Impossible Pie

The Easiest Pie You’ll Ever Make

If I told you that you could make a pie without ever making a pie crust, you’d probably think that sounds impossible. Well, that’s exactly where this recipe gets its name — and I promise you, it really works.

Impossible Pie is one of those old recipes that’s been floating around for years, and for good reason. You put all of your ingredients into a blender, pour the mixture into a greased pie plate, and the pie does the rest. As it bakes, the flour and butter sink to the bottom and form a thin, delicate crust all on their own. The coconut floats to the top and gets toasty and golden. And in between, you get this smooth, creamy custard that’s just absolutely delicious.

I’ve been making this pie for a long time, and my husband loves it. He would eat the whole thing if I let him.

Miss Leah’s Recipe

This recipe came from a very special lady named Miss Leah. If you’ve watched my sweet potato casserole video, you might remember her — she was the best cook, and she shared several of her recipes with me over the years. This Impossible Pie is one of them, and it’s been a favorite in our house ever since.

What I love about it is the simplicity. There’s no separating eggs, no making a crust, no standing at the stove stirring anything. You don’t even need a mixer. Just a blender and a pie plate, and you’re in business.

My Husband Gets His Turn in the Kitchen

For this one, I decided to let my husband Darren take the reins. Now, he is not someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen — let’s just say his cooking skills are a work in progress. But that’s the whole point. This pie is so simple that anybody can make it, and I wanted to prove it.

He did great, too. There was a little bit of a math moment when he was trying to figure out how many ounces are in two cups, and he may have been a touch heavy-handed with the coconut because he loves it so much. But other than that, he followed the steps, poured it in the pan, and we had a gorgeous pie come out of the oven. It was honestly one of the more fun videos we’ve done — we had a good time with it.

And the taste test? He nailed it. Creamy, custardy, with that little bit of crunch from the toasted coconut on top. It was perfect.

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Impossible Pie (Coconut Custard)

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Bake Time: 45–60 minutes | Cooling Time: 30–60 minutes Servings: 8 | Pan: 9-inch deep-dish pie plate

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Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (half a stick) butter, cut into a few pieces
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Dash of nutmeg

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Instructions

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. You want to use a deep-dish plate for this one — the filling is very liquid when it goes in, and a shallow plate won’t hold it all.

Step 2: Add Everything to the Blender

Pour the milk into the blender first — if your blender has ounce markings on the side, you need 16 ounces for two cups. Then add the sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, butter, coconut, and nutmeg. That’s it — everything goes right in.

A note on the coconut: even if you’re not normally a coconut fan because of the texture, give this a try. The blender breaks the coconut into much smaller pieces, so you still get the flavor without those big shreds. You might be surprised.

And for the nutmeg, just a couple of good sprinkles is all you need. You don’t want it too heavy, but it adds a really nice warmth and richness to the custard.

Step 3: Blend

Put the lid on and blend for about two minutes on medium speed. You want everything to be smooth and well combined. The butter should be fully incorporated.

Step 4: Pour and Bake

Pour the mixture into your prepared pie plate. Be careful here — this filling is very runny and liquid, so you want to fill your pie plate close to the oven to avoid carrying it far. You could also set the pie plate on a baking sheet for easier transfer.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Start checking around the 45-minute mark. You’re looking for the top to be golden brown and the pie to be mostly set. A slight jiggle in the center is okay — it will continue to firm up as it cools.

A note on oven types: If you have a convection or fan-bake setting on your oven, it may cook faster. Ours was done in about 45–50 minutes with the fan-bake setting. A standard oven may need the full hour.

Step 5: Cool Before Slicing

This is very much a custard pie, and it needs time to set up after it comes out of the oven. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. I know that’s the hard part when it smells this good, but trust the process — it’ll slice much better once it’s had time to rest.

You can serve it just barely warm or at room temperature. Both ways are delicious.

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What Happens While It Bakes

Here’s the “impossible” part: as the pie bakes, the ingredients separate into layers all on their own. The flour and butter settle to the bottom and create a thin, delicate crust. The egg and milk mixture becomes a smooth custard in the middle. And the coconut rises to the top and gets toasty and golden, giving you a beautiful, slightly crunchy top layer.

You didn’t make a crust, but you’ve got one. That’s why they call it impossible.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Impossible Pie? Because it forms its own crust without you ever making one. The flour and butter in the recipe settle to the bottom during baking and create a thin crust layer, while the rest of the filling separates into a custard center and a toasted coconut top. It seems impossible, but it works every time.

Do I have to use a deep-dish pie plate? Yes, I would strongly recommend it. The filling is very liquid before baking, and a standard pie plate may not be deep enough to hold it all. A 9-inch deep-dish pie plate is the way to go.

Can I use a regular oven instead of convection? Absolutely. A regular oven works great — you may just need to bake it for the full hour instead of the 45–50 minutes we used with our fan-bake setting. Start checking at 45 minutes and look for a golden brown top and a pie that’s mostly set with just a slight jiggle in the center.

The center was still jiggly when I took it out. Is that okay? Yes! A slight jiggle in the center is completely normal for a custard pie like this one. It will continue to set up as it cools. If it’s very loose and sloshy, give it a few more minutes. But a gentle jiggle means you’re right where you need to be.

Does the butter need to be softened? It’s best if the butter is at room temperature or close to it, since the blender will incorporate it more easily that way. If you forget to set it out, just cut it into a few smaller pieces before adding it to the blender and it should blend up just fine.

I don’t love the texture of coconut. Will I like this? You might! Because the coconut gets blended up, the shreds are broken down into much smaller pieces than what you’d normally find in a coconut pie. You still get the coconut flavor, but the texture is much more subtle. If it’s a texture issue for you rather than a flavor issue, this is a great recipe to try.

Can I add anything extra to this pie? Some people like to add a splash of coconut extract for a stronger coconut flavor. You could also try a sprinkle of cinnamon along with the nutmeg. Just keep it simple — part of what makes this pie special is how clean and classic the flavor is.

How should I store leftover pie? Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator. It will stay good for 2 to 3 days. You can eat it cold straight from the fridge, or let it sit out for about 15–20 minutes to take the chill off before serving.

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, this is a great make-ahead dessert. Bake it the day before, let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. It’s one of those pies that actually tastes just as good — maybe even better — the next day after the flavors have had time to come together.

Is this pie similar to a coconut custard pie? Very similar! The difference is that a traditional coconut custard pie uses a separate pie crust that you make or buy. Impossible Pie skips that step entirely and creates its own thin crust during baking. The custard filling is very much in the same family, though — creamy, eggy, and full of coconut flavor.

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I hope you’ll give this Impossible Pie a try. It really is one of the easiest and most delicious pies you can make. And if my husband can do it, I’m pretty sure you can too. I think your family will love it. And remember, go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.