MATT TAYLOR-GROSS
Recipes

19 Coconut Desserts to Go Crazy For

Coconut cake? Coconut ice cream? We’re loco for coco

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on May 9, 2018

Beneath the hard shell of the coconut lies a refreshing nectar and rich meat well worth the trouble of cracking it open. Skip the canned stuff and make your own coconut milk from freshly grated coconut meat. Pro tip: Use the tools you already have in your kitchen to make it infinitely easier.

Coconut is used extensively in traditional Southeast Asian recipes: from curries to coconut rice, fresh coconut milk adds subtle sweetness and silkiness to dishes like no other. And while savory coconut recipes are delicious, you can't beat coconut desserts made with coconut milk. Our favorites range from steamed coconut-pandan cakes to coconut ice cream—here's how to make them.

THOMAS KELLER'S COCONUT CAKE
If Coconut Cake Is Your Thing, Try Thomas Keller's Version

Thomas Keller’s Coconut Cake

brown coconut pie
Brown Coconut Pie

The original recipe for this pie, adapted from Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook, was a mere few lines—devoid of even a dough recipe and intended for laid-back, confident bakers. Using fresh grated coconut is essential: It creates the ideal texture and keeps the sugary filling from skewing too sweet. Use the fine side of a box grater, or place small pieces of fresh coconut in a food processor. Get the recipe for Brown Coconut Pie »

Coconut Pistachio Semifreddo

Anna Watson Carl relies on sweetened condensed milk to add richness to this frozen dessert flavored with coconut milk, lime zest, and toasty pistachios. Simply macerated peaches provide a fresh, fruity counterpart. Get the recipe for Coconut and Pistachio Semifreddo with Fresh Peaches »

Rice Cakes Stuffed with Coconut and Brown Sugar (Yi Bua)
Top Pot Triple Coconut Donuts
Top Pot Triple Coconut Donuts

Coconut milk gives these donuts from Seattle’s Top Pot donut shop a super-moist interior and a gratifying crust. Get the recipe for Top Pot Triple Coconut Donuts »

Omani Coconut Cookies
Omani Coconut Cookies

A simple combination of sugar syrup and unsweetened coconut cools and hardens into sweet, crunchy treats that are perfect served alongside tea or coffee. Get the recipe for Omani Coconut Cookies »

Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)
Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)

This sticky-sweet cake, made with semolina flour and coconut milk, is commonly served at holidays and special occasions in Myanmar. Get the recipe for Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin) »

Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)

This delightfully basic white sponge cake, encrusted with a coconut and brown sugar topping, is a dream to make and eat.

Smoked Coconut Cheesecake
Smoked Coconut Cheesecake

This coconut cheesecake with a thick whipped cream topping looks typical enough, but it’s perfumed with musky, flowery aromas and flavored with notes of caramel and smoke. Get the recipe for Smoked Coconut Cheesecake »

Pandan-Coconut Ice Cream
Steep it for Killer Custard and Ice Cream

Often used in southeast Asian curries and Indian rice dishes, pandan leaf lends a subtly exotic savory note to this coconut ice cream.

Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)
Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)

A hint of rosewater adds sweet, floral aroma to this moist, dense semolina cake, packed with four types of coconut. Refrigerating overnight gives the semolina time to soak up the sweet coconut liquid, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb. Get the recipe for Goan Coconut Cake (Baath) »

Lamingtons
Lamingtons

Lamingtons

Coconut Lime Custard Pie
Coconut Lime Custard Pie

Coconut Lime Custard Pie

Lane Cake
Lane Cake

This recipe is based on one in Emma Rylander Lane’s Some Good Things to Eat (self-published, 1898). Get the recipe for Lane Cake »

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