Coconuts are one of the most versatile ingredients out there. Coconut lovers will adore these sweet coconut dessert recipes for a tropical treat.

From Thailand to Hawaii, there are hundreds of ways to enjoy delicious coconut recipes on the menu. But one of the best is undeniably a dessert.

Creamy, sweet, and mellow, these sweet treats bring to mind beautiful days in the sunshine with blue skies stretching overhead. If you’re a fan of coconut desserts, then you’re in the right place.

What Dessert is Made from Coconut?

There are plenty of desserts made from coconuts. Coconut milk provides a great cream substitute for parfaits, ice creams, custards, and other milk-based desserts.

The coconut flesh is slightly sweet and has an iconic texture, making it an excellent addition to any dessert (either fresh or dried).

Even desiccated coconut and unsweetened coconut flakes make a ton of appearances in cakes.

That’s not to mention the many other ways clever cooks have discovered to use coconut to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Coconut flour and coconut sugar are great substitution ingredients, appearing in many gluten-free or low-sugar healthy desserts. They taste just as good, which is why they’re so popular.

What is the Best Combination with Coconut?

It’s hard to choose the best combination with coconut because there are so many!

However, if you had to pick one of the most common choices in the dessert world, it would have to be another tropical fruit like mango.

Mangoes and coconuts often grow in similar regions, meaning they’re utilized in many desserts together. But that’s not the only reason.

The sweet, floral stickiness of the mango pairs beautifully with the natural creaminess of the coconut flesh and milk.

You’ll find plenty of instances of this combination on this list of best coconut desserts because it’s just that good!

Without any further ado, let’s get into forty-one best coconut dessert recipes for you to try your hand at.

Coconut Flour Dessert Recipes

Once the coconut milk is squeezed out of the white flesh, that meat is dried down and ground up into fine flour. That flour has become a popular substitute in health-based communities.

However, it’s also a great standalone ingredient to use as a base for some amazing desserts. Curious? Let’s check some out!

1. Coconut Flour Muffins

We’re kicking things off with my coconut flour muffins. These are naturally sweet, nutty, and a great snack to have around the house when sugar cravings strike.

Best of all, they’re super easy to prepare in advance and packed with delicious coconut products.

You might also enjoy these fruity blueberry oatmeal muffins!

2. Vegan Coconut and Rum Snowballs

Source: thegreenloot.com

Make Christmas dessert quick, easy, and delicious with this on-theme coconut dessert.

These are clean-eating friendly, thanks to the coconut, plus they’re happily vegan and gluten-free! Oat and coconut flour are the perfect healthy bases for this filling dessert.

3. Coconut Flour Protein Cookies

This coconut cookie recipe is designed to keep you fuller for longer, thanks to the coconut flour.

These have a ton of protein in every mouthful, but they taste like delicious homemade cookies with a delicious coconut flavor!

4. Coconut Flour Oatmeal Cookies

Source: lifearoundthetable.ca

Speaking of cookies, here’s another recipe to try. These lower the GI even more thanks to the presence of the oatmeal, making these cookies ultra chewy and super filling.

Best of all, they’re so easy to make.

5. Coconut Shortbread Cookies

Source: baking-sense.com

Buttery shortbread cookies are the epitome of everything a cookie should be: perfectly crumbly, delicious, and not too sweet.

This is why coconut flour is such a great substitute for white flour in a shortbread recipe! The mellow nuttiness adds a whole new dimension to the shortbread cookies.

Coconut Milk Dessert Recipes

Coconut milk is possibly one of the most well-known coconut-based ingredients used in desserts and for a good reason. It’s naturally sweet and mellow, with a light creaminess.

In combination, those elements make it an ideal dessert ingredient, especially if you live a dairy-free lifestyle!

6. Coconut Milk Chia Pudding

If you’re looking for a healthy dessert option, you can’t go past coconut milk and chia seeds.

Top with your favorite fresh fruit, some dark chocolate chips, or nut butter to complete the picture.

You might also want to try this tropical mango chia pudding!

7. Coconut Lemon Fruit Leather

Source: mamalikestocook.com

Fruit leather is a wonderful dessert to keep around the house if you want something sweet after your meals.

The secret is to add coconut milk to the equation, which helps the leather take on the smooth texture and mellow flavor that makes it so good.

8. Coconut Pudding from Puerto Rico

Source: senseandedibility.com

Also known as ‘Tembleque,’ this is an iconic dessert that will impress any guests you have around for dinner. It’s sweet, creamy, and a great way to hero coconut as the main flavor.

