Coconut Lime Cupcakes Recipe
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These coconut lime cupcakes are the perfect mix of sweet coconut flavor and zesty lime. If you’re ready for summer, or just want to bring the taste of summer to your home, this is just the tropical treat you need!
Coconut and lime are a match made in heaven, and these easy coconut lime cupcakes are the perfect way to incorporate this amazing combo into a delicious dessert. The coconut cake recipe starts with boxed yellow cake mix and gets its amazing flavor from coconut extract and coconut creme pudding.
The cupcakes are then topped with a refreshing lime buttercream frosting and sprinkled with crushed coconut lime cookies. Moist, light, and fluffy, these have everything you want in a perfect cupcake, and they taste every bit as good as they look!
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s Easy – Boxed cake and pudding mix make this recipe incredibly easy while still producing a delicious and moist cupcake. It’s perfect for those busy days when you need a quick dessert that looks and tastes like it was made completely from scratch.
Change the Flavors: In the mood for a different flavor of cupcakes? No Problem – this is a great base recipe that can easily be modified simply by changing the pudding, cake mix, and extract flavors. You’re only limited by your store’s flavor selection…and your imagination.
It’s a Great Summer Dessert – Nothing says warm weather like the tropical flavors of coconut and lime, and these are the perfect summer cupcakes. This is a great recipe for warm weather gatherings, or any time you want to bring a little tropical island flavor to your party.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1-3.5-ounce package of coconut crème pudding
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- cupcake liners
For the frosting:
- 1½ sticks salted butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons lime extract
- 3 tablespoons milk, half and half or heavy cream
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup crushed Kroger Kaleidos Coconut Lime Sandwich Cookies
- 1 large piping bag
- 1 large round frosting tip
How to Make Coconut Lime Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray it with non-stick coconut oil or vegetable oil spray.
Step 2: Whisk pudding and cake mix together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Using a separate bowl and a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed, mix water, oil, eggs, and coconut extract into the dry ingredients until well incorporated.
Step 4: Fill the muffin tin with the cupcake batter until each tin is about 2/3 full.
Step 5: Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Making the Frosting
Step 6: In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Beat until light and fluffy.
Step 7: Mix the lime extract into the butter.
Step 8: Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. In between each cup, add a tablespoon of the milk, cream, or half and half. Continue mixing until creamy – about 1 minute.
Step 9: Prepare the piping bag, fill with frosting, and frost the cupcakes. Be sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before you begin frosting.
Step 10: Sprinkle the cupcakes with the crushed coconut lime sandwich cookies. If you don’t have the cookies, shredded coconut flakes will work also.
Tips & Tricks
- To add some color to your garnish, try grating fresh lime or key lime zest on top and adding a mini candy lime wedge to each cupcake.
- A little goes a long way with the coconut extract, so be sure not to overdo it. If you prefer a milder coconut flavor, you can use a little less, or try vanilla extract instead.
- There are tons of different ways to reuse the lime buttercream frosting for other desserts. Try it with plain yellow, vanilla, or lime cake. It even tastes great on sugar cookies!
- For even more flavor, add some filling to your cupcakes. Lime curd would be delicious, but you could also use more of the buttercream frosting. Simply cut a small circle of about 1 inch in diameter in the top of the cooled cupcakes. Remove the cake circle from each and your filling to the hole, then frost as usual.
You can keep these in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. For the best tasting cupcakes, we recommend taking them out ahead of time and eating at room temperature.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, these cupcakes will keep in the freezer for up to two months. If you plan to freeze them after frosting, put them in an airtight container that’s deep enough so as not to smash the frosting. For best results, and to keep them fresh even longer, wrap each individual cupcake in plastic wrap once the frosting hardens.
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- Red Velvet Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
- Butterbeer Cupcakes
- Beauty And The Beast Cupcakes
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Easter Cupcakes
- 32 Of The Best Cupcake Recipes For Any Occasion
Coconut Lime Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 box coconut creme pudding 3.5 ounce size
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
For the frosting
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lime extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk can substitute half & half or heavy cream
- 1/4 cup crushed Coconut Lime Cookies or shredded coconut
Instructions
For The Cupcakes
- fPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray it with non-stick coconut oil or vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk pudding and cake mix together in a large bowl.1 box yellow cake mix, 1 box coconut creme pudding
- Using a separate bowl and a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed, mix water, oil, eggs, and coconut extract into the dry ingredients until well incorporated.3/4 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- Fill the muffin tin with the cupcake batter until each tin is about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For The Frosting
- In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and beat until light and fluffy.3/4 cup salted butter
- Mix the lime extract into the butter.1 1/2 teaspoons lime extract
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. In between each cup, add a tablespoon of the milk, cream, or half and half. Continue mixing until creamy – about 1 minute.4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk
- Prepare the piping bag, fill with frosting, and frost the cupcakes. Be sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before you begin frosting.
- Sprinkle the cupcakes with the crushed coconut lime sandwich cookies. If you don’t have the cookies, shredded or toasted coconut flakes will work also.1/4 cup crushed Coconut Lime Cookies
Notes
- To add some color to your garnish, try grating some fresh lime or key lime zest on top and adding a mini candy lime wedge to each cupcake.
- A little goes a long way with the coconut extract, so be sure not to overdo it. If you prefer a milder coconut flavor, you can use a bit less, or use vanilla extract instead.
Nutrition
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