Moist and fluffy, these coconut cupcakes have light coconut flavor from coconut extract and coconut milk! A cream cheese coconut frosting makes them the perfect sweet treat.
I love to serve this cupcake recipe for a spring or Easter dessert along with easy vanilla cupcakes or these lemon raspberry cupcakes!
Table of Contents
Moist and Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes
Coconut cupcakes are so elegant and classy despite how easy they are to make! They’re light, fluffy, and laced with coconut flavor which I love! The luscious frosting on top, well that’s just the icing on the coconut cake! ;)
These coconut cupcakes are easy to make just like my vanilla cupcakes from scratch and the simple elegance of the white on white is stunning for wedding showers, baby showers, and as an Easter dessert along with my lemon coconut bars!
Recipe Ingredients
We’re using 3 kinds of coconut in this coconut cupcake recipe!
- Traditional baking staples. To start, the base of these cupcakes uses all-purpose flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, softened butter, and canola oil.
- Coconut milk delivers a rich and creamy texture to the batter. Use full fat, which includes the cream layer on top.
- Coconut flakes on top of the frosting adds a delicate finishing touch. Sometimes I like to use toasted coconut for a little something extra.
- Coconut extract gets added to both the cupcakes and the frosting on top because if nothing else, these cupcakes should be coconut-y!
- Coconut frosting: Powdered sugar, coconut milk, coconut extract, pure vanilla extract, softened cream cheese and shredded coconut.
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes
- Make cupcake batter: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small or medium bowl and set it aside. Using a mixer, cream butter, oil and sugar. Then add eggs, vanilla and coconut extract. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Fill cupcake liners: Divide batter into each of the paper liners into the muffin cups to about 3/4 full.
- Bake cupcakes. Transfer the cupcake pan to a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the cupcakes spring back when touched. You can also test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cupcake, it’s clean. Cool.
- Make frosting and decorate. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle some coconut flakes on top, if desired.
Coconut Cupcakes Frosting
I love to pair these with a coconut cream cheese frosting, but a plain cream cheese frosting works, too!
Other frosting alternatives to try include this buttercream frosting or vanilla frosting recipe.
To decorate the cupcakes, you can pipe the frosting or just spoon it on!
Baking Tips
- Measure flour correctly. With any baking recipe, it’s important to follow instructions and measurements carefully. Using the spoon and level method to measure your flour will ensure accuracy. Too much flour and you’ll end up with dense cupcakes.
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Bring the butter and cream cheese out about 1 hour before starting, but also consider bringing your eggs and coconut milk to room temperature too. This makes for even baking from start to finish.
- Don’t overmix. Again, this is a fast way to end up with heavy, dense cupcakes.
- No piping bag for frosting the cupcake? Use a Ziploc bag instead. Cut the tip with scissors and carefully pipe the frosting through the hole. It probably won’t be as neat, but it will still be as yummy!
- If using an electric mixer for the batter, make sure it’s on low speed. If you’re using it for the frosting, then a higher speed is fine.
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted because there is added salt in the cupcake ingredients. If salted butter is all you have, consider eliminating the extra salt or using less.
- Unsweetened coconut milk. Same deal. There is already sugar in the cupcakes, both in the batter and the frosting.
More desserts with coconut include easy coconut macaroons, Almond Joy cookies and German chocolate brownies.
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Coconut Cupcakes
Video
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup butter , 4 Tablespoons softened
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ cup coconut milk
Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean)
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Coconut , for topping (optional)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the butter, oil and sugar. Scrape the sides of your bowl, and then add the eggs along with the vanilla and coconut extract.
- Alternate between adding the flour mixture and coconut milk. Scrape the side of the bowl, and give it one last good mix. Divide the batter between you liners, each should be 3/4 full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cupcakes are done when they spring back when touched, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place your cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Start by creaming together your butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extract. Whip until your desired consistency has formed.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle coconut on top if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
FAQs
Nope! The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook has a slightly different version that uses buttermilk in her cupcakes and almond extract in her frosting. Both would be neat to try!
