Make these Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Macadamia for a fun Easter treat! The cupcakes are incredibly soft, moist and fluffy, with a creamy and light coconut buttercream frosting. They’re perfect for Spring. This post is sponsored by MacFarms® but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I can eat chocolate cupcakes any time, any day. They are seriously my absolute favorite treat. And these toasted coconut and chocolate cupcakes take my favorite treat to the next level with an amazing flavor combo. I also added toasted macadamia nuts to create an unexpected yet wonderful crunchy texture! Topped these with my incredibly easy coconut frosting, and you’re ready for Easter.
For decorations, I added three milk chocolate macadamia nuts to get the “Easter egg nest” look. But they are also perfect for everyday occasions. I know you’ll love them!
Table of Contents
Helpful tools
- You’ll need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to make the frosting.
- You should have a standard size muffin pan to bake the cupcakes in.
- And a large cookie scoop is useful to divide the cupcake batter, though it is not required.
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:
For the coconut chocolate cupcakes
- Macadamia nuts – Plain toasted macadamias are used in the cupcake batter for a little crunch and texture. If you don’t want to use macadamias here, simply omit or use more toasted coconut instead.
- Sweetened shredded coconut – I toasted the coconut for more flavor. You can use unsweetened shredded coconut instead, it won’t affect the sweetness of the cupcakes too much.
- Flour – I use all purpose flour. Cake flour will work too. If you want to make this gluten free, try Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur gluten free flour. Readers have successfully substituted gluten free flour in some other recipes. However, I have not tried it with this particular recipe.
- Cocoa powder – I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder when it comes to making a very dark chocolate cupcake. But I have used half natural cocoa powder and half Dutch-processed in this recipe and they come out just fine. This recipe also calls for coffee to further enhance the chocolate flavor. If you don’t plan to use coffee, I would definitely opt for 100% Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Leavening agents – I use both baking soda and baking powder. The baking soda will be activated by the acidity in the brown sugar and coffee.
- Salt – I always use kosher salt in all my recipes. If using table salt, use half as much.
- Sugar – light or dark brown sugar will add flavor depth and richness to these cupcakes. But if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute granulated sugar.
- Egg – I’m using 2 eggs in this recipe to ensure good binding for the macadamia nuts and coconut in the batter.
- Oil – I only call for vegetable or canola oil in this recipe because they are the most typical flavorless oil everyone uses and likely already have in their kitchen. However, if you want additional coconut flavor, you could use coconut oil instead. If using coconut oil, you may need to melt it before measuring since coconut oil tends to be solid at room temperature.
- Coconut milk – make sure to use full fat canned coconut milk in this recipe for more flavor and richness, though coconut milk in the carton should also work. Another type of milk will work as well if you don’t have coconut milk.
- Vanilla – pure vanilla extract is used to enhance the flavor so the cupcakes do not taste “flat”.
- Hot coffee – it’s important to use “hot” coffee to bloom the cocoa powder in the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor. If you don’t like using coffee, you can replace hot water instead. I used salted caramel flavor coffee in this recipe for a hint of toffee in the cupcakes but regular coffee will work just fine.
For the coconut buttercream frosting
- Butter – start with unsalted butter just like my classic American buttercream frosting.
- Coconut milk – instead of using milk or cream to lighten this buttercream, you will use full fat canned coconut milk to impart a very light coconut flavor to the buttercream. If you have to substitute, half and half (or half cream half milk) will do the job but your frosting will not have that light coconut flavor. It is crucial you don’t use carton coconut milk here since it is more watery than the canned version.
- Powdered sugar – as usual, powdered sugar is used to sweeten the buttercream.
- Vanilla – a little bit of vanilla extract will add warmth and more flavor to the buttercream. I didn’t call for coconut extract since that’s not something most people have readily but a little bit of coconut extract will amp up the flavor immensely.
- Salt – just a couple of pinches to add flavor nuance.
For the toppings
- Sweetened shredded coconut – I used non-toasted shredded coconut to cover the frosting for more coconut flavor and also to create the Easter egg nest. I think toasted coconut will work great here to even add color to the “nest”. You can use unsweetened shredded coconut, but I think the sweetened version add a nice sweetness as a topping.
- Milk chocolate macadamia nuts – for decorations in place of Easter egg candies. Or use any egg shape candies of your choice.
How to make chocolate coconut cupcakes
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.
Make the cupcakes
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda.
- Add salt, toasted/finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted sweetened shredded coconut, and whisk to distribute evenly.
- In another mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and beat thoroughly with a whisk.
- Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixture, and mix until just a few streaks of flour are left.
- Add hot coffee into the batter and stir until completely combined.
- Divide batter among 14-15 lined muffin cavities using a large cookie scoop.
- Bake one pan at a time at 350°F for about 17 minutes. Allow to cool.
Make the coconut buttercream
- Add softened butter, coconut milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to your stand mixer, fitted with the balloon whip, stir until combined.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5-10 minutes until fluffy. Scraping the sides of the bowl half way through.