9. Vegan Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Source: bakerstable.net

This vegan version of tres leches cake uses coconut to handle the very same load, and it does it admirably. The coconut milk adds a distinctive nuttiness, cutting through some of the sweetness in the best way.

These other dairy-free dessert recipes are sure to satisfy!

10. Coconut Rum Cream Pie

Source: senseandedibility.com

Coconut and rum is another iconic flavor combination, and it’s at play in this incredible twist on a coconut cream pie! The rum adds a boozy touch to the dessert, so it’s ideal for a dinner party.

Serve with your favorite rum cocktails or serve it solo to let the pie take the spotlight.

11. Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Source: culinaryshades.com

That’s right, you can make your own dairy-free ice cream! Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or just a big fan of coconut, this ice cream will deliver everything you want out of a cold scoop.

Enjoy these other fresh ice cream maker recipes this summer!

12. Toasted Coconut Cake

Source: senseandedibility.com

This recipe is here to prove that coconut cakes can be just as good as cakes with cow milk… and even better.

This fluffy, layered cake looks like something out of a magazine.

13. Lime Coconut Banana Bread

Source: agratefulmeal.com

Lime and coconut is a classic tropical combination, but not one you often see in banana bread. That’s what makes this recipe so unique!

Pair that with coconut milk, and you’ve got an insanely moist and fluffy banana bread!

Bought too many bananas? These best-ever banana desserts are here to help!

14. Coconut Cupcakes

Source: ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com

The same principle applies to these amazing coconut cupcakes. These also look like they leaped off the pages of a magazine featuring an amazing frosting and shredded toasted coconut on top

15. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding

Source: temeculablogs.com

Rice pudding is an old-fashioned dessert, it’s true, but it holds up for a good reason! This is an amazing dessert to enjoy in winter, and it uses affordable ingredients to make something tasty.

16. Malaysian Coconut Sticky Rice Pandan Custard

Source: siftandsimmer.com

This is a sticky rice pudding that incorporates both coconut and pandan, a mellow plant with a light green hue.

This sticky rice pudding is amazing in summer, especially served ice cold.

17. Coconut Fruit Flan with Sponge Cake Crust

Source: veggiedesserts.com

This is an incredibly unique and delicious flan featuring coconut milk, fresh fruit, and a crumbly sponge cake crust.

I can’t overstate how cool this dessert is. Imagine the ultimate Twinkie but with fresh, natural flavors. This is the ultimate birthday cake for a coconut lover.

18. Toasted Coconut Donuts

Source: barleyandsage.com

If you’re a fan of donuts – and really, who isn’t? – this recipe is a must-try. Plus, it’s a great way to make dessert for the coming days in one fell swoop.

19. Coconut Mango Sago Tapioca Pudding

Source: gohealthywithbea.com

This coconut mango tapioca pudding is humming with different flavors and textures.

The chewy sago makes the texture of this dessert absolutely addictive. The creamy coconut and sweet mango are the real heroes, though, transforming this into a tropical delight.

20. Tropical Popsicles

Source: addictedtodates.com

When the mercury starts to rise, beat back the summer heat with these delicious tropical mango passion popsicles! These dairy-free delights are so good for a hot summer afternoon outside.

Best of all, they’re so easy to make that you can whip up a batch in a matter of minutes.

Other Coconut Dessert Recipes

There are so many parts of the coconut to use in so many different ways. Check out some of the other coconut dessert recipes making the rounds on the internet.

21. 4-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate

Shredded coconut and cookies, what could be better? These ultra-chewy coconut macaroons only need four ingredients to come together, and one of those ingredients is chocolate.

22. Coconut Creme Brulee

Source: bakerstable.net

Put a tropical spin on a French classic with this amazing coconut crème brulee!

The crack of the sugar on top is only paralleled by the creamy custard hiding beneath. If you love wielding a blow torch, then this is the dessert for you.

23. Coconut Protein Balls

Whether you need a snack or a healthy dessert, these no-bake coconut protein balls are the ideal solution. They’re great as a make-ahead dessert, especially if you’re headed somewhere outdoors.

24. Coconut Pound Cake with Easy Vanilla Icing

Source: bakerstable.net

That’s right. You can even make pound cake with coconut! Imagine the mellow, creamy nuttiness of coconut mixed in with the dense, buttery crumb of a pound cake. That’s exactly what you get here.

This is such a good dessert for a quick and easy weekend treat.

25. Coconut Cheesecake

Source: fantabulosity.com

This version of cheesecake sings with the mellow sweetness of coconut embedded into the cake itself as well as the crust.

