Buko Pie is the ultimate baked treat! With tender young coconut meat in a creamy filling and a crisp, buttery pastry crust, this Filipino coconut pie is perfect for a snack or dessert!
Buko pie is a Filipino-style coconut pie made of fresh, tender young coconut meat combined with a creamy filling and enclosed in a flaky pie crust.
The pie is a favorite pasalubong item mostly bought from the area of Laguna where it’s known to have originated. Stores such as Colette’s and Lety’s have become iconic destinations for this scrumptious pastry, but few people are even aware that none of these establishments is the original creator of the famous Laguna buko pie.
History
The real founder or, in this case, founders of the buko pie are the Pahud sisters, and their only shop called the ORIENT is in Los Baños, Laguna.
The idea for buko pie was born when the sisters planned to start their bakery. Since one of them has worked abroad as a housemaid in the United States and learned how to make apple pie, they wanted to offer this type of pastry in their bakery.
But due to a scant supply of apples in the country, however, they decided to take advantage of what is most abundant in their area, and that is coconuts.
The coconut filling
- The texture of the buko is very important in the success of this recipe. Choose young coconuts that have a generous amount of meat yet but are still very tender.
- Carefully remove the meat using a spoon instead of a shredder for whole and chunky pieces instead of thin strips.
The pie crust
The pie pastry uses lard, but you can substitute unsalted butter or vegetable shortening (Crisco) if you prefer a healthier fat.
- If substituting butter, use unsalted. Butter has less fat than lard so you might have to add more to achieve the same results. For every 1/2 cup of lard, you can replace with 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon butter.
- If substituting vegetable shortening, use 1:1 as shortening and lard have almost the same amount of fat.
Quick tip
Do NOT skip the lemon juice or vinegar! Adding acid interferes with gluten formation, resulting in a more tender crust.
How to serve
Enjoy this delicious buko pie as a dessert or midday snack with coffee, tea, or your favorite cold drinks.
How to store
- Wrap the pie tightly with plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place the baked pie on a baking sheet and freeze until frozen. Transfer to a resealable bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour and heat in a 375 F oven on the lowest rack for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warm.
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Ingredients
FLAKY PIE CRUST
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups lard,chilled
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
PIE FILLING
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup coconut water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 cups young coconut meat
EGG WASH
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
FLAKY PIE DOUGH
- In a bowl, sift flour and salt.
- Add chilled lard and cut in with a knife until resembling small peas. Make sure they are not too small or the crust will be crumbly.
- Add lemon juice or vinegar to the cold water and sprinkle in just enough cold water to the flour mixture, while tossing lightly with a fork, to form a ball.
- Chill, if possible, to make for easier handling. Divide into two equal parts, one for the bottom and one for the top crust.
- Take 1 part of the pie dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out thinly to fit a 28×4 cm pie pan with additional inch allowance for the edges.
- Gently fold the rolled dough in half and then in a quarter. Place the dough on top of the pie pan with the pointed part precisely in the middle. Unfold the pie dough and gently fit the dough on the bottom and sides of the plate without tearing it.
- Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and press gently to seal. Crimp edges if desired. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour before using.
- Take the remaining half of the dough and roll it forming a circle with the same diameter as the top of the pie pan (28cm). Place the dough on parchment paper and roll it together into a cylinder. Refrigerate until ready to use.
PIE FILLING
- Dissolve the cornstarch in coconut water and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream and sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the coconut meat.
- Slowly add the coconut water with cornstarch, stirring regularly. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens to almost paste-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
- Pour the filling on the chilled pie crust, making sure that the coconut meat is evenly distributed.
- Unroll the second crust dough with the parchment paper to cover the top of the pie. Cut the excess from the edges, if any, and pinch the sides to seal together with the crust.
- Using tines of a fork, poke holes on top crust to serve as vents for the steam while baking.
- Bake in a 425 F for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
- Remove the pie from oven and brush the top with the egg wash.
- Lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 30-40 minutes.
- Remove pie from oven and let it cool down for the filling to set in. Serve warm or cold.
Video
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Anita says
Wonderful!
Marides Palteng says
Hindi nagagamit ang videoclip.
Mj says
Do you have a video on how to make this?
Alvin says
Hi meron po ba kayo near sa Massachusetts?
Liza says
Hi laine I made this and it turn very good,thanks for sharing your recipe and keep up the good work. I can’t wait to make your other recipes 😍😍😍
Richie says
Is there any alternative for lard?
Lalaine Manalo says
You can use vegetable shortening like Crisco
Cristall Jean Vasquez says
what specific flour would Be use for baking the flaky pie crust?
Lalaine Manalo says
All-purpose flour 🙂
Adele Abutanatin says
Buko pie is my favorite snack, thank you for sharing your recipe, I will try to bake this weekend during my free time.
Lalaine Manalo says
It’s one of my favorites as well! Let us know how it goes.
Leonora Obed says
Thank you! I am from Los Banos, this recipe brings back wonderful memories
Lalaine Manalo says
You’re welcome Leonora!
Mark says
What can i use if i dont have a lard
Lalaine Manalo says
You can use butter or vegetable shortening such as Crisco 🙂
Jec says
I’ve been a fan of your page for years and lately I’ve been noticing that my comments are not appearing. I have asked questions about the recipes and yet no answer. The most recent commentis here and yet I commented like days ago before that. Disappointing. I’ve been checking the comment page to see if there is any answer to my question because I have been wanting to make buko pie. Really disappointed.
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello, Jec,
I apologize for the delay in my response or your comments not showing right away on the blog. I have a plugin that filters comments for possible spam and I think a lot of the comments are getting caught in my spam folder. Also, I keep most of the comments that I do receive in moderation until I get to answer them. Your feedback is important to me, especially since you take the time and effort to leave one, so I want to acknowledge and answer each and every one. I have to admit, I am very behind 🙁 I promise to work on them as soon as possible so they’ll appear on the post. Again, I am so sorry.