I used to ravel for the trips to Excel Road, TN for BBQ as a little kid.

One of the treats with those trips was their coconut meringue pie. As I’ve grown up and became more fond of replicating these very recipes near and dear to my childhood – I found one to substitute theirs. The BBQ, I doubt I’ll ever be able to substitute.

To my recollection, that was always made in a secretive way by local Koreans. If you’ve ever had KBBQ, you know nothing compares to it. This group brought that recipe from SK (South Korea) back to the states with them to an unlikely area – Excel Road.

That said, this pie was always a treat as a side along with baked beans.

Let’s get into my replicated recipe for it.

How to Make Coconut Meringue Pie

Prep

Gather ingredients/materials

  • Cutting board
  • Quality knife
  • Whisk
  • Machine whisk
  • Mixing bowl
  • Deep saucepan
  • Pie crust (frozen)
  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Milk (2%)
  • 6 eggs (3 egg yolks, 3 egg whites)
  • 1 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoons of butter (Land of Lakes unsalted preferred)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Step #1

Make the filling

  • In a small heavy saucepan, mix 2/3 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • Whisk in 2 cups of 2% milk – cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
  • Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer – remove from heat.
  • Add 3 egg yolks to mixture.
  • Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently stir in 1 cup of chopped coconut, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla until butter and all is melted and incorporated.
  • Leave to the side.

Step #2

Make the Meringue

  • For meringue, in a medium-large bowl, beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar on medium-high speed until foamy.
Should start looking like this.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of sugar gradually (6 total), beating at medium-high for 30-45 seconds with a machine whisk after each addition.
Ultimate gloss.

Step #3

Mold and Cook Pie

  • Spoon out filling you left to side earlier into a frozen pie pan.
  • Add meringue mixture on top of filling, making sure to spoon out evenly.
  • Sprinkle top of meringue with flaked coconut.
Don’t worry about some flakes getting slightly brown/black when you cook. Just amend to your own fitting with cooking time.
  • Bake at 350F until meringue is golden, 13-15 minutes.
  • Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
These flakes turn brown/dark quick, be sure to adjust for that and monitor.
  • Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

This isn’t too difficult to get together. The meringue is the more time-consuming step. You really want to get those glossy waves in the mixture before adding it on top of the filling.

It takes time but, if you want it right – you need to do it.