If one fruit can conjure up dreams of island vacations spent by the pool and sipping Piña Coladas, it’s the coconut. With its hardy exterior, sweet flesh and all-round tropical allure, coconut adds a luscious touch to dessert recipes.
Our best coconut dessert recipes range from cool icy treats to textural delights thanks loaded with shredded coconut and coconut flakes. Whether you prefer your coconut mixed through a creamy black rice pudding with caramelized bananas or served in a rum savarin with coconut cream and pineapple, you’ll go nuts for these coconut desserts.
The classic combination of coconut and chocolate shines in our chocolate coconut slab, lamington chocolate cake and coconut chocolate meringue pie recipes. Looking for summer-ready desserts? Then make Jaclyn Koludrovic’s dairy-free macadamia parfait with pineapple, ginger and finger lime elevated by a subtly sweet coconut flavour, or Louis Tikaram’s mango pudding with lime tapioca and creamy coconut ice-cream.
Ready to pretend you’re on holiday? Look to these best coconut dessert recipes.
Jaclyn Koludrovic’s dairy-free macadamia parfait with pineapple, ginger and finger lime
Louis Tikaram’s mango pudding with lime tapioca and coconut ice-cream
Tropical fruit salad with coconut jelly and ginger syrup
Jaclyn Koludrovic’s gluten-free and dairy-free raspberry, vanilla and chocolate lamingtons
Coconut sundae with pineapple caramel and macadamia nuts
Black rice and coconut pudding with caramel bananas
Dairy-free honey and macadamia tart with figs and blackberries
Lauren Eldridge’s brown-sugar pavlova with mango, hibiscus, hazelnut and coconut cream
Rum savarin with coconut cream and pineapple
Mascarpone and coconut cake with mango jelly
Coconut cupcakes with passionfruit curd
Toasted coconut meringue sandwiches with passionfruit ice-cream
Lychee and mango with lime-coconut syrup and lemon gelato
Blueberry and coconut ice-cream sandwiches
Adriano Zumbo’s passionfruit, lychee and coconut bûche de Noël
Coconut jellies with banana and coconut-sugar caramel
Coconut, spiced cherries and dark chocolate
Young coconut jelly and burnt mango cream with pandanus macaroons
Coconut rice pudding with star anise and rhubarb
Coconut, chocolate and raspberry ice-cream bombe
Pineapple coconut cakes with pineapple syrup