Bullock's Wilshire Coconut Cream Pie

Name: Bullock's Wilshire Coconut Cream Pie
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1/4 cup shortening, chilled, cut into pieces; 1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 2 to 5 tablespoons ice water; 1 cup evaporated milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup sugar; 6 egg yolks; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract; 3 tablespoons cream of coconut; 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes; 2 cups heavy cream; 4 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe from Valerie Gordon

Adapted by Robert Trachtenberg

Updated Nov. 8, 2023

Bullock's Wilshire Coconut Cream Pie — Craig Lee for The New York Times

Total Time: 2 hours, plus chilling
Rating: 5(668)
Notes: Read community notes

This recipe came to The Times in a 2010 article about Valerie Confections, a Los Angeles bakery that specializes in vintage desserts with a California provenance. This spectacular pie is an adaptation of one that was served at Bullock's Wilshire, a luxury department store in Los Angeles, popular in the '20s, '30s and '40s, that had a number of celebrity clients including Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and Clark Gable. —Robert Trachtenberg

Featured in: Now Serving | Los Angeles Cake Revival

Learn: How to Make a Pie Crust

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

For the Crust

1¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½teaspoon salt
½teaspoon sugar
¼cup shortening, chilled, cut into pieces
⅓cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 5tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

1cup evaporated milk
1cup heavy cream
½cup sugar
6egg yolks
1tablespoon cornstarch
1tablespoon softened unsalted butter
¼teaspoon vanilla extract
¼teaspoon coconut extract
3tablespoons cream of coconut

For the Topping

1cup sweetened, shredded coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes
2cups heavy cream
4tablespoons sugar
1teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Make the crust: Sift flour, sugar and salt together. Using a food processor or pastry cutter, blend butter and shortening into the flour mixture until pea-sized pieces form. Slowly add the water until the dough just comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface until it is large enough to create a 1-inch overhang on a 9-inch pie pan. Using a fork, poke several holes along the base of the crust. Finish the rim of the crust to your liking and chill until firm, 30 minutes. Line with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake until the edges are pale golden and the crust will hold its shape, 25-30 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is dry and pale golden, 5-10 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Step 3
Make the filling: Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour evaporated milk, cream and sugar into a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Using a whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until they appear pale and fluffy. Add cornstarch and butter; continue beating until they are fully incorporated. Add vanilla, coconut extract and cream of coconut. Set the mixer on a low speed and slowly add the warm cream mixture to the egg mixture. Pour the filling back into the saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard has thickened to the consistency of runny yogurt. Pour coconut filling into the baked pie shell and bake until the edges are barely puffed and the center wobbles like Jell-o when you give the pan a shuffle, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the pie to cool completely, 2-3 hours
Step 4
Make the topping: Place coconut on baking sheet and toast until light brown, about 7 minutes. Whip cream, sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.
Step 5
To finish: Place a large mountain of whipped cream in the center of the pie and, using a small offset spatula, create a dome shape. Sprinkle the entire dome with toasted coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Ratings

5 out of 5

668 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

John6 years ago

I think there is a mistake/contradiction in step 3. From, "Pour coconut filling..." to the end of the paragraph it gives two times for cooking in the oven first 35 minutes and then 20 minutes, unless I'm reading it wrong...which is it?

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor6 years ago

It's 20 minutes. We've corrected the recipe. Thank you!

Candace6 years ago

Tader Joe's has coconut flakes like those pictured in the recipe.

William Wroblicka6 years ago

You're right: the recipe is inconsistent. Actually I'm not sure why the filling needs to be baked at all. The pie crust has been blind baked, and the filling has been cooked before it's poured into the crust. Most recipes for these types of pies omit the second bake and simply call for the pie to be chilled in the refrigerator to set the filling before the whipped cream topping is applied.

Sara5 years ago

Lord have mercy. What a spectacular pie! Not too sweet, luscious, subtle coconut, flaky-crisp pie crust. We did not eat it all at once, so kept the whipped cream off until slices were served, and then sprinkled with lots of toasted coconut. A show-stopper, no kidding. Make this!

Lydia6 years ago

William, Baked custards taste different. I'm sure there are coconut custard recipes that do not need to go into the oven, but they will taste a bit more like pudding than this one.

