Coconut Tart — a golden, chewy coconut custard tart

i. Origin & history

Coconut reached European baking through trade and empire. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, coconuts were shipped from the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and desiccated coconut — dried, shredded coconut flesh — became a cheap, long-keeping baking staple from the late nineteenth century. It turned up in macaroons, cakes and tarts throughout Europe.

In the French-speaking world, coconut desserts are most at home in the overseas regions. In Martinique and Guadeloupe, coconut flans, blanc-manger coco, coconut sorbet and coconut tarts and turnovers are everyday bakery and home desserts, and the coconut jam tartlet known as tourment d'amour is the emblem of the island of Les Saintes. In Réunion, in the Indian Ocean, coconut is equally central. Mainland French bakeries adopted the tarte coco and the coconut rocher (a coconut macaroon) as popular, inexpensive treats.

The same basic idea — coconut bound with egg and sugar in a pastry case — appears independently in many places. Britain has the school-dinner coconut tart or coconut jam slice, with a layer of jam under a coconut sponge. Trinidad and other Caribbean islands make coconut tarts that are folded pastries filled with sweetened grated coconut spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Hong Kong and southern Chinese bakeries sell coconut tarts alongside their famous egg tarts, with a golden, macaroon-like filling.

The French tarte coco described here sits in the middle of this family: a crisp pâte sucrée, a coconut filling enriched with coconut milk, and a lime-scented, lightly caramelised top.

ii. What gives a coconut tart its chewy top and soft centre

The filling is essentially a sweetened egg custard with a large amount of desiccated coconut stirred through it. As it bakes, two things happen at once. The eggs set the liquid into a soft custard around the coconut, and the coconut absorbs some of the liquid, swelling and softening. At the surface, where the filling is exposed to the dry heat of the oven, the sugar and the protein-rich coconut brown through the Maillard reaction and caramelisation, forming a chewy, golden, macaroon-like crust.

The balance of coconut to liquid decides the texture. More coconut and less liquid gives a dense, chewy, almost cake-like filling. More liquid gives a softer, wobblier, more flan-like one. The recipe below aims for a tender, custardy centre under a crisp, chewy top.

Coconut milk intensifies the coconut flavour and adds richness; a little melted butter rounds it out. Letting the coconut soak in the coconut milk for 15 minutes before adding the eggs softens it and helps it absorb liquid evenly, so the filling sets smoothly without pockets of dry shreds.

Baking temperature matters as it does with any custard. A moderate oven, around 170 °C, lets the custard set before it overcooks and lets the top brown slowly. Too hot, and the surface darkens while the centre is still liquid, or the custard curdles and weeps.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 200 g plain flour
• 60 g icing sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 110 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 egg, for the pastry
• 150 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 250 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 3 eggs, for the filling
• 130 g caster sugar
• 40 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lime, finely grated zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
• 1 pinch salt, for the filling

Use unsweetened desiccated coconut; sweetened shredded coconut is moister and much sweeter and will throw off the balance. Full-fat coconut milk gives the best flavour — shake the tin well before measuring. If you prefer, replace it with whole milk or single cream for a milder tart. Lime zest and rum are the French Caribbean touch; a pinch of grated nutmeg or cinnamon gives a Trinidadian accent. For a dairy-free tart, use a dairy-free pastry and coconut oil instead of butter.

iv. Method

1. For the pastry, rub the flour, icing sugar, salt and cold butter to fine crumbs, add the egg and bring together into a dough. Flatten, wrap and chill for 45 minutes.
2. Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F), fan 160 °C. Blind-bake with paper and beans for 15 minutes, then 5 minutes uncovered until pale golden. Lower the oven to 170 °C (340 °F), fan 150 °C.
3. Meanwhile, stir the desiccated coconut into the coconut milk and leave to soak for 15 minutes.
4. Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt until pale and slightly frothy. Stir in the melted butter, lime zest, vanilla and rum, then the soaked coconut and any remaining liquid.
5. Pour the filling into the pastry case and spread it level, pressing gently so the coconut is evenly distributed.
6. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the filling is set with only a slight wobble in the centre. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
7. Cool in the tin for at least 1 hour before slicing. Serve at room temperature.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Soak the coconut first. Dry coconut stirred straight into the eggs absorbs liquid unevenly, leaving a grainy filling with dry shreds.
• Watch the colour. Coconut browns quickly once it starts. Golden is perfect; dark brown tastes bitter.
• Do not overbake. The centre should still wobble slightly when it comes out of the oven; it firms as it cools.
• Blind-bake the case. The filling is wet, and an unbaked case turns pale and soggy underneath.
• Shake the coconut milk well. The cream separates in the tin; mix it back in for an even, rich filling.
• Slice when cool. A warm coconut tart crumbles at the edges; cooled, it cuts cleanly.

vi. Variations

For a British coconut tart, spread raspberry or strawberry jam over the pastry base before adding the coconut filling. A pineapple coconut tart tops a coconut frangipane with caramelised pineapple (see the pineapple coconut tart), and a chocolate coconut tart tops a baked coconut layer with dark ganache (see the chocolate coconut tart). A pinch of cardamom gives an Indian Ocean flavour reminiscent of Réunion, and a handful of chopped mango served alongside works beautifully.

Other coconut desserts on DessertCat include the Brazilian quindim, a glossy coconut and egg-yolk custard, Latin American cocadas, the rosca de coco ring cake and the Thai sankaya, a coconut custard steamed in pumpkin.

vii. Serving & storage

Serve coconut tart at room temperature, in slices, on its own or with whipped cream, crème fraîche, vanilla or coconut ice cream, or a few slices of mango, pineapple or passion fruit pulp. It is equally good as an afternoon treat with coffee or tea and travels well for picnics and bake sales.

Keep the tart covered at room temperature on the day it is made, then in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring it back to room temperature before serving, as the coconut firms up when cold. The pastry case can be blind-baked a day ahead. The baked tart freezes well for up to a month, wrapped tightly; thaw at room temperature and refresh in a low oven for a few minutes.

ix. More from French

• Chocolate Coconut Tart — coconut under ganache
• Pineapple Coconut Tart — tropical fruit tart
• Almond Tart — tarte aux amandes
• Quindim — Brazilian coconut custard
• Cocadas — Latin American coconut sweets
• Rosca de Coco — coconut ring cake