Add a sweet delicious coconut flavor to all your cakes, cupcakes and cookies with this incredibly easy Coconut Frosting. This frosting is so creamy and silky. Best of all, it is not too sweet!
This coconut frosting recipe is basically an American buttercream frosting with a tropical twist. And like with most of my frosting recipes, this coconut buttercream frosting contains half or even less than half the amount of sugar most of the recipes you’ll find on the internet call for. So if you’re that person who compliments the chef with “it’s not too sweet”, this one is for you!
I paired this frosting with my Pina Colada cupakes and brought them to work one day and my cowokers inhaled them! It’s that good, guys. You will not have any regrets making this recipe, except for perhaps why you didn’t make more. It’s also perfect with my macadamia coconut chocolate cupcakes!
Table of Contents
Helpful tools
You’ll need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to make this coconut frosting. You truly don’t want to have to make it by hand.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Unsalted butter – don’t substitute salted butter or your frosting will be disgustingly salty.
- Coconut milk or cream – you’ll want to use the canned variety here, not the coconut milk in the carton. You can use regular heavy cream as a substitute but you can only make this substitution if you’re using coconut extract to amp up the coconut flavor. Otherwise, this won’t be a coconut frosting.
- Powdered sugar – for a smooth fluffy frosting, you’ll need powdered sugar. Even if you try to grind granulated sugar in a food processor, you won’t be able to get the same fine texture as the store bought version.
- Salt – just a pinch or two of salt to enhance the sweetness and overall flavor of the frosting.
- Vanilla extract – I used just half a teaspoon to add complexity to the overall flavor profile.
- Coconut extract – just half a teaspoon really enhances the coconut flavor. It’s strong so you don’t need to use a lot. If you don’t have coconut extract but happen to have some Malibu rum in your liqueur cabinet, a splash of that would be a good substitute. If you don’t have neither, just omit, your frosting won’t have that super strong sweet coconut scent, but the coconut milk does add a very subtle coconut flavor to it already.
How to make coconut frosting
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Cream the softened butter in your stand mixer or mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy.
Add powdered sugar and salt. Stir to combine the powdered sugar first, slowly increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until completely incorporated and creamy.
Add the extracts, stream in the coconut milk little by little and beat until incorporated. Keep beating until the frosting is fluffy, about 5-10 minutes.
More baker’s tips
- To amp up the coconut flavor even more, fold in sweetened coconut flake if you don’t plan to pipe your frosting. This is also a good trick to add coconut flavor if you don’t have coconut extract or Malibu rum.
- If you’re planning to pipe your frosting, instead of folding coconut flakes directly into the frosting, you can sprinkle coconut flakes on top when you’re done piping it. This is so the coconut doesn’t get stuck inside the piping tip, or you would need one with a large opening.
- Use the coconut flakes as is, or toast them in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until golden to add even more nutty flavor.
- This recipe makes just over 2 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost 12 to 18 cupcakes.
Storage
This easy coconut buttercream frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour and re-whip until fluffy before using it.
You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can thaw it at room temperature and re-whip until fluffy before using it.
FAQs
Absolutely! This frosting is thinner than a typical buttercream frosting but it is still pipeable.
If you add too much coconut milk at once to the frosting, it can separate. But this scenario is very similar to making Swiss meringue buttercream, right after you add butter to the mix, the whole thing looks curdle. Just keep beating, the frosting will come together.
When I was testing this recipe, I added all the ingredients together without taking it step by step, and everything just look like a big bowl of cottage cheese. But after about 10-15 minutes of the mixer running on medium, my coconut milk frosting came together beautifully.
This also happens when I tested it again, even making it in steps, beating the butter first, then incorporate other ingredients. When it was time to add coconut milk, the frosting curdled again, but this time the separation wasn’t that bad and it resolves itself quickly.
Keep in mind that this frosting has a lot less sugar than other recipes so it will be thinner. If you want a thicker frosting, you can reduce the amount of coconut milk used, or increase the amount of powdered sugar added. Both these options will alter the taste of your coconut frosting.
Hungry for more?
Silky 6-Ingredient Coconut Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounce unsalted butter, room temperature, 227 g
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 150 g
- 2 pinches of salt, kosher or others
- ½ cup coconut milk, or coconut cream, canned, 118 g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
Instructions
- Cream the softened butter in your stand mixer bowl on medium to medium high speed until it is light and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar and salt. Stir to combine the powdered sugar. Gradually increase mixer speed to medium high and beat until completely incorporated and creamy.
- Add vanilla and coconut extracts, and stream in the coconut milk. Beat at medium low or medium speed to incorporate. Then continue beating on medium high until the frosting is light and fluffy, an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
Notes
- This recipe makes just over 2 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost 12 to 18 cupcakes.
- If you don’t have coconut extract, a splash of Malibu rum will be a good substitute.
- To amp up the coconut flavor without coconut extract or Malibu rum, fold in sweetened coconut flakes. However, if you’re planning to pipe your frosting, you’ll need to use a piping tip with large opening or sprinkle coconut flakes on top instead of folding them into the frosting directly.
- Use the coconut flakes as is, or toast them in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until golden to add even more nutty flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This icing is delicious. I made Christmas Spritz cookies and used this icing to make little sandwich cookies. I added just a bit of ground unsweetened coconut for a subtle texture. Yumm. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Deborah! Coconut Spritz sandwich cookies sound amazing!
This was good! I did have to beat it for a long time, probably a little longer than stated (it was summery weather), but it eventually did get fluffy enough to use for frosting a birthday cake, and it was the right amount for two nine-inch round layers. I used only 1/4 tsp of coconut extract and 1/4 teaspoon of imitation almond (I’m allergic to real almonds), plus the called-for amount of vanilla, but the coconut flavor still came through well.
I’m glad the recipe worked out well for you you, Kellie. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Happy baking!