Buko pie is a traditional Filipino baked young-coconut (malauhog) custard pie. It has proven to be a popular dish for Filipinos. It is almost like a coconut cream pie, only it is made with young coconuts (buko in Tagalog), has neither cream in the coconut custard filling or meringue swirls on top of the baked coconut custard. Instead, the pie utilizes sweetened condensed milk, making it denser and heartier. The pie is made with buko meat.^[1] There are also variations of the pie, which are similar but use slightly different ingredients, such as macapuno pie, that uses a special type of coconut which differs from ordinary coconut as it is thick and sticky.^[2] The pie was originally a delicacy only available in the Philippines, but blast freezing technology has allowed buko pie-makers the ability to export.^[3][4] Buko pie is traditionally plain, but other flavorings may be used, such as pandan, vanilla, or almond essences.

Buko pie is similar to the Dutch-Indonesian klappertaart and the South African klappertert. Klappertaart differs from the Filipino buko pie as it is a baked creamy coconut custard without the crust, and contains raisins and nuts. Klappertert is most akin to the Filipino buko pie as it also has a crust, but differs in that it also adds apricot jam and a dash of cinnamon to the coconut custard.

Ingredients:

Young coconut (buko) 1, about 450 g (16 oz)

Milk 250 ml (8 fl oz / 1 cup)

Single (light) cream 300 ml (10 fl oz / 1¹/₄ cups) 

Sugar 85 g (3 oz)

Egg yolks 5

Plain (all-purpose) flour 60 g (2 oz)

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Screwpine (pandan) leaves 3, knotted

Egg wash 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp fresh milk

Pastry:

Plain (all-purpose) flour 280 g (10 oz)

Sugar 3 Tbsp

Salt ¹/₂ tsp

Vegetable shortening 70 g (2¹/₂ oz)

Butter 85 g (3 oz), cubed

Egg 1

Ice water 60 ml (2 fl oz / ¹/₄ cup

Method

1. Prepare pastry. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Crack egg into mixture and stir lightly to combine. Gradually add water and using a fork, mix until dough starts to come together. Using your fingertips, knead dough until smooth. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pour water from coconut into a bowl and scrape out flesh (see pg 19).

4. In a saucepan, combine coconut water, milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, flour, vanilla essence and screwpine leaves over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Add coconut flesh, mix well and set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 200째C (400째F). Divide dough into 2 parts, one 3 times bigger than the other. Roll out bigger portion to line a 23-cm (9-in) pie dish. Using a fork, prick base and sides of dough. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is light brown. Remove from heat and keep oven heated. Pour in coconut mixture, spreading evenly.

6. Roll out remaining dough into a 24-cm (9¹/₂-in) long sheet. Cut into a 1-cm (¹/₂-in) wide strips and place over filling, creating a lattice design, if desired. Lightly brush with egg wash, then return pie to oven to bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Serve warm.