Healthier sugar cream pie made with a date-nut crust, young coconut cream filling, and whipped coconut topping. Perfect for a decadent dessert to share!
When I was growing up my mom made a mean sugar cream pie.
What’s a sugar cream pie, you might ask?
Well, it’s sweet, rich, and decadent, with a creamed custard filling and a buttery pie crust.
My parents both grew up in Indiana where sugar cream pie is also known as Hoosier pie.
Sometimes when I get homesick (AKA RIGHT NOW) I crave that pie that my mom served in tiny slivers.
“A little bit will do you,” she’d say.
But I could go for a LOT right about now, how about you?
Why don’t we make this cozy Coconut Sugar Cream Pie that’s totally vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweet?!
It’s made with just 8 ingredients for a sinfully sweet no-bake dessert made with fresh young coconut milk, coconut sugar, and a no-bake crust.
My mom’s sugar cream pie recipe is amazing, but it is also decidedly not plant-based.
AKA lots of refined sugar, and lots of heavy cream.
In my version I use coconut milk as a replacement for heavy cream and nearly half of the sugar that I replaced with unrefined coconut sugar!
Instead of a buttery classic crust, I went with a raw no-bake crust that requires no baking.
Despite making the filling on the stovetop, this entire recipe is no-bake!
The result is a sweet, coco-nutty custard-like pie that’s decadent while still using whole foods healthy fats and ingredients.
You only need three ingredients to make this vegan, gluten, and grain-free coconut date pie crust.
Almonds, dates, and unsweetened shredded coconut.
For the best texture, process the almonds and coconut separately from the dates, then add in the dates to form a sticky dough.
Press the crust texture into a parchment lined pie pan and push up on the sides with your fingers to create a crust.
It doesn’t need to be perfect; you just need a solid base and sides to form the foundation for your filling.
Transfer the crust to the fridge to chill while you prepare the sugar cream fill.
Before we move on to the filling– let’s talk about coconut milk!
I used Frieda’s Young Coconuts to make the coconut milk for use in this recipe.
You might have had coconut water and coconut milk and maybe even coconut milk, but have you ever used a whole coconut in a recipe?
I was excited to experiment with young coconuts in this recipe.
Frieda’s Young Coconuts are mainly used for the coconut water but the coconut meat is also delicious.
To make coconut milk, you simply blend the coconut meat and water, then strain to reveal a delicious sweet liquid.
Frieda’s Young Coconuts are harvested young and their green outer skin is pared away to a white cylindrical husk with a pointy, pencil-like tip.
Inside the white husk is the round coconut like you’re used to seeing with its hard shell.
Crack that open and you’ll get to the sweet, refreshing coconut water!
Check out the recipe below to make your own coconut milk to make this pie extra sweet.
The coconut sugar cream filling is as simple as the crust, sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar.
You just need your coconut milk, coconut sugar, and corn starch.
If you’re never worked with corn starch, it’s an excellent vegan and gluten-free thickener to help our sugar cream pie achieve a thick custard-like texture.
You can also use arrowroot starch as a thickener if you don’t have corn starch on hand.
The trick to working with cornstarch is to whisk it with cold filtered water to liquify before adding to the hot pot to avoid clumping.
Once the mixture is warm, sweet smelling, and bubbling, you want to whisk it almost constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Mixture is done when it’s jiggly and gelatinous.
Allow it to cool slightly then pour into the pie crust.
Now here’s the hard part.
At this point, I recommend waiting 3-4 hours, OR, even better, overnight, before serving your pie.
You can keep yourself busy by whipping up a coconut cream for topping with canned coconut cream and maple syrup.
I love using my Vitamix to do this, but you can also grab your hand mixer, too, to make a frothy fresh coconut whipped cream.
Wait until right before serving to dress the pie with coconut whip and additional toasted coconut toppings.
Make this Coconut Sugar Cream Pie as a part of your new family tradition!
