Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

This Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes recipe is light and fluffy! It's made with chocolate chips, topped with ganache and toasted coconut.

This post is sponsored by Nestle but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I decided to celebrate the arrival of spring this year with these Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes. You'd be hard pressed to find a better combination than chocolate and coconut!

I'm one of those people who genuinely enjoys winter. I love how the world quiets down, we can binge-watch Netflix and not feel bad about it, eat our weight in soup, and go cross-country skiing. I even love a good snow storm.

I am, as most Minnesotans do this time of year, starting to itch for spring. The days are getting longer, we start dreaming of firing up the grill, and we begin to plan our gardens.

One of the things I get most excited about is getting outside and taking nature photos. And nature photos are always more fun to take when the air isn't hurting your face.

Flavors change along with the seasons as well. Dark and heavy winter spices and dishes make way for lighter flavors like citrus and coconut. One of my favorite flavor combos is chocolate and coconut and these cupcakes are packed with both of them.

Jump to:

• How To Make Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
• Add The Chocolate Chips To The Batter
• How Long Do Chocolate Chip Cupcakes Take To Bake?
• How To Make Toasted Coconut
• How To Make Chocolate Ganache
• Top The Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes
• How Long Do These Cupcakes Last?
• Can They Be Frozen?
• Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

How To Make Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

These Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are seriously dreamy. They're light and fluffy and full of chocolate-y coconut goodness. They're also really easy to make. I'm all about simple decadent desserts.

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend (or AP flour if not gluten free), 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix these ingredients together with a fork.
3. Using a Kitchen Aid mixer whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat 1 stick of softened butter and ¾ cup sugar. Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. Add 2 eggs to the butter and sugar, one at a time. Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds and then repeat.
5. In a third bowl combine 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk and 1 tsp. coconut extract. Stir the coconut milk mixture until it is soft and creamy.
6. The next step is to combine all of these ingredients into one bowl. This process is done in stages to ensure that everything gets mixed together correctly.
7. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and stir. Then add half of the coconut mixture and stir.
8. Repeat with the rest of the flour and remaining coconut milk. The batter should be thick but not dense.

Add The Chocolate Chips To The Batter

Now for the good stuff. It's time for the chocolate chips. I'm in love with these Nestlé® Toll House® semi-sweet mini morsels. They're perfect for fun treats like these Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes.

They bake perfectly in the batter and add these nice little pops of chocolate flavor.

1. Add 1 cup of the mini morsels to the bowl and fold them into the batter.
2. Try not to over-mix or the batter will become to become tough.

These cupcakes are gluten free and uses a gluten free flour blend such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Flour or Cup 4 Cup. I love gluten free flour blends such as these, because they work just as AP flour would and require no complicated substitutions or ingredients.

Feel free to use AP flour if gluten is not an issue for you.

You can pick up a bag (or two!) of these mini morsels or any number of Nestlé® Toll House® chocolate chip goodness at your local Walmart. Trying to decide between chocolate chip varieties is one of the best kind of problems!

How Long Do Chocolate Chip Cupcakes Take To Bake?

1. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. There should be enough batter to fill all 12 cups nearly to the top.
2. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. This will help the cupcakes bake evenly. My oven tends to bake one half more aggressively than the other and rotating the pan ensures that they all end up equal.
3. The cupcakes should be lightly golden on top and spring back to the touch. You can also use a toothpick to check them.
4. Remove from oven when finished and allow to cool completely.

How To Make Toasted Coconut

1. These cupcakes are finished with a toasted coconut topping. Toasting the coconut brings out its natural nutty flavor and adds a little bit of crunch to the top.
2. As the cupcakes are cooling, simply place 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes onto a baking sheet.
3. Place the pan in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Shake the pan every 2 minutes or so and rotate it to prevent the coconut from burning.

You'll want to keep a close eye on the flakes as they are toasting.

Once they are slightly golden brown remove the pan from the oven and set aside.

How To Make Chocolate Ganache

These cupcakes are topped with a chocolate ganache as opposed to a traditional frosting. If you're a faithful reader of this blog you know that I love chocolate ganache. I use it to top cookies, cakes, and even doughnuts. It's got such a rich, deep flavor.

This ganache is extra special, though, because it uses coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream. However, you CAN use heavy whipping cream instead of coconut milk if that's what you've got on hand!

1. To make the ganache, heat a few cups of water in a double boiler.
2. Once the water has reached a low boil, add 1 cup of chocolate chips and allow to melt slightly.
3. Slowly add ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Pour the ganache into a small bowl when it's finished.

Love chocolate? Don't miss these recipes!

• Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecakes
• Baileys Chocolate Doughnuts
• Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
• Peppermint Shortbread Cookies

Top The Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes

To finish the process simply dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the bowl of chocolate ganache. Swirl the cupcakes tops around in the chocolate until they are completely coated.

Sprinkle a few teaspoons of the toasted coconut on top of the chocolate. The coconut should stick to the chocolate.

Looking for non-chocolate desserts? Don't miss these!

• Baked Glazed Lemon Doughnuts
• Strawberry Mascarpone Tartlets
• Strawberry Mint Panna Cotta
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding
• Scandinavian Almond Cake
• Buttermilk Rhubarb Cake
• Roasted Pistachio Panna Cotta

How Long Do These Cupcakes Last?

The cupcakes should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Be sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

It's important to store them in the fridge and not at room temperature, as the chocolate ganache contains heavy whipping cream.

Can They Be Frozen?

I do not recommend freezing these cupcakes, as they would likely dry out in the freezer.

These cupcakes are perfect for spring get-togethers, parties, and holidays! Cupcakes are one of those things that are meant to be shared with others. They're a fun, celebratory treat.

It doesn't get any better than coconut and it DEFINITELY doesn't get any better than chocolate.

Love desserts? Check out these recipes!

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
• Halloween Puppy Chow
• Halloween Chocolate Cookies
• Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Looking For More Coconut Desserts? Don't Miss These!

7-Layer Magic Bars

Chocolate Macarons

Coconut Cookies with Rum Glaze