37 Coconut Desserts You’ll Crave Long After They’re Gone
Coconut desserts come in an array of textures and flavors—and it’s all thanks to the versatility of the star ingredient. Are coconuts a fruit? A nut? A seed? Apparently, they’re all three. Coconuts are considered a drupe, a botanical classification that includes stone fruits. But few other ingredients are widely available in so many forms. The thick liquid extracted from shredded coconut pulp (that would be coconut milk) provides a creamy texture to custard pies and can even be turned into stellar vegan whipped cream; while shredded and toasted mature coconut meat becomes a crunchy, nutty topping. Flaked coconut sweetens frostings, while unsweetened coconut milk and sweetened cream of coconut enrich an ice pop. You can even turn coconut water into ice cubes to transform a simple rum cocktail. Coconuts are also fundamental to countless savory dishes from cuisines worldwide, but today we're heading straight for dessert. Here is a bounty of sweet coconut desserts that show just how versatile coconut truly is.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova1/37Coconut Cream Pie
Classics coconut desserts never go out of style—sometimes they just need a little updating. This cream pie recipe is the perfect example. Small tweaks like infusing the filling with nutty toasted coconut flakes, lightening it with whipped cream for an airy texture, and setting it with both gelatin and cornstarch for added insurance turn this timeless recipe into a modern classic.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne2/37Coconut Macaroons
This crowd-pleasing cookie recipe calls not for coconut extract, but almond extract to bolster the shredded sweet coconut. Just a splash enhances their nutty coconut flavor and helps make each bite taste more coconutty than it would without.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova3/37Lane Cake
The Lane Cake (a.k.a. prize cake) is a classic Southern dessert named after its creator, Emma Rylander Lane, who won first prize at the county fair in Columbus, Georgia, with the recipe. This cake is chock full of goodies, including golden raisins, flaked coconut, and bourbon, and it winds up with a soft, tender crumb.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova4/37Sticky Rice With Mango
This popular Thai dessert combines sticky rice, sweetened coconut milk, and ripe mangoes. If you don’t have a steamer, you can make a quick microwave version of this classic dish instead.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova5/37Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake
This reversed take on German chocolate cake is the sleek alter-ego of the ‘50s classic. Layers of rich chocolate cake sandwiching a coconut and pecan filling get coated in a smooth dark chocolate glaze to create a sophisticated dessert fit for a black-tie event. For a simpler option, check out this sheet cake version of the chocolate coconut cake.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne6/37Piña Colada
If you prefer to drink your dessert, you might be looking for the best version of this classic cocktail. Coconut, pineapple, and rum come together in the time-tested favorite that needs no introduction. For a spirit-free version, you can create a similarly complex flavor profile by adding a touch of apple cider vinegar, salt, and vanilla extract to the coconut and pineapple.
By David Loftus7/37Smoked Coconut Cake
This fragrant smoked coconut cake recipe has been handed down for at least four generations. Its intoxicating scent, a result of baking the cake directly in a smoker, is sure to continue its legacy for years to come.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks9/373-Ingredient Creamy Coconut-Lime Ice Pops
You’ll need just two pantry items (unsweetened coconut milk and sweetened cream of coconut) plus some fresh lime zest to make this refreshing frozen treat.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/37Khao Niao Ping Sai Kluai (Grilled Sweet Sticky Rice With Banana Filling)
These handheld packets from Thailand strike the perfect balance of textures. Chewy steamed rice is wrapped in banana leaves and then charred on the grill to yield a crispy-yet-chewy exterior that perfectly contrasts the creamy banana filling.
Photo by Joseph De Leo11/37Coconut Rice Pudding Pie
A far cry from your standard counter slice, this diner-inspired coconut pie stands out by combining rice pudding, rum whipped cream, caramel, and a sweet-and-salty crust made from sesame sticks.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/37Bibingkang Cassava
Grated cassava (also known as yuca) takes the place of flour in this classic Filipino cake, lending it a sweet, nutty flavor and sticky, chewy texture.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce13/37Coconut-Cardamom French Toast With Raspberry-Rhubarb Compote
This French toast recipe has a bright, fresh raspberry-rhubarb compote and rich and creamy coconut filling. It’s as if the Sunday brunch favorite just got back from vacation with a new look and zesty attitude.
Photo by Romulo Yanes14/37Fresh Coconut Layer Cake
If you are going to have a coconut cake, it might as well exude the essence of coconut in each one of its components. (The cake is, after all, a commitment to pure coconut flavor.) This recipe uses fresh coconuts, which can be a bit challenging to open but are worth the extra effort.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne16/37Kingston Cookies
Oats, golden syrup, and desiccated coconut combine in these homemade oatmeal cookies, which are wonderful sandwiched together with milk chocolate.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova18/37Kuih Lapis (Malaysian Steamed Rose Layer Cake)
This steamed layer cake has a bouncy texture and looks just as good as it tastes. Eat it for breakfast, a snack, or an after-dinner sweet.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne19/37One-Pot Honeycomb Cake
Pandan extract gives this cake a striking green hue and subtle coconutty, vanilla-like flavor that plays perfectly with the cake’s distinct honeycomb texture.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne20/37Capirotada
This classic Mexican bread pudding with Medieval origins is often reserved for Lent; you can make this version made with golden raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, bananas, a sweet custard, and torn bolillo rolls any time you’d like.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne21/37Nanaimo Bars
This iconic Canadian confection is remarkably easy to make. They can be served chilled or at room temperature, so they're great for carting along to a holiday party or any potluck.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson22/37Banana Coconut Muffins
A good muffin is never dry, and these banana coconut muffins have a sublime texture thanks to the toasted coconut flakes and mashed bananas that keep them moist.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne23/37Coconut-Sugar Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches
Coconut sugar gives these sandwich cookies—which are filled with a white chocolate, coconut, and rum ganache—a deep caramel flavor with notes of brown sugar and molasses.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne24/37Ube Pie With Marshmallow Whip
Ube gives the filling of this showstopping dessert a silky, custardy texture similar to that of a classic sweet potato pie and lends it a striking purple color and subtle pistachio-like flavor.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell26/37Pannelet Cookies With Sweet Potato and Coconut
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell28/37Coconut–Key Lime Sheet Cake
Roland Bello29/37Coconut Rum Cake
Simplicity is elegance, and this cake is proof positive. A tender coconut cake topped with a rum-spiked glaze makes for an effortless dessert, and no one has to know it was a one-bowl affair.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson30/37Classic Carrot-Coconut Cake
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone31/37Coconut Milk Custard With Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
Sweet strawberry-rhubarb compote and crunchy chopped pistachios make the loveliest toppings for this coconut milk custard. It’s smooth, tart, and crunchy; what more could you want in a summer dessert?
Aran Goyoaga35/37Coconut Doughnuts
These dairy-free coconut doughnuts can be tossed in sugar or coated in a nutty coconut glaze. They have a melt-in-your-mouth texture and happen to be gluten-free as well.
Photo by Martin Poole36/37Raspberry Coconut Loaf
What an image: to sit in a sunlit room with coffee and a slice of raspberry coconut loaf. This quick bread comes together without a mixer, making that dream one step closer to becoming a reality.