It’s a great pie to make ahead and share on the day of an event.
Enjoy a coconut sugar cream pie for birthdays, dinner parties, or anytime you’re craving something extra decadent and sweet.
The pie keeps well in the fridge for several days and frozen for a few weeks.
If you can’t find young coconuts near you, or aren’t up for making your own coconut milk, try subbing subbing full-fat canned coconut milk for the same great flavor.
I love mine chilled with coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut on top for crunch.
Enjoy!
If you make this Coconut Sugar Cream Pie, let me know what you think!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipe like this one to make later.
Want more oil-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free pie recipes? Check out my 6-Ingredient Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Pie and Vegan Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie.
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XO Lauren
Coconut Sugar Cream Pie
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8-12 servings
Description
Healthier sugar cream pie made with a date-nut crust, young coconut cream filling, and whipped coconut topping. Perfect for a decadent dessert to share!
Ingredients
COCONUT DATE CRUST
- 2 cups almonds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 1/4 cup pitted and packed Medjool dates
COCONUT SUGAR CREAM FILLING
- 6 TBSP cornstarch + 6 TBSP cold water
- 1 cup unrefined coconut sugar
- 3 1/3 cups coconut milk made from Frieda’s Young Coconuts (or sub 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk)
COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
- 2 14-ounce cans coconut cream (or two cans full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight)
- 3–4 TBSP maple syrup
TOPPINGS
- coconut whipped cream
- toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
-
Line a standard pie dish with parchment paper or lightly grease with coconut oil.
-
Add the almonds, shredded coconut, and Medjool dates to a high speed blender or food processor and pulse until you have a fine sticky meal. Your dough is done if it sticks when pressed with two fingers. If it’s too dry, add another date or two and process again.
-
Transfer mixture to the prepared pie pan or baking dish and spread evenly to distribute. Use your fingers to press down evenly to create the crust base and up the sides of the dish. Transfer the pie pan to the fridge to harden while you prepare the filling.
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In the meantime, prepare the coconut sugar cream filling. Add the cornstarch to a small bowl with the cold water and whisk with a fork until you have a runny white liquid. Add this to a medium saucepan with the coconut milk and coconut sugar. Heat over medium, whisking frequently to avoid clumps. Cook until bubbling, then reduce heat to low continue cooking 4-6 minutes, using a spatula constantly to scrape the sides to recombine. Filling is done when it has a bit of jiggle and has a pudding-like consistency.
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Remove the pie crust from the fridge. Pour the filling into the crust, swirling it with the back of a spoon to evenly fill the pan. Tap several times to release any air bubbles. Place the pie back in the fridge and chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.
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In the meantime, make your coconut whipped cream. Remove coconut cream cans from fridge and gently scoop out the hard “cream” into a chilled bowl, and leave the coconut liquid behind. Use a high speed blender or hand mixer to beat the coconut cream until it begins to look like whipped cream. Then add desired amount of maple syrup to taste. Set in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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To serve, top with coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, though best when fresh.
- Prep Time: 0 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
Coconut Sugar Cream Pie
- Total Time: 15 minutes
Description
How to make coconut milk from fresh Frieda’s young coconuts!
Ingredients
- The flesh and water from one fresh Frieda’s young coconut
- 1 + ½ cup plain filtered water
Instructions
- To make coconut milk from a fresh young coconut, add the coconut flesh, coconut water, and 1 cup of filtered water to a high speed blender.
- Process on high until as much of the coconut is broken down as possible– this may take several minutes! Scrape down the sides as needed to recombine.
- Transfer the contents of the blender into a nut milk bag or a cheesecloth lined bowl. Wrap up the coconut contents and squeeze firmly until you can’t get any more liquid out.
- Repeat with more coconut until you have enough for use in this recipe or your own drinking! Transfer coconut milk to the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
For instruction on how to open your Frieda’s young coconuts, check out this video.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
This post is brought to you by Frieda’s, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
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