Luxuriously smooth and creamy with a coconut crumble top, this old-fashioned Baked Coconut Custard is a dessert that'll disappear fast.
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The Recipe
I found this Coconut Custard recipe in a Women's Weekly magazine supplement from the 1980s. Yep, add this recipe to your list of reasons why the 80s were so great!
The recipe looked lovely and I'd never made a custard dessert using condensed milk before so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did.
It's such a smooth custard and the flavour works so well with the coconut topping. It's also super easy to put together – you'll need only 10 minutes. It can also be served hot or cold, and you could make it fancy by serving it with a few berries.
(Love custard? Yes! You might also like these recipes for Custard Slice, Custard made with egg and Brandy Custard.)
Ingredient notes
This recipe calls for just six ingredients:
- milk (full cream)
- caster / superfine sugar
- thickened / heavy cream
- eggs
- sweetened condensed milk
- desiccated coconut (unsweetened).
The ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Coconut Custard
Prepping
You'll need:
- 4 ramekins (or one medium casserole dish of about 1 litre capacity)
- 1 large baking dish (to use as a water bath during baking)
Measure out the ingredients (quantities can be found below in the recipe card) and pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
Mixing
Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves (see image 1).
Place the eggs and cream in a mixing bowl and beat until combined (see image 1).
Add the condensed milk and warm milk/sugar mixture to the mixing bowl and beat again until combined (see image 2).
Pour the mixture into your ramekins or casserole dish (see image 3).
Sprinkle coconut evenly on top of the mixture (see image 3).
Baking
Place the ramekins or casserole dish into a larger baking dish and pour in enough hot water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins or dish (see image 4).
Bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes (or until the custard has set and has golden brown patches on top).
Serving
This dessert can be served hot or cold. You can enjoy it just as it is or add some fresh berries to the top of the custard.
Recipe FAQs
Once cool, store your baked custard in the fridge for up to a few days.
You can re-heat the custard by covering with foil and placing in a moderate oven for about 15-20 minutes or heating in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
More simple and wonderful old-fashioned desserts
Check out more of these sweet retro treats:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Coconut Custard Recipe
Equipment
- 4 ramekins (or one medium casserole dish, about 1 litre capacity)
- 1 large baking dish (to use as a water bath during baking)
Ingredients
- 375 ml milk (1 ½ cups)
- 55 grams caster / superfine sugar (¼ cup)
- 165 ml thickened / heavy cream (⅔ cup)
- 2 eggs
- 395 grams tin condensed milk
- 50 grams desiccated coconut (unsweetened) (½ cup)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
- Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
- Place eggs and cream in a mixing bowl and beat until combined.
- Add the condensed milk and warm milk/sugar mixture to the mixing bowl and beat again until combined.
- Pour mixture into ramekins or casserole dish. Sprinkle coconut evenly on top of the mixture.
- Place ramekins or casserole dish into a larger baking dish and pour in enough hot water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins or dish.
- Bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes (or until the custard has set and has golden brown patches on top).
Patricia says
I don’t have heavy cream can I use half and half?
Libby Hakim says
Hi Patricia. I think it should be ok but haven't tested it. Good luck!
Diane Frohling says
I really liked this recipe, but will not add extra sugar in the future. The condensed milk is plenty seeet.
Libby Hakim says
Thanks for the feedback! Happy cooking 🙂
BMJ says
I also found an almost identical recipe that said it was also from a magazine handout, but the slight differences make me wonder about the amount of sweetened condensed milk amount. The big difference is that the other recipe is half of this recipe, but also uses 1 can on sweetened milk.
Your help please because I love custard and want to make this soon .
Thank you
Libby Hakim says
Hi there. I've checked the original recipe and it's correct - 1 tin of condensed milk. I find recipes that use anything less than a tin annoying as you've got the leftover condensed milk. I know I have one recipe like this but can't remember any others. I loved this custard!