A mouthwatering dessert plucked straight from a song lyric, these Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting are a decadent summer cupcake recipe that will tantalize your tastebuds with their tropical flavor profile.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

I can’t even think about this recipe without getting Dannii Minogue’s version of Coconuts stuck in my head. I played it on repeat as my daughter and I whipped up this recipe… that girl will be properly educated on 90s pop music and 70s punk if I have anything to say about it.

While putting the lime in the coconut cupcakes might not relieve a bellyache, it definitely will satisfy your sweet tooth!

The lime and coconut flavors in this cupcake work gorgeously for a tropical-inspired cupcake that is the perfect balance of sweetness, tangy lime and cream cheese and creamy coconut. These cupcakes are tender and fluffy but are not so light as to be overpowered by the coconut cream cheese frosting that we generously swirled on top.

Normally when I make these cupcakes I also add a garnish of a slice of lime, but I unfortunately used them all up in the recipe this time and didn’t have more for garnish. Not only does topping the cupcakes with toasted coconut and lime slices indicate to guests what kind of cupcake they are about to enjoy, the lime slice gives you the option to amp up the lime flavor by squeezing the lime slice over the frosting before enjoying.

A good-quality coconut flavor extract (plus that topping of toasted coconut on top of the coconut cream cheese frosting) should give you all of the coconut flavor you need, but if you want to amp it up even more swap out the whole milk called for the in cupcake batter for coconut milk. You can also add toasted coconut directly into the cupcake batter.

To make these coconut lime cupcakes even easier, you can skip the homemade cupcake batter and just amp up a box of white cupcake mix with coconut extract and lime juice and zest (and possibly use coconut milk in place of the water/milk called for on the box). Just be sure to not skip that decadent coconut cream cheese frosting – there really is no substitute for it!

Can these coconut lime cupcakes be frozen? Yes, you can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes by placing in an airtight freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers for up to two months (this set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain). You can also freeze the frosting and mix well before using.

Check out our quick recipe video and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:

Lime Coconut Cupcake Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Eggs, room temperature
• White sugar
• Olive Oil
• Lime Zest
• Lime Juice
• Coconut Extract
• Whole Milk

For the Frosting:

• Cream Cheese, softened
• Butter, room temperature
• Powdered icing sugar
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Coconut Extract
• Toasted Coconut, optional garnish
• Small Lime Slices, optional garnish

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: swap out the whole milk in the cupcake ingredients for coconut milk to intensify the coconut flavor.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Piping bag with star tip <– a basic piping set will have all you need
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Electric mixer<– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
• Large mixing bowl
• Green and White Striped Cupcake Liners
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Cupcake pan
• Cupcake scoop
• Cooling racks <– I have and love these tiered cooling racks, they save so much counter space and are also oven-safe

How to Make Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with your favourite cupcake liners — we usually use reusable silicone liners, but this time we used green and white striped paper liners.

Combine all dry ingredients together. Don’t be tempted to skip on the salt!

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the oil, lime zest and juice, and coconut milk.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated.

Add the cupcake batter to the prepared liners with an ice cream scoop until 3/4 full.

Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool before frosting with the coconut-lime frosting.

How to Make Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed, adding butter 1 Tbsp at a time.

Add good quality coconut extract and powdered sugar, mix until combined

Try not to over-beat the frosting, but if you do, refrigerate the frosting before icing the cupcakes.

Place frosting into a pastry bag with your preferred frosting tip (I used a Wilton 27, but any closed star-tip will result in a similar finish), and swirl overtop of the cupcakes, squeezing evenly and stopping whenever you need to. Flick your wrist at the end to achieve a nice frosting tip, and if necessary, wet your finger to shape the tip slightly.

Garnish with a wedge of lime and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Pin this Mouth-watering Coconut Lime Cupcake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting for a unique and refreshing summer dessert:

Grab your free printable for our lime coconut cupcakes recipe:

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Yield: 24 cupcakes

Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Print

A mouthwatering dessert plucked straight from a song lyric, these Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting are a decadent summer cupcake recipe that will tantalize your tastebuds with their tropical flavor profile.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Coconut-Lime Cake Ingredients

• 1¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup cane or coconut sugar (can use granulated white sugar)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoon lime zest
• 4 Tbsp lime juice (1 medium lime)
• ¾ cup coconut milk (or 1 teaspoon organic coconut extract and ¾ cup whole milk)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoon organic coconut extract
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons toasted coconut (optional garnish)
• Small Lime slices or wedges (optional garnish)

Instructions

Lime Coconut Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with your favourite cupcake liners -- we usually use reusable silicone liners, but this time we used these green and white striped paper liners.
2. Combine all dry ingredients together. Don't be tempted to skip on the salt!
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the oil, lime zest and juice, and coconut milk.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
5. Add the cupcake batter to the prepared liners with an ice cream scoop until 3/4 full.
6. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool before frosting with the coconut-lime frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed, adding butter 1 Tbsp at a time.
2. Add good quality coconut extract and powdered sugar, mix until combined
3. Try not to over-beat the frosting, but if you do, refrigerate the frosting before icing the cupcakes.
4. Place frosting into a pastry bag with your preferred frosting tip (I used a Wilton 27, but any star-tip will result in a similar finish), and swirl overtop of the cupcakes, squeezing evenly and stopping whenever you need to. Flick your wrist at the end to achieve a nice frosting tip, and if necessary, wet your finger to shape the tip slightly.
5. Garnish with a wedge of lime and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Notes

Swap out the whole milk in the cupcake batter for coconut milk to enhance the coconut flavor even more.

You can also add toasted coconut to the cupcake batter, if desired.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Cakesupplyshop Ck8y3u - 50pack Lime Green & White Stripes & Swirl Standard Cupcake Baking Cup Liners
• 
  Cookie Scoop Ice Cream Scoop Melon Scoop 18/8 Stainless Steel with Trigger Cupcake Scoops (#14)
• 
  Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack for Cookies, Cakes and More
• 
  Lime, One Medium
• 
  Let's Do Organic, Shredded Coconut, 8 oz
• 
  Frontier Co-op Coconut Flavor, Non-Alcoholic, 2 ounce bottle

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

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Original image from 2015: