Buko pie facts for kids
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Type | Pie |
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Course | Dessert |
Place of origin | Philippines |
Region or state | Laguna Province, Luzon |
Created by | Soledad Pahud |
Serving temperature | cold |
Main ingredients | Pie shell, custard, young coconut, sweetened condensed milk |
290 kcal (1214 kJ) |
Buko pie is a yummy traditional Filipino baked pie. It is also called coconut pie sometimes. This special pie is made with young coconut meat and a creamy custard filling.
It is a very popular dessert, especially in the city of Los Baños, Laguna in the Luzon island of the Philippines. Buko pie uses young coconuts, called buko in the Tagalog language. It also has sweetened condensed milk, which makes the filling thick and rich.
There are different kinds of buko pie. One popular type is macapuno pie. This version uses a special kind of coconut called macapuno. Macapuno is known for being extra thick and sticky.
Buko pie used to be a treat only found in the Philippines. But now, thanks to special freezing methods, it can be sent all over the world. People often buy buko pie as a pasalubong. This is a special gift you bring home after visiting a place. While traditional buko pie is plain, some now have flavors like pandan, vanilla, or almond.
Buko pie is different from American coconut cream pie. It does not have cream in its filling. Also, it does not have fluffy meringue on top.
Contents
Where Did Buko Pie Come From?

Buko pie first came from the province of Laguna in the Philippines. It was created by the Pahud sisters. They lived in the town of Los Baños.
Soledad Pahud was one of the sisters. She came back to the Philippines after studying in the U.S. She had also worked as a manager there for 13 years. While in the U.S., she learned how to make apple pie.
When she decided to open a bakery, Soledad wanted to make an American-style dessert. But apples were not common in the Philippines. So, the Pahud family decided to use "buko," or young coconuts, instead. One of her sisters, Apolonia, suggested using buko. This was because coconuts were easy to find locally.
The Pahud sisters' bakery grew into the famous Orient Buko Pie Bakeshop. They became known for their delicious buko pies. The sisters also made other pies. These included apple buko pie, pineapple pie, and tropical pie.
What's in Buko Pie?

Buko pie is a tasty treat, but it has a lot of calories. It is rich in fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It also gives you some good things like calcium and iron. You can also find niacin and folate in it.
Because it uses white sugar and condensed milk, buko pie has extra calories. It also has many simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates give you quick energy. Buko pie is a good source of iron. It also has a lot of sugar and magnesium. It has an average amount of sodium.
How to Make Buko Pie
Making buko pie involves two main baking steps. First, you prepare the pie crust. Then, you make the pie filling. After that, you put them together and bake them again.
To make the crust, you mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Then, you add ice water and egg yolks to make a dough. This dough is chilled in the fridge. After chilling, it is rolled out very thin. The dough is then baked on its own until it is partly cooked. This is called "blind-baking." Then, it cools down.
Next, you prepare the pie filling. All the filling ingredients are mixed together. They are cooked slowly over low heat. Once the crust and filling are ready, you pour the filling into the crust. A second crust is placed on top to cover the filling. It is sealed around the edges. Finally, the whole pie is baked again. It bakes until the top crust turns a light golden brown.
Pies Like Buko Pie
Buko pie is similar to some other desserts. One is the Dutch-Indonesian klappertaart. Another is the South African klappertert.
Klappertaart is a baked creamy coconut custard. But it does not have a crust. It also often includes raisins and nuts. Klappertert is more like buko pie because it has a crust. But it adds apricot jam and a little cinnamon to its coconut custard.
Buko pie is also a bit like the coconut cream pie from the Southern United States. They both use coconut. But they are made differently. Buko pie uses soft young coconut or macapuno. It has much more coconut than custard. So, it feels more like a "coconut pie" than a "custard pie." Buko pie does not usually use nutmeg or vanilla.
See also
In Spanish: Pay de coco para niños