Matt4 years ago

What do you think about Graham cracker crust?

Mary4 years ago

For inexperienced bakers or sticklers for following recipes exactly, this recipe would have baker heat up the over for over an hour since step 1 is preheat over and step 2 says make the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour.

HD4 years ago

Make another pie. I refrigerated mine and it was good in the fridge for at least six months. Because I knew it was there, I made more pies.

Anne6 years ago

Wonderful and not too difficult. Just be sure you start early so that you have plenty of time to let it cool.

Jodie R4 years ago

I like to double the volume of the whipped cream, by doubling the heavy cream quantity and adding 12 oz of marscapone cheese. You can warm the marscapone in a pan till it is softened, and then fold very gently into the whipped cream/sugar mixture. Adding the seeds of one vanilla bean while whipping the cream creates visual interest as well. After your whipped cream mountain has chilled for 4 hours in the refrigerator, it will be significantly firmer and richer than the original recipe here.

ER3 years ago

First time I made this the pie filling curdled in the oven. Figured I cooked the custard for too long. Second time cooked it much less and it came out beautifully. Did make some adjustments to bump up the coconut flavor: added coconut rum, more of both extracts, plus stirred in about 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds after cooking but before baking. Delicious and will definitely make again for my coconut-loving mom once this dang quarantine is over.

Stonehill4 years ago

Delicious! I took a shortcut and used the saltine crumb crust from Margaux Laskey’s Atlantic Beach pie. The crunch and salt work beautifully with this creamy filling.

Lisa V1 month ago

Made this for a birthday and it was delightful, but the coconut custard is light on the coconut flavor. It tastes more like a vanilla custard pie w coconut flakes. Still delicious. We added all the whipped cream on top, and it was a little too much (which I never thought I'd ever say about whipped cream).

Partick Io3 months ago

This was a hit at Thanksgiving. I more than doubled the coconut extract because the flavor was quite mild. Next time I think I’ll experiment with using coconut milk to make the custard, or steeping shredded coconut in the liquids beforehand. People love a cream pie though!

Marc5 months ago

Does this make a 9” regular or deep dish pie?

Mike C7 months ago

Perfect every time. And if you find this hidden downtimes throughout the day, it doesn't feel like too much. Have made many time and will continue - I total crowd pleaser.

joe1 year ago

PERFECT. SUBLIME. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Like others, doubled the amount of coconut extract.

BLB1 year ago

This pie is excellent. After reading the comments, I increased the coconut extract by about 50% and used sweetened coconut in the whipped cream because it was all I could find. I dropped the amount of sugar and the result was fine. An Easter hit, in fact.

Jenny1 year ago

Custard is finished at 185 degrees

Julie1 year ago

This was the first pie I ever attempted, and I found the recipe to be totally doable and the pie to be delicious. I made the crust the night before and let it sit under a loosely draped dish towel on the counter overnight. I also doubled the coconut extract after reading the notes here, and I’m glad I did. My family raved about the pie on Thanksgiving and already requested it for Christmas.

Partick Io1 year ago

Highly recommend straining the custard before filling the pie shell. It really helps ensure a smooth filling once baked.

Best Pie Ever1 year ago

This is a spectacularly delicious pie. We make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Found it a few years ago and even today my now grown up sons ask for it every year. Ignore the skeptics. You will making it again and again

JMG1 year ago

can you make the pie crust the night before and the filling the next day? would it need refrigerated?

Troy1 year ago

Double the amount of coconut extract.

Danielle2 years ago

This was absolutely delightful. Fun to make, fun to eat. Agree on the larger coconut flakes at Trader Joes! :) I ran out of vanilla extract, so used coconut extract in the whipped cream. SO GOOD! :)

Jenny2 years ago

Make twice as much filling. Add more coconut flavoring. Didn’t cook the filling.

Sourdough Gal2 years ago

Happy mistake! I goofed up my measurements when I made this pie last week. I had an entire recipe of the milk/cream/sugar mixture, which I stored in my fridge until today. I picked up the recipe from the egg yolks, and when I combined them, they went together smoothly and without lumps. This time we added coconut to the custard before we baked it, but we would like it to have more coconut flavor, so next time we will double the coconut extract. Wonderful recipe!

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