Pina Colada Pie
Prep 30 mins Bake 25 mins Refrigerate 1 hour Eat 1:30
This warm spring weather has me thinking about summer on the way and Pina Coladas….in a pie. Tasting this Pina Colada Pie will remind you of sitting by the pool with a frozen drink decorated with a little umbrella.
I put the Pina Colada Pie innocently on the menu of our annual Pies and Tarts cooking class. Even though Pina Coladas hark to a summer day by the pool with umbrella drinks, I hoped a few people would be interested in the Pina Colada Pie in November. Wrong I was. It was the most popular pie! All four seats at this table were filled immediately, while the other more traditional Pear, Pumpkin, Apple and Cranberry pies were calling out to our students to make them. After tasting this Pina Colada Pie, you will understand its popularity; it is beautiful, inventive, creamy and absolutely delicious.
Learn how to make fresh pie pastry.
Easy as pie to make. That is after you master pie dough and custard, which hopefully I can simplify for you here. For step-by-step instructions on how to make the 15-minute Pie Crust, click here.
The important step to making custard is to temper (or heat slowly) the egg yolks to prevent “scrambled eggs”.
First, make the custard. Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan and then in a small bowl, mix the egg yolks with the cornstarch and salt. The important step is to “temper” the eggs by pouring a small amount of the heated milk into them, while whisking continuously with a fork. Once mixed together, add a little more milk while whisking. Then pour the egg mixture into the milk pan on medium-low heat while whisking continuously. To prevent your eggs from scrambling, alternate using a whisk and a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and keep stirring until it is thick. When bubbles form on the surface, turn off the heat. Stir in the butter until melted, then the rum and pineapple. Chill for about an hour.
Place plastic wrap over the custard to prevent a skin from forming while it is chilling.
While the custard is chilling, make the pie shell. Use refrigerated pie dough and toss it in the pie shell or make it fresh with my Easy 15-minute Pie Crust recipe. Line it with parchment or foil and some pie weights and “blind bake” (That’s what it’s called when you bake the pastry in the pie shell with no filling.) Then let it cool.
Decorating the Pina Colada Pie is the fun part of making this delicious pie.
The rest of it is the fun stuff, the magic, making it all look pretty. Get everything ready. Whip up some cream, toast some coconut and get some of those super red maraschino cherries or small pineapple wedges to garnish your beautiful pie. With a rubber spatula, pour the pineapple custard into your pie shell. You know you are going to lick that rubber spatula clean; the custard is soooo yummy. Next, you could just spread the whipping cream over the top, but I encourage you to use a piping bag with a star tip or a large Ziploc with a small opening on the corner. With small upward strokes, squeeze out a bit of the whipped cream onto every spot of the pie, starting with the outside of the pie and working your way toward the center.
Toasted coconut decorates the edge of the pie.
Next decorate with the toasted coconut. I liked it spread around the edge of the pie, and placing a cherry near the edge where you will cut each slice. Resist a decoration in the center of the pie, as you will be slicing through that spot six or eight times when you serve your yummy Pina Colada Pie.
Rupert made this delicious Pina Colada Pie all on his own!
Look at proud Rupert with his gorgeous Pina Colada Pie perfect for company!
Pina Colada Pie
Sipping Pina Coladas trimmed with umbrellas and pineapple wedges are a real treat on a hot day. Bring those flavors alive in this delicious custard pie. This recipe will make 2 8-inch pies. You can halve the recipe if desired or make one larger pie.
2 8-inch pie shell (blind baked)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons golden rum
1 1/4 cups crushed pineapple, drained
Topping
3 cups heavy (whipping) cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup toasted dried coconut
12 maraschino cherries with stems (optional)
12 tiny pineapple wedges (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. To make the filling, heat the milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan until just below the boiling point. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt. Pour a small amount of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring vigorously, so that the eggs do not curdle. Then add to the milk pan whisking continuously until it is combined. Heat on medium-low until the mixture thickens, alternating between using a whisk and a rubber spatula to stir and scrape the sides of the pan. It is done when the custard heavily coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add the rum and pineapple. Transfer to a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
3. While the custard is chilling, roll out each disk of dough and place in an 8-inch pie shell. Line with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°. Remove pie weights and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.
4. Toast the coconut on a pie tin or baking sheet in the 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or until it is still white, but slightly golden in color.
5. Prepare the topping by whipping the cream, the vanilla and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6. Spoon the chilled pineapple custard filling into the pie shells, making a taller mound in the center. With a rubber spatula place the whipped cream in a piping bag for a professional look or you can spread the cream over the custard starting from the center and rotating the pie pan until the cream is spread over the entire pie without touching the pastry on the sides. Spread the coconut in a light layer along the edge of the pie.
7. If desired, garnish the pie, by placing 6 maraschino cherries and small pineapple wedges next to the coconut, one set for each slice of pie.
8. Refrigerate the Pina Colada Pie until served.
Servings: 12 – 416 calories per serving
Pina Colada Pie
Ingredients
- 2 8- inch pie shell blind baked
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons golden rum
- 1 1/4 cups crushed pineapple drained
Topping
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted dried coconut
- 12 maraschino cherries with stems optional
- 12 tiny pineapple wedges optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- To make the filling, heat the milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan until just below the boiling point. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt. Pour a small amount of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring vigorously, so that the eggs do not curdle. Then add to the milk pan whisking continuously until it is combined. Heat on medium-low until the mixture thickens, alternating between using a whisk and a rubber spatula to stir and scrape the sides of the pan. It is done when the custard heavily coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add the rum and pineapple. Transfer to a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- While the custard is chilling, roll out each disk of dough and place in an 8-inch pie shell. Line with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°. Remove pie weights and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.
- Toast the coconut on a pie tin or baking sheet in the 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or until it is still white, but slightly golden in color.
- Prepare the topping by whipping the cream, the vanilla and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Spoon the chilled pineapple custard filling into the pie shells, making a taller mound in the center. With a rubber spatula place the whipped cream in a piping bag for a professional look or you can spread the cream over the custard starting from the center and rotating the pie pan until the cream is spread over the entire pie without touching the pastry on the sides. Spread the coconut in a light layer along the edge of the pie.
- If desired, garnish the pie, by placing 6 maraschino cherries and small pineapple wedges next to the coconut, one set for each slice of pie.
- Refrigerate the Pina Colada Pie until served.
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM
Nutrition
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The only thing missing on that pie is an umbrella! 😉
Cute idea. I think I will add the umbrellas next time when I serve it.