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 are not 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, 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, they decided to take advantage of what is most abundant in their area: 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.
- For a smooth filling, cook at a gentle simmer and do not boil lest the cream curdles or separates.
- Let the filling cool completely before using as the escaping steam might tear the dough apart.
The pie crust
- Do NOT skip the lemon juice or vinegar! Adding acid interferes with gluten formation, resulting in a more tender crust.
- Use VERY cold ingredients for buttery, flaky crust. You can chill the lard and flour for a few minutes to help maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, add ice-cold water sparingly and use just enough amount for the dough to hold together.
Lard substitution
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. You can replace every ½ cup of lard with ½ cup and 1 tablespoon of butter.
- If substituting vegetable shortening, use 1:1 as shortening and lard have almost the same amount of fat.
Assembly and baking
- Work quickly to prevent the dough from heating up. If it's too soft to handle or it begins to stick on the working surface, chill the dough in the refrigerator for few minutes before rolling.
- You can make decorative crimps on the edges of the pie or use the tines of a fork to seal.
- Poke holes on the top crust using the tines of a fork to serve as vents for the steam during baking.
- Bake the pie for about 10 minutes and then brush with egg wash for a nice golden color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing for the filling to set.
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.
More baked goods recipes
Filipino Coconut Pie is the ultimate tropical treat. Enjoy this buko pie as a snack or dessert with coffee or tea!
Course: Dessert, Snack
8
Ingredients
FLAKY PIE CRUST
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups lard,chilled
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
PIE FILLING
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup coconut water
- ½ cup all-purpose cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 cups young coconut meat
EGG WASH
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
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.
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 28x4 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.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
- Preheat to 425 F.
- 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 oven 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. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- 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.
- For a smooth filling, cook at a gentle simmer and do not boil lest the cream curdles or separates.
- Let the filling cool completely before using as the escaping steam might tear the dough apart.
- Do NOT skip the lemon juice or vinegar! Adding acid interferes with gluten formation, resulting in a more tender crust.
- Use VERY cold ingredients for buttery, flaky crust. You can chill the lard and flour for a few minutes to help maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, add ice-cold water sparingly and use just enough amount for the dough to hold together.
- Work quickly to prevent the dough from heating up. If it's too soft to handle or it begins to stick on the working surface, chill the dough in the refrigerator for few minutes before rolling.
- You can make decorative crimps on the edges of the pie or use the tines of a fork to seal.
- Poke holes on the top crust using the tines of a fork to serve as vents for the steam during baking.
- Bake the pie for about 10 minutes and then brush with egg wash for a nice golden color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing for the filling to set.
Video
“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.”
Sophia says
does the pie need to be served cold or warm?
Hanna says
Do you think I can use macapuno strings instead of young coconut fresh? I will just cut the sugar since macapuno is sweet already.
Lalaine Manalo says
You can, but it won't be the traditional buko pie. Young coconut has a different texture from macapuno strings.
Anita says
Wonderful!
Marides Palteng says
Hindi nagagamit ang videoclip.