These easy coconut cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and loaded with sweet shredded coconut flavor. Topped with a creamy whipped coconut ganache frosting, they're perfect for holidays or any special celebration!
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Coconut cupcakes are moist, fluffy little cakes bursting with sweet coconut flavor. Each bite combines a soft cupcake base with a dreamy coconut frosting—making them an instant favorite.
These cupcakes are made with simple ingredients like shredded coconut, coconut milk, and vanilla, topped off with an irresistible whipped coconut ganache frosting. They're soft, buttery, and full of delicious tropical taste.
Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just because you're craving something sweet—these easy coconut cupcakes are always a crowd-pleaser. I love how quick they are to whip up and how festive they feel, especially when sprinkled with extra shredded coconut!
Why you'll love this recipe
Craving for more coconut recipes? Give these a try coconut macarons, coconut raffaello cake, coconut truffles, coconut balls.
Ingredients you need
Here’s what you need to make these coconut cream cupcakes:
- Butter: Unsalted, softened at room temperature for smooth texture.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar for sweetness and fluffy cupcakes.
- Eggs: Large, room temperature eggs for moisture and binding.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract, coconut flavor, and salt enhance overall taste.
- Coconut cream: Use unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk (or sub with yogurt, buttermilk, heavy cream, or milk).
- Flour: All-purpose or cake flour for a soft, tender crumb.
- Leavening: Baking powder or baking soda to help cupcakes rise.
- Coconut: Optional shredded coconut flakes for texture and flavor.
- White chocolate: Quality baking chips (28-30% cocoa butter) for creamy, balanced frosting.
- Heavy cream: Heavy whipping cream (at least 30% fat), divided, for a fluffy frosting.
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes
Here are a few quick visual instructions. Don’t forget that the full recipe with exact measurements is in the recipe card below!
Place softened butter and sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
Then add eggs, vanilla extract, coconut extract and coconut cream and mix again on medium speed for 1 minute to incorporate.
Add the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, salt, and shredded coconut—to the batter. Gently fold them in using a spatula until you have a smooth, even cupcake batter.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake pan with liners. Fill each liner evenly with batter and bake for 15–18 minutes, until cupcakes are puffed and golden.
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean. Let cupcakes cool briefly in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place finely chopped white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until boiling, then pour immediately over the chocolate. Stir until smooth and fully melted.
Add the cold heavy cream and coconut cream, mixing gently until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Beat the chilled coconut ganache with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until thick, smooth, and fluffy. Transfer the whipped ganache into a piping bag fitted with your favorite decorating tip (I used tip 1B here).
Pipe a generous swirl of ganache onto each cooled cupcake, then sprinkle lightly with shredded coconut or top with a Raffaello candy. Serve immediately or keep them chilled in the fridge.
Tips for this recipe
Variations & Substitutions
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I hope you enjoyed this coconut cupcake recipe!
Feel free to leave a rating and a comment below—I’d love to hear what you think. Happy baking!
Coconut Cupcakes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Recipe for coconut cupcakes, with a coconut flavored cupcake base and a coconut ganache (for 12 cupcakes)
Ingredients
Coconut cupcakes
- 100 g Butter - unsalted and softened
- 150 g of Sugar - granulated
- 2 Eggs - room temperature
- 1 tsp of Vanilla extract
- 135 g Coconut cream
- 150 g Flour - all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder - about 6 g
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 30 g grated coconut - unsweetened
Coconut ganache
- 200 g white chocolate chips
- 120 g Heavy cream - full fat and hot
- 120 g Heavy cream - full fat and cold
- 100 g Coconut cream - full fat and unsweetened
Instructions
Coconut ganache
- The day before, place the finely chopped white chocolate in a large bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it simmers, then pour it all at once over the chopped white chocolate.
- Let it stand for a while, then mix with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted (if there are still pieces of chocolate, place the mixture in a saucepan with a little water and melt in a double boiler)
- Then add the cold heavy cream and the coconut cream and mix again with a spatula to incorporate them.
- Blend with an immersion blender to smooth the ganache, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Coconut cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C and prepare a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the softened butter with the granulated sugar for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and coconut cream and mix again for a good minute to incorporate.
- Finish by adding the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and shredded coconut and fold in with a rubber spatula just until the mixture is smooth.
- Fill the cupcake cases ¾ full with the mixture.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15 - 18 minutes. (Check for baking by sticking a toothpick into the center of a cupcake, if it comes out clean it's done)
- Let the cupcakes cool a bit before removing them from the pan and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.
Assembly:
- Take the cool coconut ganache out of the fridge and whip it with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Place the ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 1B tip or similar and decorate the top of the cupcakes with the ganache.
- Sprinkle a few coconut flakes on top and enjoy or place in the fridge.
Notes
Storage: 2-3 days in the refrigerator in a storage box or under a plastic wrap and up to 3 months in the freezer in a covered box.
Substitute coconut cream: In cupcakes, you can replace coconut cream with coconut milk, heavy cream, plain yogurt, buttermilk or simply semi-skimmed milk.
In the ganache, you can replace the coconut cream with the same amount of heavy cream to add to the hot ganache or mascarpone cheese to add when whipping the frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
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