Pina Colada Pie

In this post I’m going to share a recipe for a delicious Pina Colada Pie. If you love tropical flavors you’re going to adore this one!

The Story Behind this Pie

Before I share the recipe for this one I want to tell you a story. A funny story. 

On Christmas Eve I was having dinner with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids. I told them that I needed to get home and do my baking for the following day. 

My grandson (14) asked, “What are you making, Nina?”

I responded, “Well, I’ve narrowed it down to two things. I’m either making Pina Colada Pie or—“

I didn’t get a chance to finish before he said, “I’m want the other one.” 

We laughed so hard over that. But I ended up making Lemon Swirl cheesecake, which was absolutely delicious. I had no regrets. 

But what about that Pina Colada Pie? 

Still, as the month of December drew to a close, I still had to face that Pina Colada pie. It was on my to-do list for this blog and I had the ingredients ready to go. 

So, on December 30th, late at night, I finally decided to whip it up. I found this recipe at Southern Living and common sense would say, “Use the recipe.” 

But, y’all. I’m tired. It’s the end of December. And I’m feeling a little lazy. The original recipe calls for a homemade crust made of shortbread cookies. I actually had the cookies on hand, as well as butter to add to the cookie crumbs. 

But, being exhausted and somewhat overwrought after Christmas, I decided to go with a store-bought graham cracker crust. 

Can you bake a pie in a store-bought graham cracker crust? 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t even think about this until I had the pie filling mixed up. I stared at that empty graham cracker pie crust and thought, “Oh no! I don’t know if that can go in the oven. Aren’t those crusts for icebox pies that don’t require baking?”

So, I did some research online. Turns out, you can bake a pre-made graham cracker crust. For a situation like this, with a filling that requires baking, you simple fill and bake, just like you would a flour-based crust. 

So, with much fear and trepidation, I made the pie and popped it into the oven, then prayed for the best. 

Pina Colada Pie Ingredients

I’ll share more about how it turned out in a bit, but first let’s talk about the rest of the ingredients. You’ll find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. 

• premade graham cracker crust (or graham cracker crumbs with melted butter)
• shredded coconut (divided)
• granulated sugar
• cornstarch
• crushed pineapple in juice
• cream cheese, room temperature
• cream of coconut, divided
• large eggs
• whipping cream (or cool whip)

(Am I the only one who always keeps heavy whipping cream in my fridge at all times?)

How to Make Pina Colada Pie

This is a simple process. It just looks complicated! 

Make the pineapple filling

Place 8 oz of crushed pineapple (with juice) into a heavy saucepan, along with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and two tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir well. 

Add pineapple and place on stovetop. Mix well and simmer for one minute until pineapple mixture begins to thicken. Remove and place in a bowl. Transfer to refrigerator to chill. 

Make the cream cheese filling

Mix softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment) until smooth and creamy. 

Add one full cup of cream of coconut. Mix well. 

Slowly work in the eggs, one at a time. 

Make whipping cream

Mix heavy cream (whipping cream). Add remaining cream of coconut (or simply sweeten with 1/4 cup granulated sugar). Cover and place in refrigerator until time to use. 

Toast coconut

Toast about 2/3 of your shredded coconut and set aside to cool. 

Bring it together

Place pie shell on a cookie sheet. 

Sprinkle remaining (untoasted) coconut into the bottom of the pie shell. 

Spread cooled pineapple mixture on top of it. 

Spread cream cheese mixture on top of the pineapple. (Note: You will have excess filling. Set that aside for use with another project if you like.) 

Place pie (on baking sheet) into preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 38-40 minutes or until golden in color and slightly set. (It will still jiggle a bit when moved but will firm up as it cools.) 

Remove and cool. This process will take a couple of hours. I let mine cool at room temperature for an hour then put it into the fridge to finish. You don’t want to put it into the refrigerator too soon or it will get damp on top. 

Once completely cooled, place whipped cream on top. Check out those soft peaks!

Top pie with toasted coconut. 

Slice and serve. 

Enjoy! 

Store leftover pie in the refrigerator, and cover using the plastic cover that came with the crust. The pie will stay good in the fridge for about four days. I don’t recommend freezing this creamy pie. 

What to Expect from this Pina Colada Cream Pie

This pie is a combination of many different textures and flavors. In many ways, the cream cheese filling is like a baked cheesecake with creamy coconut flavors. (Cheesecakes are made with similar ingredients, after all.) What sets it apart is the pineapple layer and the golden brown cookie crust. 

I don’t know about you, but I love a great cheesecake. And I love fruit. And I adore toasted coconut flakes. So, this pie was a no-brainer for me. I loved it! 

Variations on this Piña Colada Pie Recipe

I’m already thinking of fun ways to change this up. Here are some ideas that come to mind: 

Maraschino cherries: With all of the fruity goodness in this pie I found myself wishing I’d decorated it with swirls of whipped cream topped with maraschino cherries. (Cute, right?) 

Cherry pie filling in place of pineapple: I think it would be delicious! I might skip the cream of coconut and use sweetened condensed milk instead. 

Blueberry pie filling: If I used blueberry filling instead of pineapple I’d probably make the cream cheese layer with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and lemon juice. Yum! 

Rum Extract: I’m just saying. If you really want to go tropical…

Fresh Pineapple: I don’t recommend baking with fresh pineapple (unless you’re able to fully process it first) but it would be fun to decorate with fresh pineapple slices.

Maraschino cherry: Add one on top of each slice to “pretty up” your pie!

Lime juice: Add a couple tablespoons to the heavy cream to add a citrusy twist!

Coconut Extract: Add a teaspoon to enhance the coconut flavors!

Really, the possibilities for this tropical pie are endless. Have fun thinking of other combinations you might enjoy! 

Other Pineapple Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

I have a lot of fruity offerings on this site and some of them are pineapple themed. Here are a few that I really enjoy: 

• Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake
• Pineapple Pound Cake with Berries
• Pineapple Upside Down Dump Cake
• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
• Easy Hawaiian Pound Cake

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious pina colada pie recipe. Talk about delicious flavors! 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at:

• Full Plate Thursday 
• Weekend Potluck
• The Lazy Gastronome
• Busy Monday 

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.