Think of Snowconut Pie as a coconut cookie cake meets a tender shortbread crust, all with a flurry of coconut “crumble” snow on top. I feel like my first sentence really had to tell you what it is, because I couldn’t bear the idea of you all missing out on this!
This pie is filled with coconut flavor, but more importantly it’s filled with TEXTURE. The coconut crumble is light and crisp (like a good first snow fall), the filling is dense and gooey, and the crust puts everything together in a perfect holiday package.
Plus, the name “Snowconut Pie” is just adorable. It’s worth making, even if you don’t think you love coconut.
Table of contents
- First, let’s talk about the tart crust
- The benefit of a patê sucree tart shell
- Whip up an easy coconut crumble topping
- Now, the thing about the rice flour in the crumble topping.
- The coconut filling *might* look familiar
- Tricks and tips for how to roll out this delicate tart crust
- Why we don’t weigh down this crust for the par-bake
- Spread the filling all the way to over the tart edges
- Same with the coconut crumble
- When you know this Snowconut Pie is ready
- Looking for other Thanksgiving desserts?
(I overbaked the one above, think of the center as even denser and glossier than that – it’s like a cookie dough cake)
First, let’s talk about the tart crust
This tart crust is one of my current favorite crusts, and that is a pâte sucrée. This is a term for a crust that is enriched with an egg yolk, making it more of a cookie-crust than your traditional, laminated butter-only pie crust.
The benefit of a patê sucree tart shell
I love this style of crust for a few reasons:
- You can make it with an electric mixer. Just start with the butter sugar and coconut, then once that is whipped add the flour. Finally the egg yolk goes in to pull it all together. It’s backwards from a normal pie crust, but so insanely easy.
- It bakes a bit sturdier than typical pie crusts. You don’t need to weigh it down with pie weights, and the sides won’t slip down. It will feel firm, like a good shortbread cookie.
- I also love that it is friendly to any fillings – so coconut went right in!
Whip up an easy coconut crumble topping
Now that the (easy) crust is done, the (easier) topping is on deck.
This topping is just whisking together sugar, coconut, coconut oil and rice flour with a fork. There’s a hefty amount of salt, but that turns the crispy topping into a salty-sweet combo that my friend’s crave.
How do I know this? Well, I put it in this cake.
Now, the thing about the rice flour in the crumble topping.
I hate to say it, but the rice flour is crucial.
This is the light element that makes the pie feel like freshly piled snow. Rice flour is naturally finer than all-purpose flour, so the crumble bakes into something light and crisp that can’t really be copied with another flour. And believe me, I’ve tried.
The coconut filling *might* look familiar
That’s because – drumroll please – it’s another take on frangipane filling! I just simply can’t get enough of what that dense, creamy filling can do in baking. Unlike this recipe, here I cut the almond flour down by half in order to add the shredded coconut. Both do the same job, which is to make this filling rich and perfectly gooey.
Tricks and tips for how to roll out this delicate tart crust
Since this crust is unlike pie crust, it has a bit less gluten and tends to fall apart in a heartbeat.
This can make rolling it out extremely frustrating, especially when lifting it into the pan. To fix this, I suggest rolling the crust out directly on a sheet of parchment paper. You see me in the image below measuring if my crust is wide enough. It should overhang the tart pan by at least a centimeter.
From there, lift the parchment paper and ease it into the tart pan. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Fold over the edges of the crust so that the crust is uniform, thick, and about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the tart pan.
Why we don’t weigh down this crust for the par-bake
Since this crust isn’t laminated, it won’t change that much during a par-bake. It will just get slightly brown. This means you don’t have to weigh it down. But you definitely can’t skip the par-bake, it’s what gives the crust it’s oh-so-golden color and signature lightness.
Spread the filling all the way to over the tart edges
Since the edges don’t come all the way up, I like to have the coconut filling overhang the edges. The filling will puff up, making it so the edges of the tart are three unique layers. It’s fun.
Same with the coconut crumble
Get the crumble all the way out to the edges. The edges will get lightly brown and are such a treat.
When you know this Snowconut Pie is ready
A key thing when you are baking to know is: The Snowconut Pie will not look fully baked when it’s time to pull it out. It will look slightly wet in the center, but you want that! It will firm up as it sits out of the oven, but that initial moisture signals that the coconut filling will be all soft, gooey and rich like a coconut cookie dough.
Looking for other Thanksgiving desserts?
