Today, we’re traveling to Hawaii to enjoy a delicious slice of haupia pie. It features a crispy crust, coconut and chocolate flavors, and a creamy whipped cream topping. Sounds tempting? Then let’s bake it together.
Haupia Pie: A Slice of Good Eating
Haupia pie gets its name from a traditional Hawaiian dessert, haupia, which is made by mixing coconut milk, sugar, and cornstarch together. It is often eaten as a pudding or used as a filling for cakes or pies. Over the years, haupia has become a staple at Hawaiian luaus, celebrations, and family gatherings.
Haupia pie is a modern take on the traditional haupia pudding. While haupia itself has long been enjoyed in Hawaii, haupia pie emerged more recently as a popular variation. Local bakers combined the beloved dessert with a homemade pie crust, a chocolate-coconut layer, and topped it all off with a whipped cream topping. And thus, a (dessert) star was born.
If you’ve always wanted to bring a taste of paradise to your table, look no further. The rich blend of creamy coconut and chocolate will cut through any heat and satisfy any sweet tooth. After the first piece, you’ll want a second… or third.
Craving some more? Same here! Keep riding that baking wave with our peach sheet cake, no-bake strawberry mousse cake, and lemon curd tartlet recipes.
Haupia Pie
Equipment
- 1 9-in. pie plate
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- ¼-⅓ cup ice water
For the chocolate layer:
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 3½ oz (70%) dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp sugar
For the haupia layer:
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
For the cream topping:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- chocolate shavings for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers until a crumbly mixture forms.
- Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Place the dough in the plate, trim off any excess dough, and crimp the edges.
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and paper and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let the crust cool completely.
- Prepare the chocolate layer: Heat ¾ cup coconut milk in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk with the cornstarch and sugar until smooth. Add the chopped chocolate to the warm coconut milk and stir until melted. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens. Pour the chocolate layer over the cooled crust and chill for an hour.
- Prepare the haupia layer; Heat 1¼ cups coconut milk in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk with cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the cornstarch mixture to the warm coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, until a thick cream forms. Pour over the chocolate layer and chill for 3 hours.
- Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread evenly over the pie and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
- Serve the haupia pie chilled.