instead, we might select another item like a book, clothes, or a bird feeder. However, last year, one of the items asked for was actually a pie—yes, a real pie. And, not just any pie, mind you, but MY pie! How tickled I was when I saw “Shirley’s Coconut Pie” on my nephew’s wish list! Of course, I obliged, and happily so. I wish all Christmas wishes were so easy to fulfill, don’t you? When I stopped by to visit his family several days after Christmas, my nephew still had half his pie left. Oh, how, he was making that pie last.
As I stated with my other crustless pies, nobody is going to miss the crust. I mean look at this pie again … does it look like it’s lacking anything? I didn’t think so. Here’s the recipe.
- 3 large (or extra large) eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (see notes for my mix and alternatives)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cup coconut flakes/shredded coconut
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat eggs and sugar. Add flour, milk, butter, vanilla, and vinegar; mix well. Stir in coconut and pour into greased pie pan. Bake until the top is golden and the filling is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Store any leftovers in your refrigerator.
Many of my friends and support group members have adapted this recipe to fit their own dietary needs. Some friends cut back on the butter. Another makes this pie dairy free by replacing the milk with rice milk and using Earth Balance instead of butter (again, in a lesser amount). She also cuts the sugar in half, increases the gf flour to ⅓ cup, and omits the vinegar. So please don’t be shy about adjusting this recipe slightly. I’d like to make it next time using coconut oil versus butter and coconut milk instead of the cow’s milk. Some readers have done that successfully.
Adapted from meals.com
Whatever pie you are making for the holidays, consider making it gfe. I’m not saying you have to make one of my recipes. I’m just suggesting that you make your life a little easier and choose one you can make gluten free easily—i.e., gfe. We don’t need to add to holiday stress with a complicated dessert or one for which we have to acquire special gluten-free ingredients. Oh, and, don’t forget to head over to Liz’s Hoosier Homemade to see what everyone else has concocted in the way of lovely fall desserts! Update: You’ll also want to check out Tidy Mom’s Love the Pie! Party. 
Shirley
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Comments
107 Responses to “Crustless Coconut Pie for Holiday Food Fest”
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This looks so delicious Shirley! I love how your nephew asked for the pie for christmas – a true example of how awesome this pie must be! I love that idea of wish lists on the fridge! Although it would be near impossible to read them for my family (being on the other side of the country…), its such fun!
Hi, Lauren!–I have to admit seeing my pie on his wish list has to be one of the highlights of my entire baking life. LOL He’s not gluten free and is a fairly quiet teenager, so I found the inclusion of my pie on his “list” to be some high praise indeed.
Yes, the lists do help a lot with what to buy folks.
Thanks so much!
Shirley
mmm, sounds and looks delicious! I have my entry ready!
Alisa–Oooh, can’t wait to see your entry!!! Thanks, dear.
Shirley
That looks really good! Thanks for joining in the fun at the Holiday Food Fest!
~Liz
Hi, Liz!–Welcome to gfe! Can’t wait to see everyone’s recipes at your site for the HFF! Yours was so beautiful.
I’m looking forward to some serious vegging time tomorrow checking them all out. Today I’m still in “running around like crazy” mode, but tomorrow will be “rest and relax” mode—yippie!
Thanks, Liz,
Shirley
Your pictures are incredible! And you make a great point about trying gfe — just replacing ingredients can make a big difference!
Hey Ann Marie–Thanks so very much!! And, welcome to gfe! Thanks also for the kind words on the gfe concept.
It’s one that’s made my life so much easier so I am happy to share it and glad that you have experienced success with it as well.
Shirley
Great idea! I bookmarked it!
Thanks, Kim! Bookmarking is probably a better idea than what I do, which is print out recipes. Then I have to go through tons of sheets.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Shirley
Kim–I’ll look forward to seeing what you think.
BTW, I’m still planning on making your appetizer version (Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks) of my flourless pizza. I can’t believe I haven’t done it yet as I know it will be very popular, especially with Son.
Thanks!
Shirley
What a good idea. Coconut is such an underrated ingredient in baking.
Well done Shirley.
Hey there, H.Peter/GF Patisserie Rep–Whew, what a relief! I was afraid that you didn’t like coconut as much as you didn’t like pumpkin.
Coconut is one of my all-time favorites! 
Thanks so much for the kind words! You are truly such a faithful supporter here at gfe.
Shirley
I think I’m going to make this *right now*. Off to see if I have everything…
XOXO, Kelly
Kelly–Hope you do! Will look forward to the follow-up post!
Shirley
coconut pie = heaven
Hey, Iris–You win for shortest and best comment!
