Sugar free coconut cream pie. It’s one of Preacher Creature’s favorites.
Because my husband is diabetic, I’m sensitive to the need for healthy and low sugar options for church functions, so I often volunteer to bring a salad or some sugar free dessert. I’m sure to make and several other people happy if I make a sugar free Coconut Cream Pie. For that reason, I often keep a bag of coconut and a box of sugar free vanilla pudding on hand so I’m ready for any event.
Calling this sugar free is misleading. I do use sweetened coconut. I have yet to try unsweetened coconut. That might work to stir into the pudding mix but I think that might be a bit blah for the coconut you put on top of the pie. Still, between the sugar free pudding mix, the three eggs, and using Splenda in the meringue, my low sugar coconut cream pie ends up to be a fairly healthy dessert option.
I also find that using Splenda in meringue makes the meringue turn a strange yellow color when you try to brown the meringue. Usually, when I make meringue, I will use 2 tablespoons Splenda and 2 tablespoon sugar. But, with coconut cream pie, the coconut hides the meringue and you don’t get that weird color.
If you are looking for a coconut cream pie recipe that doesn’t call for a sugar substitute or use a pre-package mix, try my recipe for Coconut Cream Pie that uses a homemade pudding base.
Sugar Free Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
- One baked single crust 9 or 10-inch pastry shell
- 1 small box cook and serve sugar free vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups milk
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup Splenda
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks. Using 2 cups milk, cook the pudding mix according to package directions. When the pudding mix comes to a boil, spoon about ¼ cup of the pudding, spoonful by spoonful into the egg yolks and mix well after each spoonful. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the pudding and boil on medium low heat for three minutes. Remove from heat. Add and stir in ½ coconut and the vanilla.
Pour into prebaked pie shell. Whip the egg white until they reach soft peak stage. Add the cream of tartar and the Splenda, continuing to beat as you add. Beat until meringue reaches stiff peaks. Do NOT overbeat.
Spoon and smooth meringue over the pudding mix. Sprinkle the ¼ cup coconut on top. Bake the pie for about ten minutes or until the coconut starts to brown. Watch carefully. After ten minutes, you can turn your broiler on for 30-60 seconds. Watch VERY carefully. Fifteen seconds under the broiler can make a huge difference.
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