Spaghetti Squash and Coconut Custard Pie

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Spaghetti squash and coconut custard pie is a crustless, lighter custard pie with tender squash strands baked right into the filling. It slices like a soft coconut custard, the strands pass for shredded coconut, and it is one of the more surprising spaghetti squash desserts you can make.

I am more than a little hooked on spaghetti squash recipes, and this one has been on the site since 2013. My verdict after making it again: it is majorly yummy, especially with a dollop of fat free Cool Whip on top.

You need half a medium squash, a few pantry staples and about an hour in the oven. Below is what it tastes like, how to keep the custard from turning watery, and how to tell when it is done.

What Does It Taste Like?

Think coconut custard pie with a softer, more delicate bite. Spaghetti squash has very little flavor of its own, so vanilla and coconut extract do the talking, and the nutmeg and cinnamon sprinkled on top give it a warm, almost eggnog-like finish. It is not as rich as a classic custard pie made with whole milk and sugar, and that is the whole point of this one. The result lands somewhere between coconut custard and a crustless pumpkin pie, and it holds its own next to any of the other dessert recipes on the site.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti squash. Half of a medium squash gives about 2 cups of strands. They need to be cooked, cooled and squeezed dry before they go in.
• Unsweetened almond milk. Keeps the pie light. Regular milk works, and whole milk or light coconut milk makes a richer custard.
• Egg substitute. Egg Beaters set the custard. Three large eggs can stand in for the 3/4 cup.
• Flour and baking powder. These work like an impossible pie: the flour settles into a thin bottom layer and the baking powder keeps it from going dense. Do not leave them out.
• Light margarine. Melted butter works just as well.
• Vanilla and coconut extracts. The coconut extract carries most of the coconut flavor, so it is worth buying a bottle if you do not have one.
• Unsweetened shredded coconut. Half goes into the filling and half goes on top, where it toasts. Sweetened coconut works but adds sugar.
• Spoonable sweetener. The recipe uses canister-style Equal, which measures cup for cup like sugar. Any cup-for-cup sweetener works, or use regular sugar if you are not counting calories.
• Cornmeal. A light dusting on the greased pie plate stops sticking and gives the bottom a little texture in place of a crust.

How to Make It

The full steps and amounts are in the recipe card below. The short version: microwave half a squash until tender, shred and squeeze the strands, whisk the custard, fold in the squash, pour it into a cornmeal-dusted pie plate and bake at 350°F for about an hour. If you have never cooked spaghetti squash before, this cinnamon spaghetti squash walks through cooking and shredding it.

Tips for a Custard That Sets

• Squeeze the squash. After shredding, wrap the strands in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and twist it over the sink until no more water drips out. Wet squash is the main reason this pie turns out watery.
• Let the squash cool first. Hot strands can start cooking the eggs before the pie ever reaches the oven. Warm is fine; steaming is not.
• Use a deep-dish plate. This recipe fills a 9 to 10 inch deep-dish pie plate. A shallow plate can overflow, so set it on a baking sheet if you are unsure.
• Know when it is done. The edges should look set and slightly puffed while the center still has a small jiggle, like gelatin. A knife slipped in about an inch from the center should come out clean, and an instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 175°F. Overbaked custard cracks and weeps.
• Cool it completely. The custard keeps firming up as it cools. Give it about 2 hours on a cooling rack, then refrigerate before slicing for clean pieces.
• No blind-baking needed. There is no crust, so there is nothing to pre-bake. Only blind-bake if you choose to add a pastry shell.

Variations

• Pumpkin spice. Swap the pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon for 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice stirred into the filling.
• Extra toasted coconut. Add another tablespoon or two of coconut on top for a crunchier, more golden finish.
• Full-sugar version. Use regular milk, whole eggs, butter and sugar for a classic custard pie that still hides the squash.
• Dairy-free. The almond milk already helps. Use a plant-based butter, check that your egg substitute is dairy-free, and top it with coconut whipped topping.
• Mini custards. Bake the filling in greased ramekins on a baking sheet and start checking for doneness at about 25 minutes.

Storage

Because it is made with eggs and milk, this pie belongs in the refrigerator. Cover it once it has cooled and keep it chilled for up to 3 to 4 days, and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freezing is not a good idea here; the custard and squash both release water as they thaw and the texture turns weepy. Serve it cold or let slices sit out for a few minutes first.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

A pie that hides a vegetable in the filling raises a few questions, and these are the ones that come up most.

More Squash and Custard-Style Desserts

• Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie Recipe
• Mock Pumpkin Pie Made with Carrots
• Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipes

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