35 Coconut Desserts That Taste Like a Tropical Getaway
Few flavors scream summer like coconut. Whether it’s a crunchy macaroon or a light-as-air cake, we’re transported to a faraway island after just one bite. Plus, its sweet, nutty taste pairs beautifully with bright citrus curds, tropical fruit and dark chocolate alike, so it’s beyond versatile. Here are 35 coconut desserts to make this summer that are (almost) as delicious as a vacation.
RELATED: 33 Creamy and Delicious Coconut Milk Recipes
1. Caramel Coconut Macaroons
They taste like the toasty, caramel-kissed coconut flakes on a Samoa cookie…only a million times better. Their burnt sugar flavor makes them prime for a holiday cookie swap.
2. Key Lime Pie with Coconut and White Chocolate
Coconut flakes in the graham cracker crust offer subtle nuttiness to this Floridian delicacy. White chocolate and whipped cream are just the match for the tangy Greek yogurt filling.
3. Berry-Coconut Rocket Pops
Your beloved ice cream truck treat is all grown up. Coconut milk and white grape juice are paired with fresh summer strawberries and blueberries, so you won’t need to fuss with food coloring.
4. Tiny Coconut Cookies with Hibiscus Glaze
These sweet-tart cuties are as easy to make as they are stunning. The key to the glaze is brewing a vibrant hibiscus concentrate and whisking in powdered sugar until it’s just the right consistency.
5. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote
Rhubarb can do so much more than pie. Here, it’s used in three-ingredient compote that’s swirled into uber-creamy rice pudding, a nod to the British tradition of pairing rhubarb with cream instead of sugar to curb its bitterness.
6. Caramel Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake
The crowning glory on this tangy, decadent treat is a flourish of crunchy coconut flakes and cajeta, a goat milk caramel that’s popular in Latin countries.
7. Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars
Almond Joy fans: We’re about to blow your mind. Think a creamy macaroon base finished with toasted almonds and a drizzle of melted chocolate (dark or milk will both taste divine).
8. Coconut Popsicles
All these creamy, dreamy ice pops require is a bit of stirring, pouring and freezing to come together. Top the bottoms with a layer of tart raspberry jam for a striking finishing touch.
9. No-Bake Coconut Cream Pie
Because the last thing you want to do right now is turn your kitchen into a sauna. Give your oven the day off and let your refrigerator handle this crowd-pleaser.
10. Coconut Choux Bites
Think of them as tiny French cream puffs, minus the cream. Instead of being filled, the light-as-air puffs are garnished with coarse pearl sugar for extra crunch.
11. 3-Ingredient Coconut Ice Cream
Make this beauty vegan by swapping honey for agave or maple syrup. Bonus points if you serve in a halved pineapple instead of a bowl.
12. Vegan Miso Caramel Dip with Pretzels and Granny Smith Apples
The secret to this plant-based caramel is not butter and heavy cream, but canned coconut cream. Miso paste offers tang, salt and umami to the sweet dip.
13. Coconut Cookies
If a sugar cookie and a macaroon had a baby, it’d be this delicious 30-minute treat.
14. Salted Coconut Sorbet with Peanuts
If you have five minutes and three pantry staples, this dessert is within reach. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, just use any freezer-safe container you have on hand.
15. Non-Dairy Coconut Whipped Cream
Whether you’re indulging in fresh berries, homemade pie, a milkshake or a sundae, this vegan gem will make it taste even better.
16. Toasted Coconut Cream Rum and Chocolate Mousse Crepe Cake
Crepe cakes are a go-to for lazy bakers, but this recipe cuts no corners. Everything is made from scratch, from the paper-thin crepes to the boozy cream filling to the chocolate-coconut ganache on top.
17. Coconut Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Complete with coconut-infused cream cheese frosting. If we were you, we’d make room for these handhelds on your Easter menu.
18. Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn
If sweet-and-salty treats are your jam, you’re only ten minutes away from your new favorite snack. Go the extra mile by drizzling thin ribbons of melted chocolate on the popcorn too.
19. Coconut Chia Pudding
You say overnight breakfast, we say healthy dessert. Once the pudding is finished, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
20. 5-Ingredient Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups
They may look like a coconut rendition of your favorite candy, but they’re so much healthier. The cups are sweetened with maple syrup, while the chocolate coating is made from scratch with cacao powder, coconut oil and cocoa butter.
21. No-Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart
The raw crust is a mix of roasted cashews, unsweetened coconut flakes, Medjool dates and cinnamon, resulting in a granola-like crunch and flavor.
22. Chocolate Coconut Bread
The bread boasts coconut oil, coconut extract, shredded coconut and coconut milk, so you’re guaranteed a burst of tropical flavor in every crumb.
23. Coconut Matcha Ice Cream
Earthy green tea powder + decadent full-fat coconut milk = a match-a made in heaven. (Sorry.)
24. Coconut Brownies
Fudgy brownies > cakey brownies, don’t @ us. The recipe uses coconut oil in place of butter, plus coconut extract in the batter for good measure.
25. Coconut Banana Cream Pie Parfaits
Two iconic pies, one decadent little jar. Buttery crumbled Ritz crackers in the crust offer just the right amount of salt in every spoonful.
26. Berry Coconut Frozen Yogurt
Who knew Greek yogurt could be so damn pretty? The strawberries and raspberries are macerated in honey and coconut rum before being blended into the yogurt.
27. One-Bowl Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies
It’ll only take you 23 minutes total to get from zero to cookie. The secret is aquafaba, aka chickpea brine, which adds moisture and binding power in place of eggs.
28. Coconut Lemon Curd Petit Fours
Hi, we’re PureWow and mini desserts are basically our love language. Save time by using store-bought lemon curd if you’d like—we won’t tell.
29. Strawberry Coconut Macaroons
You can use fresh or freeze-dried strawberries in this pretty-in-pink recipe. Just don’t use frozen ones since they’ll release too much liquid into the macaroons.
30. Pineapple Coconut Cake
OK, this Insta-worthy confection tastes like straight-up sunshine. Sour cream and cake flour in the batter ensure that it turns out fluffy and moist.
31. Almond Butter Coconut Macaroons
Almond flour makes these babies gluten-free, but we’re most impressed with their high protein content. You can chalk that up to egg whites and almond butter.
32. No-Fuss Coconut Lime Tart
Feel free to substitute canned coconut cream for heavy cream if you want to make this dessert dairy-free. Just be sure not to skimp on the salty pretzels in the crust or the fresh lime juice in the filling.
33. Banana Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Buttermilk imparts tang to the cake, while whole-wheat pastry flour contributes wholesome, nutty flavor.
34. Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies
Want to make the dough ahead so you have less to do later? No prob: You can chill it in the fridge for up to four days. Just be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before baking it.
35. Macaroon Cups with Ginger-Coconut Whipped Cream and Pineapple
The key to the filling’s brightness and spice is fresh-pressed ginger juice, but you can substitute store-bought if you’d prefer.
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For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.