LOL
Shirley
Just put it in the oven =D
Kelly–Wow, you did it!! Okay … now I’ll be waiting for the report, of course! And, I’ll also want to hear about your modifications to make it casein and refined sugar free.
Thanks! Hugs,
Shirley
I will be making this for sure…love coconut!
Nice looking photo, Shirley! Do you mind serving me a piece, Hon!….he he!
Enjoy!
Pam–You’re going to be increasing your crustless pie repertoire! Glad to be giving you some tasty options. Thanks so much for the compliments on the photos. I should have had a slice of pie photo … hmmm, might have to make another pie to get that.
Then I’ll “send” you a piece … a la Star Trek beaming method—now that part of the “future,” I could appreciate!
Shirley
Shirley, I made this pie with a few changes and took it to some friends…also I accept your star trekkies ways….he he! This pie was SO good..everyone raved about it. They kept calling it coconut cornbread pie…ha ha! See my blog when I get it posted for the changes. I loved how the bottom was like custard…which I LUV! I want more crustless pies…lol!!
Hugs!
Pam–I so love that you keep reporting back!! Yes, must go check out your changes on your site. “everyone raved about it” … don’t you love it when that happens?! I’ll be supplying more crustless pie recipes for sure, but I think you have the knowledge to make your own whenever you like now.
Drawing a blank on the Star Trek ways comment though … thinking it somehow refers to influencing and showing people how easy it is to eat gf. ?
Hugs to you, faithful gfe recipe tester!
Shirley
Duh, Pam … I realized what you meant as soon as I clicked “Submit.” Oh, I’d love that beaming concept from Star Trek … even if I can’t remember it all the time. I guess it’s too early in the morning. I should never read or reply to comments out of context! Off to make coconut meringues before I go to work … although that might not be a good idea in my fuzzy state. LOL
Shirley
ha ha ha!!!….thanks Shirley for the vote of confidence…it is really appreciated! Made another coconut pie for another friend this morning…smells SO good! I want to dig in! Hope your meringues came out okay…he he!
Looking forward to more crustless pie recipes…luv them!
Hugs!
Oh my gosh, Pam, I’ve turned you into a crustless coconut pie addict! I don’t know if there’s a recovery program for this particular issue … LOL
You probably want to check out the coconut meringues recipe, too. They are part of a guest post I did at Anali’s First Amendment (another great blog!) on celiac. I need to repost them here at gfe, so folks can find them easily and make them! They are like individual coconut pies.
Flourless/crustless, of course!
Thanks for being such a fan!! I just wish I lived nearby so I could be tasting all your variations.
xo,
Shirley
this sounds wonderful. it’s been a long time since i’ve had coconut and this looks like a good way to bring it back…
Hi Kate–Welcome to gfe! Thanks so much for your kind words. Coconut is one of my faves, with coconut pie being the best IMHO.
Hope you’ll give it a try! 
Thanks so much for stopping by gfe! Hope to see you here more.
Shirley
We just had dinner and ate almost the whole pie afterward
It’s soooo good! So, I may post it on my blog tomorrow (linking to you of course), but here are the modifications to make it casein and refined-sugar free:
I substituted with:
6 drops Vanilla Creme liquid stevia
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
and 1 cup cashew milk
Love ya, Kelly
Hey, Kelly–You did it! I’m so very happy that you made your own version and it was such a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe here.
Must go see if you did indeed post on your blog. 
xoxo,
Shirley
Mmmm this looks delicious!!!
Hi, Jenn!–Thanks very much! I need to see what you’ve been up to in the kitchen lately.
Hugs,
Shirley
You have one smart nephew! How old is he?
Once again you defy normal pie making by skipping the crust altogether. I love it! This recipe of yours looks like one giant Girl Scout Samoa cookie. Anything with coconut is at the top of my list and this looks delicious. What a great idea.
Hope all is well with you and that you have a lovely weekend.
Off to see the rest of the fall desserts you all have featured. What a treat (literally)!
Melissa
xo
Hey, Melissa–He was 16 at the time. Good kid. Of course, I’ll be forever prejudiced now because he listed my pie on his Christmas list.
There is a slight variation of this pie that’s called Almond Joy.
I’m a big fan of Samoas myself. I have seen gf Samoa recipes, but the ones I’ve seen have been too labor intensive for me so far. I’ll keep a gfe version in the back of my mind …
Have had a super busy, but wonderful week mostly away from home meeting Drs. Rodney Ford and Stephen Wangen! Staying home and catching up this weekend. Hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!