If you’re really keen, try drizzling a mango coulis over the top for a kick of tropical sweetness.

26. Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: daniscookings.com

The only thing better than regular chocolate chip cookies is the same thing with the added twist of coconut! This recipe ensures your cookies stay chewy and super moist.

27. Coconut Toffee

Source: midwexican.com

If you’re after something unique and long-lasting, this coconut toffee is the place to look! This isn’t all toffee. Instead, it’s a layer of dark, sweet toffee on a base of crackly saltines.

28. Coconut Sugar Candy

Source: passmeaspoon.com

If you’re after something a little more traditional, this coconut sugar candy is the thing to reach for. This is another long-lasting dessert ideal for road trips, camping, and picnics.

29. Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

Source: thetoastykitchen.com

Lemon and coconut are such a great combination. The fragrant citrus is a light and bright addition to these no-bake snowball cookies, while the shredded coconut offers some much-needed chew.

30. Coconut Sugar Cookies

Source: pizzazzerie.com

Coconut sugar has its own unique flavor profile when compared to normal processed baker’s sugar. It has a darker sweetness, almost treacly, which makes it ideal as a base for chewy sugar cookies.

31. Rafaello Cake

Source: livforcake.com

If you’re a fan of the iconic Ferrero Rocher, then you most likely enjoy a Rafaello once in a while as well. This Rafaello cake puts this white chocolate and coconut combination in the spotlight.

32. Lime and Coconut Cheesecake Parfaits

Source: emilyfabulous.com

Here’s another example of why lime and coconut go so well together! Really, any citrus pairs beautifully with coconut because it offers a counterpoint to the creamy milk taste.

33. Coconut Carrot Cake

Source: thecurlyspoonblog.com

Carrot cake is notoriously moist and nutty, thanks to the abundance of carrots and walnuts. Now, imagine that with the addition of coconut!

Not only will the coconut help make the cake moister, but it will also add to that iconic nuttiness to counteract the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting.

34. Toasted Coconut Cookies

Source: thehomeintent.com

Toasting coconut helps to bring the woody, nutty flavors out of it, turning the coconut flesh a gorgeous golden brown at the same time. So, what could be a better ingredient for a cookie?

This recipe is so quick and easy, producing chewy, sweet toasted coconut cookies in no time.

35. Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons

Source: danastable.com

The only thing that could possibly make macaroons better would be the addition of chocolate chips… so that’s what we have here!

Once again, coconut cookies are some of the easiest things in the world to make, and they keep well once made.

36. Paleo Toasted Coconut Brownies

Source: perchancetocook.com

Toasted coconut paired with the deep, dark flavor of chocolate is an incredible combination! The two tastes pair to create a mellow, addictive chocolate flavor that hums with warmth.

37. Banana Coconut Bundt Cake with Coconut Icing

Source: christinascucina.com

Pair two fruits together in this incredible bundt cake. The crumb on this cake is so good, with a light, buttery feeling moistened by all the bananas in the batter.

The coconut icing is the real hero here, though. Sweet, cooling, and the perfect counterpoint to the cake.

Keto Coconut Dessert Ideas

Living keto-friendly means choosing ingredients that maximize protein while minimizing carb intake. So, if you’re keto, coconut is a wonderful ingredient to rely on for your desserts.

Enjoy something sweet that won’t compromise your choice of diet, and – thanks to the fiber – will keep you fuller for longer.

38. Keto Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes

First up, we have one of my favorite keto recipes I’ve ever made! These keto raspberry coconut cupcakes are moist, sweet, and perfect for a quick and easy dessert.

You can even whip these up for the week ahead to combat any midnight sugar cravings.

39. Keto Coconut Mug Cake

Source: easymugcakes.com

Sometimes, you just want something super fast and simple to scratch the sugar itch. Whip up a keto-friendly dessert in literally five minutes, thanks to this amazing recipe!

The coconut keeps this mug cake moist, and the flavor is the perfect thing to end your day.

40. Keto Coconut Cream Pie

Source: lowcarbspark.com

Coconut cream pie is arguably a human right. Everyone should be able to enjoy it, regardless of the dietary restrictions you live with. That’s why this is such a great recipe!

The secret to the crust is almond flour, offering a crunchy, crispy crust to hold the delicious coconut filling.

41. Keto Coconut Cake

Source: lowcarbspark.com

In a similar vein, our final recipe embraces everything good about the coconut and puts it into a cake. Delicious frosting, a perfect crumb, and amazing flavor: this cake is a home run.