I have a few favorites:
And that’s everything for this Snowconut Pie!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Snowconut Pie
Equipment
- 1 electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 9-inch tart pan
Ingredients
For the tart crust:
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened, 113 grams
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 15 grams
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 140 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half if using Morton's
- 1 large egg yolk reserve the egg white for the coconut filling
For the coconut crumble topping:
- 1 cup rice flour 150 grams
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar 75 grams
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut 25 grams
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted, 70 grams
For the coconut frangipane filling:
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil solid, 57 grams
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened, 57 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1 cup loosely packed almond flour 100 grams
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 100 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 19 grams
Instructions
- For the crust, use a hand mixer to mix together 113 grams softened salted butter, 50 grams granulated sugar and 15 grams of shredded coconut. Mix until fluffy, then add 140 grams of flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in the flour and salt until shaggy, then add the egg yolk and mix until a tacky dough forms (this may take a few minutes, but it will get to a play-doh like texture after a bit).
- Lightly press the crust into a 1-inch tall disc, wrap it in cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes up to overnight.
- Next, make the coconut crumble. Whisk together the 150 grams of rice flour, 75 grams of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 25 grams of shredded coconut. Pour in the coconut oil and whisk with a fork until you get a crumbly mixture. Set in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Next make the filling, use an electric hand mixer to whip together the 57 grams of solid coconut oil and 57 grams of softened butter with 100 grams of sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and egg white, mix until it looks like buttercream, then the 100 grams of almond flour, the 100 grams of shredded coconut, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 19 grams of flour. Mix this into a spreadable, fluffy mixture. Set aside.
- When you are ready to bake, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F convection, or 375°F standard.
- Lightly flour the tart dough on both sides. Roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper, adding flour as needed. Roll it out until it is at least 1 centimeter wider than your tart pan on all edges. Gently place the parchment paper and dough into the pan. Fold down the crust's edges and press them into the side of the pan so you have a clean line all around.
- Pierce the dough with a fork, place the tart pan on a sheet pan and par-bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
- To the par-baked crust, add the coconut filing and spread it to the edges, then scatter the crumble on top.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. The pie will still look a bit moist in the center, but it will continue to cook as the pan cools, and that signals that the tart will have a gooey, cookie-dough-like texture.
- Let the pie cool until you can safely handle it, slice and serve with coconut gelato or vanilla ice cream.
As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it! Frangipane, crumble, coconut… all my favorite things. It came out great! I followed the recipe exactly ( I had rice flour and almond flour on hand- lucky me) and the result is a a really unique and delicious pie! No more soggy, wet pies for me. The crust is delicious and easy- don’t stress if it breaks when rolling and moving it, just piece it back together and all is well. I made the crust and frangipane in the food processor- worked great. Thank you,Justine, for your unique and delicious recipes- I have your book and your creativity and talent is outstanding!
This comment MADE MY DAY 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed it (and I’m so glad you like my book!)
hi justine! how does this store?
Hi! It stores well for up to four days in the fridge or two days on the counter. I wouldn’t flex it any longer than that!
Hi Justine, do you think this recipe would work with chocolate chips and/or nuts mixed through in the frangipane? Thank you from Oz
Hi Kate! I think both or either would be fab, just don’t go over 1 cup or it may be too much.
this is a small thing but i love that you have the measurements in the instructions so that you don’t have to scroll up and down with floury hands constantly.
Hi Justine — We absolutely LOVE your videos and recipes in our house. We make them every chance we get and they always turn out stellar. Can I ask, is the recipe similar if we want to make the snowconut bars you posted a video for (the version with no crust and in a loaf pan)? Are the measurements the same? Can you perhaps give guidance on the temperature and cook times for that version?
Thanks so much!
Hi AJ! First, thank you 🙂 Second – yes! This pie is exactly the recipe for the bars, just improved slightly since the bars’ topping tended to fall off when it was in bar form, and in pie form it stays much better. If you want to make these as bars, skip making the crust and instead put the coconut filling into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan. Put the crumble on top and bake at the same temperature for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges look brown. Then you can cut them into squares 🙂
Thank you so much for the guidance and the amazing recipes, Justine!
I have to let you know that now, in my house, whenever I make something particularly delicious, the first question often is, “Is this a Justine recipe?” THAT’s how good you are! Not only are your recipes stellar, but your amazing warmth and hilarity comes through in all of your videos. Thank you so much for creating an amazing and positive corner of the internet.
(and a very belated double-congratulations on your cookbook and your wedding!)