Yummy! Old Fashioned Coconut Meringue Pie {Granny's Recipe}

Yummy! Old-fashioned Coconut Meringue Pie, just like Grandma used to make. Get the recipe for the perfect pie filling and a secret to keep the meringue from shrinking!

Southern Coconut Meringue Pie

Homemade Coconut Meringue Pie is a staple in the South.  The pie filling is a rich, creamy custard loaded with sweetened coconut poured into a flaky, prebaked pie crust, then piled with a luscious cloud of meringue and sprinkled generously with sweetened coconut.

I found out this morning that today is National Pie Day. Not knowing this yesterday, I made a Coconut Meringue Pie and an Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pie to take to our Life Group Meeting this evening. How cool is that! 

I must say that memories come flooding back each time I make my Mother's recipe for Coconut Meringue Pie. Growing up, my Mother was the Pie Making Queen. She could turn out pies like nobody's business, especially around any holiday.

Coconut Meringue was the favorite, with Chocolate Meringue right behind, and it was not unusual for her to make two pies of any kind each time she made them.

Mother's coconut filling is rich and creamy, with just the right amount of coconut to give it that distinct coconut flavor.

Her homemade meringue is fluffy and rich, and the coconut she sprinkled on top looks pretty and just adds some more of that yummy coconut flavor. Yippee!

You just never know what the day will be when you wake up in the morning, do you?

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR COCONUT MERINGUE PIE

Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for the Coconut Meringue Pie and similar recipe ideas you can have.

Or you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with amounts of the ingredients and complete instructions with notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS TO MAKE THE BEST COCONUT MERINGUE PIE

9 inch pie crust
Sugar
Flour
Milk 
Egg yolks
Vanilla
Butter
Sweetened coconut

MERINGUE

Egg whites
Cream of tartar
Sugar
Sweetened coconut

HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MERINGUE PIE

CUSTARD FILLING

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Add sugar and flour to a large, heavy saucepan; mix well. Then add milk and egg yolks.

Mix well until sugar is dissolved and egg yolks are blended in completely. (I use a wire whisk.)

Turn heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes while stirring the entire time. 

The filling should be thick and creamy.  

Remove from heat and add vanilla, butter, and coconut. Set aside and make the meringue.


MERINGUE

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. 

Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. 

Pour slightly cooled filling into cooked pie crust and spread meringue evenly over coconut filling, sealing edges to crust. (This is really important for the meringue not to shrink when baking). 

Sprinkle with flaked coconut. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

WHERE YOU WILL SEE THIS RECIPE

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MORE RECIPES

Apple Cheesecake Pie
Homemade Butterscotch Pie

Pineapple Chess Pie

Mince Cream Cheese Pie

Coconut Pie

Dessert

American

Yield: 6-8 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author: Kay Little

Coconut Meringue Pie

Old-fashioned Coconut Meringue Pie, just like Grandma used to make. Get the recipe for the perfect pie filling and a secret to keep the meringue from shrinking!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 40 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Custard Filling

• 1 baked pie crust (9-inches)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk (canned, whole, or half and half, and you can mix them)
• 4 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1- 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut

Meringue

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut

Instructions

Custard Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add sugar and flour to a large, heavy saucepan; mix well. Then add milk and egg yolks.
3. Mix well until sugar is dissolved and egg yolks are blended in completely. (I use a wire whisk.)
4. Turn heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes while stirring the entire time.
5. The custard filling should be thick and creamy.
6. Remove from heat and add vanilla, butter, and coconut. Set aside and make the meringue.

Meringue

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form.
2. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour slightly cooled coconut custard filling into the cooked pie crust
4. Spoon the meringue evenly over the coconut custard (sealing the edges to the crust. (This is really important for the meringue not to shrink when baking).
5. Sprinkle with sweetened flaked coconut. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Notes

TIP FOR THE COCONUT PIE FILLING

Flour and eggs. Flour and eggs are essential ingredients to thicken the pie filling. The eggs need to be at room temperature for best results. It is also best to separate the egg yolk from the egg white while it is cold.  

Cooking the filling. Start cooking the filling at a low temperature and then gradually increase to medium

Stir the filling. Stir the filling constantly until thick. Be patient and don't rush the process, and you will have a thick and delicious custard filling.

How do we know if the filling is thick enough?  The filling should be thick and creamy.  

To make sure the filling is ready to pour into the pie shell, dip a spoon in the filling and quickly bring it out, then run your finger across the center of the spoon. If the filling runs back together, the filling is not ready. If the filling stays separated, then the filling is ready

TIPS FOR THE MERINGUE

Egg whites. You will need to start with room-temperature egg whites. They will whip up thick, fluffy, and firm, holding their shape as you spread them on the custard filling.

Adding the meringue. Spoon the meringue onto the slightly cooled (not hot) custard filling in large spoonfuls. This will help you distribute it across the pie filling without causing it to mix in with the egg whites. 

Seal the meringue. Seal the meringue to the pie crust so it doesn't shrink while baking. Basically, sealing the meringue to the pie crust means the meringue must be completely touching the crust and the custard filling is not exposed.

Browning the meringue. Be sure to keep an eye on the meringue while baking. Do not walk away to avoid overbrowning. It only takes 10-15 minutes. I like to do soft peaks on my pie, but extreme peaks tend to burn before the other part of the meringue browns.

https://www.cookingwithk.net/2011/01/yummy-coconut-meringue-pie-grannys.html

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