Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (with Video)
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.
More Decadent Coconut Desserts:
- No-Churn Coconut Nice Cream
- Dulce de Leche Coconut Cake
- Coconut Banana Bread from Kylee Cooks
- Samoa Macarons with Caramel-Coconut Filling
- Dairy-free Coconut Pudding on my kids’ cooking website, In the Kids’ Kitchen
- Chocolate Coconut Protein Balls
- 2-Ingredient Magic Coconut Oil Frosting from The Soccer Mom Blog
- Mini Pineapple Coconut Cheesecakes from Kylee Cooks
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.
Grab your free printable for our lime coconut cupcakes recipe:
Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
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
- 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.
- 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.
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 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.
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:
24Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
Original image from 2015:
Two of my husband’s favorite flavors – think I will try these for Father’s Day for him.
Ooh, that sounds wonderful – please let me know how he likes them!
This sounds amazing!!! Your pictures make it look especially delish. Totally have to make these.
Please let me know how you like them 🙂
Oh my goodness, these sound amazing. And you’re right, the flavor combination of lime and coconut reminds me of summer. Pinning this to my desserts board! 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by, Jennie – is it wrong that I’m craving one at 6 in the morning?
Anything with coconut sounds good to me especially with lime. My mind goes into over drive thinking of sweets light tasty cupcakes make my mouth watery. I am not a baker but lover of anything sweet.
These are definitely nice and light, perfect for summer. I wish I could ship you a few! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jennifer – wow! These look incredible as well as freshing! Thank you for sharing with us at the Brag About It Link Party!!
~Laurie
Thank you, Laurie – I finally understand why people put fruit in dessert 😉 LOL
Wow! Those are some incredible looking cupcakes right there. Your photography skills shine as much as your baking skills. Found you via Too Cute Tuesday. Great minds think alike…the post I linked up is all about lime, too. 🙂
—- Amy
http://www.thegiftedgabber.com/2015/05/favorite-family-recipe-key-lime-pie.html
Awesome! I’ve actually never tried a key lime pie so I’m heading over right now to take notes!
Jennifer, WOWSIE!!! You are amazing and I will be making these very soon. Thanks for sharing this at the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop. I featured it on my FB page. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
Oh, please let me know how you like them!
Look amazing and delicious! Visiting from Crafty and Delicious Party!
Thanks, Kim!
These look so delicious, Jennifer!!! I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks, Taylor!
Wow – we are cupcake lovers at our house and these look yummy. A bite of summer !! A keeper recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Pinch of Joy.
Thank you, Rebecca!
These look absolutely delicious. The perfect tea time or any time treat. Thanks so much for sharing these at the This is How We Roll link party! I have chosen this recipe as my favorite and it will be featured at the next party. Pinned too!
Thank you, Cynthia!
Those cupcakes look like they are full of summer goodness!
Thank you!