Hugsss,
Shirley
This sounds delicious!! My dad would have loved it! – He LOVED coconut pie……really he loved ANY pie! LOL I think that’s why I got into baking so much, my dad would eat anything I made and LOVED it!
Hope you join my party “Love the Pie” on Nov 16th!!
~TidyMom
Hi, TidyMom–Welcome to gfe! There is something very validating about having your dad love your cooking. I know I always feel so happy when I make my own dad happy with my baking. Coconut is one of his favorites, too, but I don’t think he’s eaten a pie of mine yet that he didn’t like.
LOL, but true.
Your party sounds like fun. I’m all about pies, so I’ll definitely check it out.
Thanks so much! It’s neat meeting great new folks like you through the Holiday Food Fest!
Shirley
Hmmmm…I never made a crustless pie before. Wish I had know about this when I failed pie crust and continuing failing year after year!
Looks delicious!
Hi there, Michelle!–Welcome to gfe! Crustless pies rock. I’ve never been much at making pie crusts myself—even before going gluten free. It’s either crustless or “no fail, mix and press” in the pie pan for me.
Thanks so much! Hope you’ll give crustless pie a try.
Shirley
My family would LOVE that!!
Hi, Susie!–Welcome to gfe!
Thanks so much! If you test it out on your family, please let us know what they think!
Shirley
This pie looks mouth-wateringly delicious. I can’t wait to try it! I am thinking of substituting honey for the sugar, but cutting the amount in half. I’ve found that coconut flakes offer a lot of sweetness just by themselves. I’ll let you know how it turns out with my modifications.
Great site!
my year without–Hi there! Welcome to gfe! Thanks so much for the sweet compliment.
I love your modification ideas since we keep bees and always have their wonderful honey on hand. You’re right about the coconut flakes being pretty sweet on their own. Can’t wait to hear how your pie came out!
Shirley
Shirley the crustless coconut pie looks divine! I love coconut pie too and the thought of not having those extra calories in the crust is great!
Hey, Robin–Thank you, my dear!! Less calories is just another added bennie to easy gfe crustless pies.
Can’t wait to read about that banana split pie you tweeted about! 
Hugs,
Shirley
Well, let me see. I love coconut and I love pie. Yep, I think I would like this. This looks delicious Shirley.
Yep, Brian, it sounds like this pie definitely meets your criteria! LOL
Thanks so much!
Shirley
Okay, I tried this tonight and it’s yummy!
Fatcat–You made it–wow! I love my gfe readers who immediately go off, “take action,” and report back—especially when the results are yummy!
I’m so glad it worked out for you. Thanks so much for sharing with me and everyone here!
Shirley
No, this does not look like it’s missing anything at all. It actually looks divine. Joe loves pie crust, and when I make it I’m always a little smitten with myself, because I can’t believe it’s GF and that it tastes so good. But, when you talk about being balanced and healthy I am all for skipping the crust. At least once in a while!
Amy–Well, you are the queen of gf crusts! One only has to look at your photos and see that.
You need to try this out on Joe. Don’t even mention there’s no crust and see if he notices. Seriously. You might be pleasantly surprised. 
Shirley
Aw, how sweet to see your yummy coconut pie on a Christmas wish list! And, I’m not surprised … it looks wonderful, Shirley!
I’m loving your wish list on the refrigerator tradition … I may have to adopt it!
Hi Diva–Thanks so much! it’s a worthy pie for sure, but seeing it on my nephew’s Christmas list still surprised me.
The Christmas list on the refrigerator has been going on a very long time in Mr. GFE’s family. On the negative side, it takes a lot of mystery out of it. On the positive side, it takes a lot of the mystery out of it. 
LOL
BTW, did you see your mention in my BlogHer Food ’09–Part II post? Need to check in again at your site, but I’m working via dial-up right now. LOL, but true. Amazingly, it’s not that much slower than my cable internet …
Shirley
Shirley–This pie sounds delicious! I think it is so sweet that your nephew requested it. Don’t you just love fulfilling special requests like that?
Kitchenbelle–Hi, Mary Kate! Thank you! That request definitely melted my heart a little.
Yes, I absolutely do love fulfilling special requests for my cooking/baking. I bet you do, too.
Shirley
I don’t think I’ve ever had a coconut pie, but it sounds tasty. I bet my family would like it, and having no crust makes it easy!
Hey, Linda–I have to tell you that I’m really surprised that you’ve never had coconut pie. Usually it’s only the folks who really dislike coconut who haven’t had coconut pie. Anyway, I hope you’ll try this recipe. Yes, it really is easy. Easy and tasty … two of my gfe requirements.
