Coconut Crust Chocolate Pudding Pie

I don’t have as much time to bake as I used to, but I still find a little time to do a quick and easy dessert.  I try to find one that the kids can help with or one that takes less than a half an hour because I know the baby won’t nap much longer than that.  He’s such a good baby too…so calm and happy.  Is this how all third-borns are or did I hit the jackpot?

I usually make my chocolate pudding pie with a graham cracker crust, but I recently came across a similar pie that was made with a coconut crust (here).  Put chocolate and coconut together and it’s like a little parta-y in the mouth :)  AND there are only 2 ingredients in the crust – butter and coconut.  Easy peasy.

After blending the coconut and softened butter in the food processor until a ball forms (approx. 1 min), you press it into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan.

You then bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  There is no need to put it on a baking pan, but I seriously cannot stand the sound of a glass pie pan scratch across the metal oven racks – eeeeek!

Normally I use regular instant chocolate pudding, but I came across ‘chocolate fudge’ and it is a lot thicker and creamier than regular chocolate.  (Note to self:  purchase chocolate fudge from now on.)  This will be the filling for the pie.

This is the crust after baking.  Ain’t she perty?  The little golden brown on the edges looks beautiful.  Almost too perfect to eat…almost.

So flippin’ good.  Such a delicious and easy recipe to make.  And let me tell you, easy recipes are my thing lately.  Who said going from two to three kids would be so much work?!  At the end of the day, it’s all worth it…and so is this pie ;)

Coconut Crust Chocolate Pudding Pie

Crust
– 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
– 6 cups sweetened coconut (I tried using unsweeted b/c it’s what I had available and it’s too crumbly.  I might try half sweetened and half unsweetened next time.)

Filling
– 1 box instant chocolate pudding (6 1/2 serving-size box)
– 2 1/2 cups milk (I used skim.)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Place 2 cups of the coconut into the food processor.  Add the softened butter and blend      until a ball forms (approx. 1-2 minutes).
3.  Transfer mixture to a medium-sized bowl.  Add remaining coconut and mix together            with your fingers, until combined.
4.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until edge of crust is golden brown.
5.  Meanwhile, mix the pudding mix and 2 1/2 cups of a milk in a bowl and whisk until                firm (approx. 3 minutes).
6.  After crust has cooled, pour pudding mixture into crust and chill at least 1 hr. in fridge          before devouring eating.  Enjoy!