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 Baรฑos, 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 ยฝ cup of lard with ยฝ 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
Ingredients
FLAKY PIE CRUST
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ยพ cups lard,chilled
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
PIE FILLING
- โ cup cornstarch
- ยฝ cup coconut water
- ยฝ cup all-purpose cream
- ยพ 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.ย
- 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.ย
- 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. Refrigerateย until ready to use.ย
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,ย whisk together the egg and milk.ย 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
Nutrition Information
Calories: 469kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 254mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 415IU, Vitamin C: 4.3mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 3.3mg
โThis 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.โ
Gretchen says
Hi im in Virginia, and fresh young coconut is not available here... have you or anyone else tried it with frozen young coconut. It has been my favorite pie since ive had it in Tagaytay. And I miss it everyday ๐ญ. Cant wait to try it!
Lalaine Manalo says
I haven't tried it with frozen but it should work. The only problem with the frozen is some pieces are pretty hard. If you can pick the softest buko in the package, that will work best ๐
Dane says
The one from a can isnt bad. It is softer than the frozen ones. And it doesnt taste bad as long as you use it for cooking. I dont like it for buko salad or any recipe that requires uncooked buko. I can taste the difference from fresh
Jec says
Hi, Bebs & Lalaine.
Iโm wondering if I can use heavy cream OR evaporated milk instead of all purpose cream? If so, is it the same amount?
Also, Iโm using canned young coconut meat, which means no coconut juice. What can I use in place of that? This canned coconut has a simple syrup in it but ai donโt think itโs the same as coconut juice.
Hope to hear from you guys!
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi, Jec,
I think heavy cream would work as I often substitute it for our Filipino recipes that call for all-purpose cream. With regards to the coconut juice, I like to use the one in cans. It's not as good as fresh, of course, but it doesn't have additives so I think it should work fine. I emailed Bebs to find out for sure as this is her specialty ๐
jzon says
can i use ready made puff pastry instead for the top and bottom crust? thanks in advance!
Lalaine says
I haven't tried it with the puff pastry but I don't see why it wouldn't work or you could use Pillsbury pie crust as well.
Mhars says
How about the shelf life of filing, what brand of preservative to extend the shelf life?
Lalaine says
I usually keep the pie in the fridge as it will spoil really quickly outside of refrigeration because of the buko filling. The crust will change texture, however, when refrigerated. I am sorry but I don't use preservatives for the filling so I wouldn't know what brand or kind to use.
Marjolijn Roepers says
I really want to try and make this pie, one question tho; I assume that after 10 minutes the egg wash is added and another 30~40 mins cooking is needed? This sentence should be at the very end, not after 10 minutes? -> Remove pie from oven and let it cool down for the filling to set in. Serve while just slightly warm. You may refrigerate left over and just reheat in the microwave before serving.
Bake in a 425 F for 10 minutes.
Remove pie from oven and let it cool down for the filling to set in. Serve while just slightly warm. You may refrigerate left over and just reheat in the microwave before serving.
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 from oven and allow to cool before slicing.
Carmela says
Have you tried making this using canned or frozen coconut? I would love to try making this but unsure if canned or frozen would work well...
jenneth says
hello what is the replacement for Lard?
Lalaine says
You can try vegetable shortening (Crisco) or butter ๐
Nancy Dsouza says
Hi, Its so simple n delicious buko pie to make..I am from Mangalore coastal area in South India but settled in Mumbai, so coconuts r common for us..I am also fond of Apple pies too much.. Thank u for ur pie recipe.
Nancy d'souza.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Nancy!
Sonia says
Thank you so much for keep sending me your yummy recipe. More power!!!
Lalaine says
๐
Janie says
I love your recipes. Keep on bloggin'.
Lalaine says
Thank you, Janie!
Lalaine says
Thank so much, Andre! I really appreciate your kind words.
Kelly says
do you use US measuring cups?Great blog!
Lalaine says
Yes, I use US customary units ๐
Andre says
That pie looks incredible. I am an African American guy and I absolutely love Filipino food. I've made Biko before. Lucky for me I have a lot of Filipino Friends so I get to sample many different h one made dishes from different regions of the Philippines.
I also love your blog. I appreciate the personal touch, you have a great writing style that reflects your love for cooking and people. Please keep it up. Thank you!!!!
Lucita A. Soriano says
Thank you for always sending me your recipe especially this buko pie, I really love buko pie. I will try to make this one of this days. Please keep on sending me your recipe.
More power Kawaliung Pinoy! Thank you.
Lalaine says
Thank you, Lucita. I am glad you're enjoying the recipes ๐
Jodi says
Have you ever tried adding a layer of chocolate pudding & no top crust? In Hawaii, we make a thick coconut pudding called "haupia". When made into a pie with a layer of chocolate (chocolate haupia pie), it's delicious!
Lalaine says
That sounds delicious!