Chocolate haupia pie is a tall slice with three things stacked on a buttery crust: a white coconut pudding layer (the haupia), a dark chocolate pudding layer underneath it, and a swirl of sweetened whipped cream on top. The haupia itself is old — a stiff coconut pudding traditionally thickened with pia (the Polynesian arrowroot) and served as small luau squares. The pie is new.
The version everyone now copies came out of Ted's Bakery on Oahu's North Shore. The Nakamura family built it by layering coconut haupia over a chocolate cream filling on a butter crust, and it went from a Sunset Beach North Shore stop to a Hawaii bakery-case staple. This is the home recipe — same architecture, same restraint on the sugar, using ingredients you can get on the mainland.
At a Glance
8 (one 9-inch pie)
40 minutes
4 hours minimum
Moderate
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
For the chocolate pudding layer
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70 percent), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the haupia layer
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
For the topping
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted, for garnish (optional)
Equipment
- 9-inch pie pan
- Pie weights or dried beans
- Two medium saucepans
- Wire whisk and fine-mesh strainer
- Offset spatula
- Plastic wrap
To serve
- A sharp knife dipped in hot water (the layers cut clean only when the knife is warm)
- A small cup of hot coffee on the side. Or a cold can of POG. Both are correct.
Method
- Make the crust. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a handful. Form into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Blind bake. Heat the oven to 400 F (205 C). Roll the dough out on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie pan with about an inch of overhang. Tuck the overhang under and crimp the edges. Line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights, and bake 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden all over. Cool completely.
- Make the chocolate pudding layer. Whisk milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a thick pudding — about 5 to 7 minutes. Pull off the heat, add chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to catch any lumps.
- Spread chocolate into the crust. Pour the warm chocolate layer into the cooled crust and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface (this stops a skin from forming) and refrigerate while you make the haupia.
- Make the haupia layer. Whisk coconut milk, whole milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a clean saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a glossy, very stiff pudding — 6 to 8 minutes. The right consistency holds a ridge from the whisk for a few seconds before collapsing.
- Layer the haupia. Remove the plastic from the chilled chocolate layer. Spoon the haupia over the chocolate in dollops, then smooth gently with the offset spatula. Work carefully so you don't blend the two layers. Cover with fresh plastic wrap pressed onto the surface. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, until both layers are set firm enough to slice clean.
- Whip the topping and finish. Just before serving, beat the cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Spread or pipe over the haupia layer. Scatter toasted coconut on top if using.
- Slice. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it, and cut. Wipe and re-dip between slices. Cold pie, warm knife — that's the only way to get a clean reveal of the two layers.
Notes from a local cook
Full-fat coconut milk is non-negotiable. Light coconut milk has too much water, and the haupia layer will weep onto the chocolate overnight. Look for cans where the label says only "coconut, water" — skip the added emulsifiers or guar gum if you can. Aroy-D and Chaokoh are both widely sold and easy to find in most Asian markets. Stir the can before measuring; the cream separates and you want both parts.
The chocolate layer is a pudding, not a real ganache. A lot of online recipes label this layer "ganache" — it's not. A true ganache is just chocolate and cream and would melt at room temperature and slump under the haupia. The cornstarch-and-egg-yolk pudding above is what holds the architecture together. Use it.
Cool the chocolate before adding the haupia or you'll get a marble. The haupia layer needs to land on a firm, cold chocolate surface. Forty-five minutes minimum in the fridge before you spread the haupia on top. Skip this and the layers swirl into each other, and you lose the clean line that makes the pie photograph.
Day two is the right day. This pie is better the day after you make it. The crust softens a touch, the haupia gets denser and creamier, and the chocolate layer mellows. Make it the night before you serve it. Refrigerate uncovered for the first hour, then loosely cover so the whipped cream doesn't pick up fridge smells.
While You're on the Islands
Eat it made by someone else. The original is at Ted's Bakery on Oahu's North Shore, where the pie was invented (see their own story page). Order it by the slice or take a whole pie back to the rental. Liliha Bakery on Oahu is the easier weekday stop and worth pairing with their famous Coco Puffs. On Maui, T. Komoda Store and Bakery in Makawao (open since 1916, see this Maui Magazine profile) runs out of the daily haupia versions early in the morning — go before 9am or accept your fate. Some island grocery store bakery cases carry haupia pie too — worth a glance at the case if you're already there, though it's a hit-or-miss find. Our per-island guide to the best haupia pie spots in Hawaii covers the rest.
Buy the ingredients fresh. Full-fat coconut milk (Aroy-D, Chaokoh) is stocked in the regular grocery aisle at any Foodland, Safeway, or Times — no special sourcing trip required for this one. If you want to go further than canned, some farmers markets sell fresh coconut for cracking and pressing your own milk, though canned is what every bakery on this list actually uses.
Bring It Home
What to stock up on before you fly home: a few cans of full-fat coconut milk pack flat in a suitcase and are the one thing worth grabbing — most mainland grocery stores only stock the "lite" version, and that's the version that ruins this pie.
What you can substitute, what you can't: any full-fat, additive-light coconut milk works in place of Aroy-D or Chaokoh. What doesn't work is the "lite" or "light" version sold at most mainland supermarkets — too much water, and the haupia layer weeps overnight instead of setting clean.
Where to Eat It on Your Trip
Our picks for Chocolate Haupia Pie across the islands — tap a spot for hours, photos, and directions.
Photo: Ron BallardOʻahu
Ted's Bakery
Photo: Liliha Bakery WaikikiOʻahu
Liliha Bakery
Photo: Tami PriceBig Island
Tex Drive In
Photo: Nadege ChiardossoBig Island
Village Burger
Photo: Paul MartinKauaʻi