Shirley
Wow! I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks delicious
Hi, Jessica–So nice to see you here again at gfe!
Thanks so much. I really hope you’ll give it a try and report back. Readers appreciate the feedback, especially if you make any “tweaks”! 
Shirley
Sounds delish, Shirley! What kind of crust would you recommend pairing it with?
Dear Pete–Thanks so much! Now, I have to ask … are you multi-tasking?
I think you missed the critical detail. It’s a crustless pie. Seriously. NO crust is needed. The gf flour in the recipe allows the pie to stand on its own, so to speak. 
Give it a try!
Thanks so much for stopping by gfe. I’ve been AWOL at your site, No Gluten, No Problem, and I’ve been missing you and Kelli and all your good stuff there. Must make it back soon!
Forgive me for the teasing …
Shirley
Hey Shirley! A little teasing is just fine. I can certainly dole out the sarcasm at times. =) I was just thinking in hypotheticals… say I had a pie-less crust, and a yummy crustless pie like this one… could be a match made in heaven! I definitely look forward to trying it on its own, no crust needed. =)
Cheers, Pete
Pete–I got a forwarded humorous email today that said we need a font for sarcastic … wouldn’t that be great?
There’s only one crust I make and I don’t think it would work for this pie. I’ll be sharing that “no-work” crust soon and you can decide if it might work. I’m betting you guys have a crust in your bag of tricks that will work great if you want a crust. Do remember to leave out 1/4 cup of the gf flour in the recipe though (not all of the gf flour, but most of it) if you do use a crust.
Shirley
this reminds me of how much i love coconut pie!
gfveg–
It doesn’t take much to remind me of my love for coconut! I just made the cookie equivalent of coconut pie yesterday. 
Thanks,
Shirley
This looks so good!! Thanks for linking up to Love the Pie!
~TidyMom
Good to see you again, TidyMom! It was my pleasure to enter my pies over at your Love the Pie! Party.
I had a problem this morning and lost the updated posts (with the links to the party), so I’ve just updated them again. Can’t wait to go back and look at all the entries. I’m sure I’ll find some pies that will be easy to convert to gluten free!
Thanks!
Shirley
COCONUT is my favorite! yum!
DIane–If coconut is your fave, you will really love this pie! Give it a try. Don’t tell anyone you make it for that it’s crustless. See if they notice … I bet they won’t. They’ll just focus on the coconut goodness!
Shirley
I am dying to try this pie dairy free and gluten free. Wow, that sure does look good! I miss coconut cream pie!!
Hi Stephanie–I know we’ve touched base on Facebook and Twitter, but welcome to gfe!
I think you’ll like this pie. It would be a great dessert (and complement) for your Hot Porcupine Meatballs! 
Please report back if you get to make it!
Hugs,
Shirley
I am wondering if there is a grain free flour I can substitute that could work. Maybe coconut flour, or almond?
Thanks,
Angelina
Hi Angelina–It looks like you are new here–welcome to gfe!
Sorry for the delayed reply. I’ve never made this pie grain free, but my friend, Kelly (The Spunky Coconut) made this version using a small amount of coconut flour. I wouldn’t recommend almond flour in this recipe, but my friend, Elana (Elana’s Pantry), is the queen of almond flour. I’ll look in her cookbook for something similar. I looked on her site, but didn’t find quite what I was looking for. Buckwheat flour, which is not a grain, might also be an option if it’s ground fine enough. That’s all I can think of right now. Will come back with more if I find anything of use. 
Shirley
Thank you! I am sure I could mess with both recipes, and make something tasty out of it! =)
Hi again, Angelina–Can’t wait to hear about your success!
Shirley
Shirley,
I use brown rice flour for everything and it is great in cakes and cookies too.
Hi mollyb–Welcome to gfe!
Yes, lots of folks use brown rice flour all the time and love it. The finely ground kind (purchased or home ground) is the best.
Shirley
This sounds SO good. Do you think it could be made with stevia and not the sugar?
Making my mouth water just thinking about it!
Hi Robbie–Thanks! The sugar also provides substance/texture in this pie, but Kelly at The Spunky Coconut made a version with stevia and coconut sugar here. Hope that helps!
Shirley
Hi, Shirley.
I made this pie this morning and just served it to my family. They raved over it. Absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Judy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my pie recipe! I’m thrilled that your family loves it so much.
So sorry that I just now saw your comment. Sheesh, don’t know how I missed it when I got the email notification. 
Thanks so much for being a gfe reader!
Shirley
I made this on Saturday and it was deeeeeeeelicious. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. It was actually better the second day (after a night in the fridge) because it created its own crust over night. I had to bake it almost an hour before it set but it was definitely worth the wait. I will be making this again… and again… and again… and….
