National Coconut Cream Pie Day is here! Today is the perfect reason to pull up a chair and enjoy a slice of coconut cream pie while learning more about coconuts.
This tropical food can be used in so many ways, but one of most delicious uses is in coconut cream pies.
Keep reading to learn more about this May food day, including ways to celebrate it and fun facts about coconuts.
If you want to make your own coconut cream pie, we have a printable recipe at the bottom of the post!
What is National Coconut Cream Pie Day?
The month of May has a national day dedicated to celebrating coconut cream pie. This delicious dessert consists of crust, coconut filling, whipped cream and toasted coconut.
This May national day, called National Coconut Cream Pie Day, falls annually on May 8. Even though you don’t need an excuse to enjoy this dessert, today encourages you to do so!
National Coconut Cream Pie Day is one of only two national pie days in May (the other is National Apple Pie Day), which falls on May 13.
Facts about coconuts
Learn more about this delicious food by reading these coconut facts. There are links to relevant pages so you can learn more if you’d like!
- You may see recipes call for coconut cream, cream of coconut, or coconut milk. While they sound similar, they all have different flavors and uses! Click the link to learn more.
- If you’ve ever made a Pina Colada, you know cream of coconut is one of the main ingredients. Learn more about this drink in our post on National Pina Colada Day.
- In addition to National Coconut Cream Pie Day, there’s another national day during the year that celebrates this food. It is called National Coconut Day.
- While the type of bikini top made up of coconut shells is often associated with Hawaii, it is actually a western creation.
- During Mardi Gras, one of the most highly coveted parade souvenirs are the hand decorated coconuts from the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club.
- Coconut is a sturdy building material. There is a building in the Philipines called The Coconut Palace that is almost entirely made of coconuts (70%!).
- A single coconut can give more than three or four cups of coconut. Find out how to store it, once opened, here.
More coconut facts
Here are a few more facts about coconuts for you to read and enjoy on National Coconut Cream Pie Day.
- Coconut trees can produce up to 180 coconuts for a single harvest.
- The name coconut comes from the old Portuguese word coco. It means “face” or “skull”, and refers to the three holes in coconuts which were though to resemble a face.
- Coconuts are considered drupes (or stone fruits). Cherries, peaches, and plums also fall into this category.
- There are three holes in a coconut. These holes are germination pores for new coconut tree shoots to emerge through.
- The term for dried coconut flesh or meat is ‘copra’.
History of coconut
In the 19th century, tropical fruits began gaining popularity in Europe. While there was a fascination around coconuts, they were not as popular as other tropical fruits because they would often go bad on the long journey across sea.
To solve this problem, a French exporting company based in what is now modern day Sri-Lanka decided to shred the meat of coconuts before shipping them to Europe.
This allowed coconut to be more easily transported without spoiling. It gave Europe a chance to fall in love with coconut, which they promptly did. The worldwide popularity of coconut increased.
Coconuts gained popularity in America when a Philadelphia based flour miller accepted a shipment of coconuts as a debt repayment from a client in Cuba, in 1895.
The miller set up a factory to dry and shred the coconut meat, which made it a widely accessible and popular ingredient in America.
How to observe National Coconut Cream Pie Day
There are lots of obvious ways to celebrate National Coconut Cream Pie Day. Here are a few other creative ideas to help honor this day.
- Make some recipes that utilize coconut from your favorite coconut recipe book!
- Repurpose a coconut husk into a DIY candle.
- Get a pair of his and hers coconut socks! There’s no better day to wear matching coconut socks than today.
- Make sure you use every part of the coconut, The coconut husks make wonderful bowls.
- Make a coconut cream pie from the recipe at the bottom of this post.
- Use the hashtag #NationalCoconutCreamPieDay to spread the word about the day on social media. Here is a tweet to get you started:
More May 8 national days
Did you enjoy learning about National Coconut Cream Pie Day? Well you’re in luck, May 8 is host to more than just one national day!
Here is a complete list of all the May 8 national days:
- National Coconut Cream Pie Day
- National Have A Coke Day
- National Student Nurses Day
- Free Trade Day
- No Socks Day
- Iris Day (called Irisfeest in Belgium)
Pin this post on National Coconut Cream Pie Day for later
Would you like a reminder of this post for National Coconut Cream Pie Day? Just pin this image to one of your recipe boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Watch our video about the May national food days video on YouTube.
Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
This coconut cream pie is easier than you might think. This delicious pie is creamy, decadent and full of coconut. It's the perfect make-ahead dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup flour (all purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cooked pie shell crust (9" diameter)
- 1 cup frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and spread coconut flakes evenly on it.
- Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally (roughly 5 minutes).
- Combine the eggs, half and half, flour, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on a burner over low heat. Make sure to stir constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the vanilla and 3/4 of the coconut flakes (reserve the rest for later).
- Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate until the filling is firm (roughly 4 hours).
- Once chilled, top with whipped topping and the rest of the toasted coconut.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Keep an eye on the coconut flakes when they're baking so they don't cook too much. They should be golden brown when done.
Make sure to stir mixture on the stovetop consistently.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 7g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.