Decorate the cupcakes
- Add frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and add a big dollop of butter cream on top of each cupcake.
- Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to flatten out the top and clean up the edges.
- Roll the side of the frosting in sweetened shredded coconut.
- Top each cupcake with 3 milk chocolate macadamia nuts to make the “Easter egg nest” if desired.
More baker’s tips
- Make it dairy free – The cupcakes themselves are already dairy free but you will need to substitute the coconut buttercream with this coconut whipped cream, I would double or triple the recipe to make enough as cupcake frosting. And also omit the milk macadamias decoration to make the whole thing dairy free.
- Make the buttercream more flavorful – The coconut milk infuse a light coconut flavor into the buttercream along with the shredded coconut on top. You can add coconut extract or a splash of Malibu rum (like in these pina colada cupcakes) to your buttercream to amp up the coconut flavor
- Rest the batter – I find that the cupcakes rise higher when the batter has rested a bit before going into the oven, as little as 10 minutes and up to half an hour.
Storage
Once frosted, if not planning to serve the same day, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will last 3-5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving so the frosting has time to soften.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, first refrigerate until the frosting hardens, then wrap each cupcake well in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag. To serve, unwrap the cupcakes and let them defrost at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.
FAQs
Can I make this recipe into a cake?
You can easily turn these chocolate coconut cupcakes into an easy chocolate coconut cake by baking this recipe in a square baking pan similar to this olive oil chocolate cake. You’ll need to increase baking time to 25-30 minutes. Once the cake is cooled, simply spread your frosting on top and sprinkle liberally with shredded coconut.
You could also turn this recipe into a 2-layer 6-inch cake like this mini chocolate cake if you have two 6” round cake pans and want something a little fancier than a snack cake. You’ll need to increase baking time to 20-30 minutes. The frosting in this recipe will probably be enough to frost the cake very lightly. If you want thicker frosting, you may want to increase the frosting recipe by 1.5 times. Once frosted, add shredded coconut to the sides and top of the cake.
How can I make these ahead of time?
Sometimes I get questions from readers about making the batter the day before. I don’t recommend making the cake batter way ahead of time and not baking it right away because baking soda is used as one of the leavening agents. However, I do notice that the cupcakes rise higher when the batter has some time to rest before going into the oven.
If you want to make this ahead of time, here are a couple of tips:
- Make the cupcake batter and bake the same day. The cupcakes, unfrosted, can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Make the coconut buttercream frosting the next day or well ahead of time. The frosting can be kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip until fluffy before using.
📖 Recipe card
Macadamia Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ½ cup macadamia nuts (toasted and finely chopped, 63 g)
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut (toasted, 40 g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder (Dutch-processed preferred, 35 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (use a rounded ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 cup brown sugar (200 g)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup oil (vegetable or canola oil, 50 g)
- ½ cup coconut milk (or buttermilk, 115 g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot coffee (salted caramel flavor, 115 g)
For the frosting:
- 8 oz unsalted butter (room temperature, 227 g)
- ½ cup coconut milk (or half and half, 115 g)
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (150 g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pinches of kosher salt
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut (or more for garnish)
Instructions
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly brown and fragrant, set aside to cool down. Chop them finely using a knife and a cutting board or a food processor.
- Toast the sweetened shredded coconut in the same skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and brown, set aside to cool down.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. Add salt, macadamia nuts, coconut, and mix to distribute evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and beat thoroughly with a whisk. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixture, and mix until just a few streaks of flour are left.
- Stream the hot coffee into the batter and stir the batter while the coffee is streaming in. Mix until completely combined. Set the batter aside while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line 14-15 muffin cavities with cupcake liners. You’ll need 2 muffin pans or you can wait for the first batch to finish baking before baking the remaining 2-3 cupcakes.
- Fill each muffin cavity with 1 full scoop of batter using a large cookie scoop or just fill it about ¾ full.
- Bake one pan at a time for 17-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: add softened butter, coconut milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to your stand mixer, fitted with the balloon whip, stir until combined. Then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5-10 minutes until fluffy. Scraping the sides of the bowl half way through.
- Add frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and add a big dollop of butter cream on top of each cupcake. Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to flatten out the top and clean up the edges.
- Roll the side of the frosting in coconut and top each cupcake with 3 milk chocolate macadamia nuts to make the “Easter egg nest” if desired.
Video
Notes
- I use salted caramel flavor coffee in this recipe which gives the cupcake a toffee note. You can use regular coffee.
- I find that the cupcakes rise higher when the batter has rested a bit before going into the oven, as little as 10 minutes and up to half an hour.
- See blog post for more tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. For more details on how we utilize affiliates, ads, and sponsored content, see our full disclosure policy. Thank you for your continued support, which enables us to keep bringing you delicious recipes, at no extra cost to you.
Leave a Reply