Make this coconut frosting to wow the coconut lover in your life. Smooth, perfectly coconutty, and sweet without being too sweet, coconut buttercream frosting adds a hint of tropical charm to dessert favorites like vanilla cupcakes, carrot cake, and even sheet cake.
This recipe is also freezer-friendly, so feel free to make a double batch and freeze half to use later. When you’re ready, thaw it out, whip it to restore its former glory, and use it as desired! For more frosting recipes, try my vanilla buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, and chocolate buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Butter — use unsalted butter so the frosting does not turn out too salty. Set it out in advance so it has time to soften to room temperature. See also my post on how to soften butter.
Powdered sugar — powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar) is a must for a smooth, fluffy frosting that is perfectly sweet. If yours is lumpy, sift it first to avoid lumps in your frosting. No powdered sugar? No problem! Check out my easy tutorial for how to make powdered sugar at home.
Coconut extract — coconut extract adds just the right amount of coconut flavor to the frosting. If you really love coconut flavor, don’t increase the amount of coconut extract in the recipe without caution. Adding too much can make the frosting taste fake, so start with the amount in the recipe, and ¼ teaspoon more at a time, tasting as you go.
Vanilla extract — vanilla is a great complement to coconut. Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
Coconut cream — you can either scrape the fat from a can of full-fat coconut milk or use canned unsweetened coconut cream. Do NOT use cream of coconut as that is a completely different product (more info below).
Salt — a pinch of salt enhances the other flavors and keeps the frosting from tasting too sweet.
How To Make Coconut Frosting
1. Cream the softened unsalted butter for about 3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment or use an electric hand mixer. It should lighten in color and look fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl for an even consistency.
3. Add the coconut extract and vanilla extracts.
4. Then add the coconut cream and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes for a smooth, fluffy frosting.
How Much Frosting Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes enough frosting to generously ice 12 cupcakes and 1 (9×13-inch) sheet cake. Double the recipe for a 2-layer or 3-layer cake to ensure you have enough frosting to ice between the cake layers and decorate the top of the cake.
Ways To Use Coconut Frosting
Coconut buttercream frosting is a dream on so many different desserts! Here are my favorite ways to use it:
- Use it instead of coconut cream cheese frosting on my coconut cake and coconut cupcakes.
- Slather it on a carrot cake or hummingbird cake for a twist on these classics.
- Add a hint of tropical flavor to decadent vanilla cake or vanilla cupcakes by using coconut frosting instead of vanilla buttercream.
- Spread it over chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes. Who doesn’t love chocolate and coconut?
- Coconut also pairs beautifully with lemon! Try it with my lemon cupcakes or lemon cake.
Can I Use Cream Of Coconut In The Frosting?
Don’t use cream of coconut! Cream of coconut is similar to condensed milk. It is very sweet and syrupy and is most often used in cocktails like a classic piña colada or a holiday favorite like coquitos.
Use coconut cream instead, which is a rich dairy-free cream made of coconut flesh and water. It is the thick portion found at the top of a separated unsweetened canned coconut milk.
Make Ahead And Storing
Coconut buttercream frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, so you can make it a few days in advance. After chilling, let it come back to room temperature for about an hour and whip it again to restore its fluffiness.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. As mentioned before, bring it to room temp and whip it before using.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use softened butter: Softened or room temperature butter is vital for smooth, silky frosting. If you forgot to set out the butter in advance for it to soften, check out my tutorial for how to soften butter quickly.
- Use a can of coconut milk for coconut cream: If you can’t find a can of coconut cream, scrape the fat from an unshaken can of coconut milk. Once I scrape off the fat, I use the coconut milk that remains to make coconut cupcakes, coconut cream pie, or coconut rice!
- To thin it out: If the frosting is too thick, add more coconut cream or a little bit of milk and mix well to reach your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut frosting can be at room temperature for several hours. If holding it for more than 12 hours, I recommend refrigerating it for the freshest flavor. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
To amp up the coconut flavor, you can add up to ½ cup of sweetened shredded coconut or toasted shredded coconut to the frosting. If you plan on piping the frosting with a decorative tip and piping bag, however, do not do this as the coconut flakes can get stuck in the tip. Instead, simply sprinkle shredded coconut over the top of the frosting after you pipe it onto your baked goods.
If your frosting breaks, it means you lost the emulsion between the fat (butter) and sugar. This can happen because the butter is too cold and didn’t whip correctly or is too warm and started to melt. Soft butter (between 65 and 70F) is vital for smooth, cohesive frosting.
If the butter or frosting was too cold, blow the outside of the blow lightly with a hair dryer to warm the frosting slightly. If the butter or frosting was too warm, pop the bowl and beater in the fridge for 5 minutes. Try whipping it again.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this coconut frosting recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Coconut Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 1 pound powdered sugar (450g)
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 3 minutes, until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition, for about 30 seconds or until fully combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the coconut and vanilla extracts, coconut cream and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add more coconut cream and mix well to reach your desired consistency.
Notes
- Use softened butter: Softened or room temperature butter is vital for smooth, silky frosting. If you forgot to set out the butter in advance for it to soften, check out my tutorial for how to soften butter quickly.
- Use a can of coconut milk for coconut cream: If you can’t find a can of coconut cream, scrape the fat from an unshaken can of coconut milk. Once I scrape off the fat, I use the coconut milk that remains to make coconut cupcakes, coconut cream pie, or coconut rice!
- To thin it out: If the frosting is too thick, add more coconut cream or a little bit of milk and mix well to reach your desired consistency.
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