I wouldn’t. It’s gluten-free, and although I get where you’re going with the flavor theme, working with other types of flour can get tricky. You would need to make adjustments to other ingredients to make up for it which would alter the recipe as written.
For sure you can! This comes in handy if you’re preparing for a party. Bake them a day in advance, keep them covered in an airtight container once they’ve had a chance to cool, then frost them just before serving.
Categorized as: American, Cake + Cupcakes, Desserts, Easter, Fruit Desserts, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
How many cupcakes does this recipe yield
Hi Phillis, in the recipe card the serving size indicates 12. If you need more, just hover above the servings and slide the bar to desired amount of coconut cupcakes to make and the ingredients will adjust.
These look yummy. I want to try them but they will be left out on the counter all day. Just wondering since they have cream cheese in the frosting if it will be a big deal-since anything with cream cheese should be refrigerated. It’s such a small amount though so do you think it will be fine or should I leave out cream cheese and would that affect the taste do you think? Thank you for your input.
You could substitute the cream cheese with butter :)
These cupcakes were really amazing! Everyone loved it and they can’t wait for me to make it again!
Yay! Glad they were a hit :)
We love coconut but I have never been able to find a good coconut cupcake recipe until now. The coconut frosting on top is everything.
I followed the recipe exactly written. The topping didn’t look as perfect as yours (due to a lack of my piping skills) but it tasted marvelous. This recipe is a keeper.
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe, Sam! :) Thanks for your comment and review!
Mmm..it looks very tasty!
Would it be good if i took out the coconut part completely and just used classic buttercream for the frosting instead?
I think it would be just fine if you took out the coconut! Good luck!
Hi Jamielyn. These cupcakes look fantastic! I’m confused by one part of the recipe though so I was hoping you could clarify one point for me.
Sorry if this seems like a dumb question but at dot point three it says “Alternate between the flour and milk…”. By milk are you referring to the 1 cup of milk (which I assume is regular milk) or are you referring to the coconut milk that is referenced in step 1?
If you’re referring to regular milk, how do you think using buttermilk instead would affect the recipe?
Thanks you advance for your help. Looking forward to making these!
Elisa
Hi Elisa! This was a guest post, but at step three she is referring to regular milk. Step 1 is using coconut milk, but that is used later in the recipe in step eight. Sorry for the confusion. :) Using buttermilk will probably change the flavor a bit. I have heard from some that it makes cakes more moist and some that it changes the acidity in the cake which makes it not rise. Definitely let us know if you try it! :)
Hi
These cupcakes look amazing. I was wondering what could you use instead if the egg, my son has an intolerance to egg.
Love your website.
Regards
K
Hi Kymn! I’ve heard that you can substitute eggs in cake with applesauce or corn starch and water. I know it will change the texture a little, but it’s worth a try!
Hi
What is reduced coconut milk.
Nice recipe with adorable images! It’s a pity the summer is nearly over! Now is a time for a “heavy” ingredients cupcakes :)
oh my goodness those coconut cupcakes are amazing!
Looks scrumptious! Such a pretty picture of it too!
Coconut cupcakes with lemon……Hmmm.. This looks interesting but I am not sure if my husband would love this.. Great idea!
Those look so good!!!
I know! I want to take a BIG bite into one of them. ;)
I am beyond ecetixd! I really can’t believe I won! We really need some family pictures! We have never had any done professionally! Sad, I know. Thank you so much, Bethany! I have been wanting you to take pics of us for so long! I’m so ecetixd!
wow these look so so yummy!! i will HAVE to make these
Me too! :) Thanks so much for commenting. XO
These are so light and fresh! Perfect for spring and summer =)
Definitely perfect for Spring! Thanks for commenting. {hugs}
Oh good grief, those look fantastic! Love coconut. Love lemon. I’ll have to pin this.
Now I have to go print off that recipe. Lemon is such a springtime favorite for me!
Me too! Perfect combo… mmm! :)