Easy Vegan Coconut Custard Pie

Thanks to all who joined in the fun on my FB page, trying to guess the secret ingredient which is: a box of Goya Flan Custard mix!  As promised, here’s the recipe for the vegan coconut custard pie. With only three ingredients in the pie filling, this is one crazy-easy pie to make.
Now, I’m not going to say this pie is healthy, although I’ve made “healthy” versions before.  What this version does have going for it (besides being quick and easy) is that it tastes remarkably like the non-vegan version my mom used to make — which was one of Jon’s favorite pre-vegan desserts.
One day when he was reminiscing about my mother’s coconut custard pie, I got the idea to try making it with the flan mix. I knew the flan mix was vegan and very “custardy” so I figured it would work — and it did! Instead of using healthy unsweetened coconut, I bought the sweetened kind that my mom used in her pie, to try to duplicate the flavor we remembered.

For nondairy milk, I generally use one can of unsweetened coconut milk and make up the rest with either almond milk or Mimicreme. For a firm texture, I use no more than 3 1/2 cups of liquid (rather than the 4 cups called for on the flan box).

I only lightly toast the coconut, but you could toast it a little longer if you want.  Sometimes I pulse the toasted coconut a little in a food processor to give it a more coconut-y flavor.  I’ve also added a few drops of coconut extract but I like it fine without it, too.

So there you have it.  If you make this pie, be sure to let me know what you think of it!

Impossibly Easy Vegan Coconut Custard Pie

Note: Discard the caramel packet from the box of flan mix or reserve it for another use.

1 (5.5-ounce) box Goya Flan Custard mix
3 to 3 1/2 cups nondairy milk (any combination of: coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, Mimicreme, etc.)
1 (12-ounce) bag flaked sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
1 prebaked pie crust (homemade or storebought), cooled

Place the flan mix in a saucepan and slowly stir in the nondairy milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. (It will be thin.)
Remove from the heat and stir in about 2/3 of the coconut, then set aside to cool slightly. Pour the mixture into the baked and cooled pie crust. Sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut and press into the pie filling. Refrigerate for a few hours to chill and firm up.

Makes 8 servings

Check out my other posts at Robin’s Vegan Planet blog