Kristin–Welcome to gfe!
Yippee on having such success with this recipe, and thank you so much for sharing your review! Interesting though that you had issues with it setting up during the allotted time. Not sure what ingredients are causing you issues, but you might try increasing the flour a little next time. Still, if you know what works and don’t mind the wait, then go for it! 
Shirley
Shirley, you are right. Your pie and my version of my aunt’s are very similar. I like that your version has just a but more coconut!
Kathryn–Yes, more coconut is always good! I love that you have experienced success converting old recipes to gluten free (and more free).
I always tell folks not to throw out those old recipes! They might seem worthless as first, but once you get your gluten-free bearings, you’ll love re-creating them. 
Shirley
I served this today for our family Easter gathering, and it was a big hit! I think next time I will reduce the sugar, as it was a bit sweet for me (I tend to bake lower-sugar normally, but since it was Easter, I followed the recipe exactly). The coconut was really beginning to brown while waiting for the center to set, so I turned my oven down a little and continued baking. (I think it took about 50+ minutes). For the flour, I used a rice flour/tapioca flour combo.
Thanks for a successful treat everyone enjoyed, even all the non-gf-ers!
Hi Spring–Good to see you here again!
I’m so glad you had such success with this recipe … and that everyone enjoyed it. 
The latter is a key component of the gfe approach. Yes, I make this pie a little bit differently know, with less sugar and dairy-free ingredients usually. The original recipe is very sweet, but I never realized that until I stopped eating so much sugar. I’m grateful to you for sharing which gf flour comb you used, too!
Hope you had a lovely Easter all the way around!
Shirley
Another winner, Shirley! I made this coconut creme pie for Easter. I used a can of coconut milk and coconut oil instead of dairy. Turned out amazing.
Hi Wendy–Yippeeee! I love it when converting a dairy-full gfe recipe to dairy-free is a snap!
Did you use the same amount of coconut oil as butter? And did you use unsweetened coconut flakes or sweetened? I want to share your review on my gfe Facebook page and my readers will want to know the details. Thanks so much, dear!
Shirley
I used sweetened coconut flakes and almost as much coconut oil as butter. I was a little short of coconut oil so added butter to make up for it, about 3T.
Hi Wendy–Thanks so much for letting us all know!
I don’t think anyone has used all coconut oil yet, so I’m curious how well that would work. I bet the butter you did use could be replaced by a dairy-free “butter” option though for a totally dairy-free pie. 
Shirley
Any thoughts on egg substitution? Does this depend on the eggs for structure? I have an egg allergy but love, love, love coconut. Thanks much!
Hi Caia–Good to see you again.
I just speculated on the answer to that same question on my gfe Facebook page. Because the recipes uses three eggs, I wouldn’t necessarily recommed three flax gel eggs or three chia gel eggs. Perhaps commercial egg replacer in place of two eggs and one of the other methods for the third egg? Maybe tofu in place of the eggs? I’ve seen that elsewhere, but again, I am not sure. I did find this recipethat has no eggs and works on the principle of using a thickener (cornstarch) and cooking down the mixture until it thickens. That is the recipe for the pie itself that works like that. Ignore the meringue topping and the crust factor though as the meringue contains eggs and the crust mentioned is not gf. Adding gf flour to that recipe might make it solid enough to be crustless. Just some thoughts. I should give my recipe an egg-free run myself. Please let us know whatever you try … good luck!
Shirley
It’s so sad when the last piece is gone! Had to use coconut milk, as butter is the only dairy I can tolerate. I didn’t care for it warm, in fact, I threw the recipe out after dinner, lol. Had it the next day out of the fridge, awesomeness in your mouth. Reprinted immediately ! Thanks for sharing.
Cheryl–You had me going there for a moment. When I read your comment on throwing out the recipe after dinner, I thought you meant that you had thrown out the whole pie! For a split second, I was mortified that you had hated it that much! So glad that you loved the cold version and now have the printed recipe on hand.
I love this pie hot, room temperature, or cold, but I know there are some recipes that I most definitely prefer cold. 
Thanks so much for the fabulous feedback!
Shirley
Have you ever tried freezing the leftovers? I am cooking for one, and it would be nice to be able to freeze some for a later date. Thanks!
Hi Margaret–Welcome to gfe.
I always have plenty of eaters around when I make this pie, so I have not yet tried freezing it. However, it seems like freezing it should work fine based on the ingredients and my experience freezing them in the past.
Good luck! Please report back if you give it a try.
Shirley