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Coconut Cupcakes

These coconut cupcakes are made with a delicious blend of white chocolate and coconut flavors that are frosted with a creamy coconut buttercream frosting.

Garnishing these light and fluffy cupcakes is sweetened shredded coconut.

White chocolate coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting and shredded coconut.

Ingredients in Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients in White Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

These simple coconut cupcakes uses simple ingredients to make.

Top view of a cut cupcake with a bite on a fork on a blue linen.

Ingredients in Coconut Buttercream Frosting

A top view of a plate of coconut cupcakes garnished with shredded coconut.

RELATED: Butter Pecan Cake

Moist Coconut Cupcakes

The fat content in the milk and the coconut milk creates a light and moist texture. Also, mixing until the ingredients are just combined and not overbeating the cupcake batter helps create an airy and light cupcake batter instead of a dense and dry batter. The more that the batter is beat, the denser and drier the cupcake becomes.

The trick to making moist cupcakes is to gently and carefully mix the ingredients without overworking the batter. The less that the batter is beaten the better off the cupcakes will be.

A silver cake stand with coconut cupcakes in the background a plate with a cupcake in the foreground.

RELATED: Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

How to Make Coconut Cupcakes With Coconut Milk

This recipe for coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting is easy to follow and they're easy to make! These cupcakes have a delicious blend of white chocolate and coconut flavors.

Prepare the oven- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 muffin pans with 15 liners or grease well with baking spray.


Melt the chocolate- In a double boiler or microwave melt the 8 oz of white chocolate. Remove the chocolate from heat and allow the chocolate to cool.


Combine the wet ingredients- Beat together the room temperature butter and the granulated sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and the cooled white chocolate. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Just until blended.


Combine the dry ingredients- In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour together with the baking powder and salt.

Coconut Cupcakes frosted with shredded coconut sitting on a blue linen.


Make the cupcake batter- Slowly beat half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
Beat the milk in followed by the remaining flour mixture. Gently stir in the coconut milk until incorporated. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter and bake- Divide the cupcake batter evenly between 15 cupcake liners. Bake in the oven for 26-28 minutes.

Check the center of a cupcake with a toothpick to make sure they are done. If not, increase the bake time by a minute or two and check again. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

A fork slicing through a coconut cupcake on a blue linen.

Cupcakes with Fluffy Coconut Buttercream

For a creamy coconut buttercream, start with softened butter. The butter will be easier to work with and will fluff up a lot better than working with cold or chilled butter.

Beat the butter- Beat the softened butter until it is creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract and the salt.

Beat in the confectioners' sugar- Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar to prevent the powdered sugar from making a mess. The frosting will be thick.

Add the coconut milk- Pour in the coconut milk and beat until the ingredients and mix well.

Beat for about 5 minutes to make the frosting light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of coconut milk at a time until the desired creaminess is reached.


Frost the coconut cupcakes and garnish with coconut- Frost the cupcakes and top with shredded coconut. I use a cookie scoop to create the dome on top of my cupcakes.

Store these white chocolate coconut cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

White chocolate coconut cupcakes with coconut frosting and shredded coconut.

These coconut cupcakes are made with a delicious blend of white chocolate and coconut flavors that are frosted with a creamy coconut buttercream frosting.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

White Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces white chocolate, melted
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

Coconut buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk (add a little more if frosting is too thick)
  • ½ cup shredded coconut, for topping

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line muffin pans with 15 liners or grease well with baking spray.
    2. In a double boiler or microwave melt the 8 oz of white chocolate according to directions.
    3. Remove from heat and allow the chocolate to cool.
    4. Beat together the room temperature butter and the granulated sugar.
    5. Beat in the vanilla extract and the cooled white chocolate.
    6. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Just until blended.
    7. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour together with the baking powder and salt.
    8. Slowly beat half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
    9. Beat the milk in followed by the remaining flour mixture.
    10. Gently stir in the coconut milk until incorporated. Do not over mix.
    11. Divide the cupcake batter evenly between 15 cupcake liners.
    12. Bake in the oven for 26-28 minutes. Check the center of a cupcake with a toothpick to make sure they are done. If not, increase the bake time by a minute or two and check again.
    13. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.


Coconut Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat the softened butter until it is creamy.
  2. Mix in the vanilla extract and the salt.
  3. Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar. It will be stiff.
  4. Pour in the coconut milk and beat until the ingredients and mix well. Beat for about 5 minutes to make the frosting light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of coconut milk at a time until the desired creaminess is reached.
  5. Frost the cupcakes and top with shredded coconut.

Notes

Store cupcakes in an airtight container and use them within 3 days for maximum freshness and flavor.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 560Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 1gSugar: 62gProtein: 4g

Nutrition calculation is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the cooking technique and the exact ingredients used. For informational purposes only.

Did you make this recipe?

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Kate

Sunday 3rd of April 2022

My coconut cupcakes turned out so buttery and delicious! This is an amazing recipe.

Linda

Saturday 2nd of April 2022

These cupcakes are so moist and addictive! It's so good and flavorful

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