Chocolate Haupia Pie Recipe

Easy Chocolate Haupia Pie is a Hawaiian classic dessert made with coconut and chocolate. Layered in a flaky pie crust and topped with whipped cream, this no bake dessert is like a vacation for your tastebuds.

We’re sailing through the summer and totally missing a real vacation this year. I’ve been making a list of all the places I want to go once we can hit the road again and Hawaii is at the top of the list. So, now we wait.

In the meantime, I’m whipping up all my favorite Hawaiian inspired recipes like Huli Huli chicken and refreshing Kani Salad. But my new favorite is this Haupia Pie. It’s so simple to make and it’s no bake (except for the pie crust) so you won’t heat the house up baking a cake all day long.

If you like coconut and chocolate, this recipe is for you. It’s sweet and coconut-ty, light and creamy. It’s the perfect dessert for all your summer soirees. 

Chocolate Haupia Pie

If you’ve never tried Haupia, you’re in for a treat! Haupia (pronounced how-pee-ah) is a traditional Hawaiian dessert that’s commonly found at luaus and large parties. It’s made of coconut milk and has been a popular topping for wedding cakes since the 1940’s.

Most often, Haupia is available as a square confection like a candy bar and less of a pudding. I first tried it at a Hawaiian food truck called Poi Dog in Philadelphia. It’s really sweet but so addicting.

I love it in pie form because it’s more like a coconut pudding pie or a coconut custard pie than a candy or confection. It’s lighter and a little less sweet than traditional Haupia so you can eat half the pie yourself.

Ingredients You Will Need

Haupia Pie is made with just a few ingredients that you may even already have in your kitchen. Aside from the pie crust ingredients (butter, flour, sugar, water), this is all you’ll need.

• Coconut Milk – Full fat coconut milk is necessary here in order for the pie to set up. Don’t use lite coconut milk, please and thank you.
• Granulated Sugar – Regular white sugar is called for in the recipe but coconut sugar works well, too.
• Whole Milk – Again, this is no time to try to cut calories. I have used Half and Half with great results, but only in a pinch.
• Cornstarch 
• Water – Regular tap water is acceptable.
• Semi-sweet Chocolate – You can use chocolate chips but I much prefer a high quality chocolate bar chopped up into small pieces.
• Whipped Cream – Homemade whipped cream reigns supreme here but you can use your favorite whipped topping to speed things up.

How To Make It

This no bake pie is so easy to make. I like to use my homemade pie crust to get things started because it’s buttery and flakey. You can save time by using a pre-baked pie crust or a graham cracker crust, too.

Bake the pie crust, if making from scratch, and allow to cool.

Whisk together the milk, coconut milk and sugar over medium heat. 

Continue whisking until the milk is boiling and the sugar is melted. Turn heat to simmer.

Dissolve the cornstarch in water.

Slowly add the water to the milk mixture.

Cook until thickened.

Divide the mixture in half.

Melt the chocolate.

Stir the chocolate into half the milk mixture.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the pie crust.

Pour the remaining mixture on top of the chocolate.

Chill until set.

Top with whipped cream and shredded coconut, if desired.

Pro Tips

Here are a few tips for perfect Haupia Pie!

• Be sure that all the cornstarch is dissolved before adding to the milk mixture. If there are still bits of cornstarch in the water, you will have a lumpy pudding mixture.
• When topping the chocolate layer with the remaining pudding, pour very slowly so the two layers don’t mix together.
• Let your pie set for at least 4 hours before cutting it. For BEST RESULTS, chill the pie overnight and then top with whipped cream before serving.
• Toast flaked or shredded coconut in a skillet for 10-20 seconds until golden as a crunchy topping for your Haupia Pie.

We love to serve Chocolate Haupia Pie as part of our own luau at home complete with this easy Kalua Pork! A side of Macaroni Salad with these easy Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs are fantastic, too.

More Easy Pie Recipes

If you want even more easy pie recipes, try this Chocolate Mousse Pie….it’s also NO BAKE! Or this easy No Bake Peach Pie is fruity and refreshing….as is this easy Strawberry Pie.…kinda No Bake, too!

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