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Coconut Cupcakes are super moist, easy, and full of coconut flavor! There is coconut in the cupcake batter, the cupcake and in the amazing and fluffy coconut buttercream. These cupcakes will become your new favorite recipe!

cupcakes with buttercream frosting and coconut shredded on top.


Easy Coconut Cupcakes Recipe

If you’re a coconut lover like me, you’re always on the hunt for new and delicious ways to enjoy the flavor. Move over coconut cream pie: these incredibly coconutty coconut cupcakes are here! With a moist and soft crumb and perfect texture, they’re easy to make, bursting with coconut in every bite and you’re going to love them.

ingredients in coconut cupcakes laid out on a white counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Also called angel flake, you’ll find it in the baking aisle.
  • Canned Coconut Milk: This can be found in the Asian foods aisle – use full fat coconut milk.
  • Coconut extract – amps up the coconut flavor of the frosting. You can also omit and just use vanilla extract.
  • All the ingredients for these classic cupcakes: Flour, baking powder, salt, butter, granulated sugar, eggs. All basic ingredients, but the key to a delicious cupcake.
  • My absolute favorite coconut buttercream frosting which is fluffy and SO GOOD.

How to Make Coconut Cupcakes

  • Whisk salt, baking powder, and flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar into softened butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
  • Add dry ingredients alternately with the coconut milk, mixing gently between each addition of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in shredded sweetened coconut.
  • Pour batter into prepared muffin pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing and frosting.
  • To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, salt and extracts. Add coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes as desired, sprinkle with additional shredded coconut.

Favorite Frostings

You aren’t limited to coconut frosting. Here are some other favorites for these cupcakes:

cupcakes with buttercream frosting and coconut shredded on top.

Expert Tips

  • You know your cupcakes are done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for the perfect moist texture and don’t over mix the batter once the dry ingredients are added.
  • Fill the cupcake liner approximately 3/4 full for the perfect domed tops.
  • You can store these cupcakes for up to three days at room temperature, or for up to five days in the fridge. In the freezer, they’ll last for up to two months. 

FAQs

How do you store these cupcakes?

Store these cupcakes in an airtight container. They can freeze for 2 months!

Can I make these gluten free?

These cupcakes can be made with Gluten-Free 1:1 AP flour in an equal amount to the flour called for.

cupcakes with buttercream frosting and coconut shredded on top.

Easy Coconut Cupcakes Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Coconut Cupcakes from scratch with an easy fluffy coconut frosting – this is the best cupcake ever.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serving Size 1 cupcake

Ingredients
 

For the Cupcakes

  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ (170g) cup unsalted butter, melted
  • (250g) cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
  • ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

For the Frosting

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups (452g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
  • Additional shredded sweetened coconut, for topping
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
  • Whisk salt, baking powder, and flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer, cream sugar into softened butter until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
  • Add dry ingredients alternately with the coconut milk, starting and ending with the flour, mixing gently between each addition. Mix until just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Stir in ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake approximately 12-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing and frosting.
  • To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.
  • Slowly beat in powdered sugar until crumbly. Beat in salt and extracts. Add coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes as desired, sprinkle with additional shredded coconut.

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe is different than the original, which used cake mix. Find that recipe here.
  • Canned Coconut Milk can be found in the Asian foods aisle. You can substitute refrigerated coconut milk (a nondairy drink) but your result won’t be as coconut-y of a flavor.
  • Be sure to use room temperature ingredients for the best cupcakes.
  • Store cupcakes loosely covered on the counter or freeze in an airtight container.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

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Last Updated on March 22, 2024



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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154 Comments

  1. These sound fabulous! I’m planning to make them this week. I’m just confused about what kind of coconut milk is used in the recipe. Is it canned coconut milk or the beverage kind in a carton? The canned kind has a high-fat content and there is oil in the recipe so I assume it’s the beverage kind. I can’t tell if you have adjusted the recipe for the higher fat content and used the canned coconut milk though. I don’t want them to end up greasy.

  2. when you say add coconut milk to the cake mix how much coconut milk because you already using one cup of coconut milk to set aside with the condensed milk mixture so I’m not sure how much coconut milk am I adding to the cake mix or am I replacing water with coconut milk of what it saying

    1. I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to mix coconut flakes with sweetened condensed milk, not coconut milk. The coconut milk goes in the cupcake batter.

  3. Hi Dorothy! Can’t wait to make these beauties! You mention adding coconut extract in the instructions, but no amount is given in the ingredient list. How much should I add? BTW I love your blog!

  4. Triple coconut cup cake idea is really marvelous and the richness of coconut made this first choice for me on Easter. I love to make this at my bakery shop. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe.

  5. Love these cupcakes! Definitely trying them this week for a bbq. Just wondering if the filling can be added after baking instead of baking it with the cupcakes? 

    1. Yes you can! When it’s inside the cupcake before it bakes some of the extra liquid kind of bakes off so they’re not runny inside. I can’t remember how dense the coconut mixture is so once you mix the 2 cups coconut with 1/2 cup SCM, you might want to add more coconut if it seems at all runny. But since there’s nothing that needs to be baked in that mixture you’re good to go with adding it after!

  6. Hi Dorothy, I was wondering if white cake mix could be used instead of yellow? I wasn’t really sure because off the sweetened condensed milk.Thank you.