Coconut Desserts: 17 Recipes for a Taste of the Tropics

It's hard to eat just one of these cupcakes, which combine moist, light chocolate cake with rich, chocolate-caramel frosting and flaky coconut.

Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Ganache and Coconut

Homespun American desserts like Bundt cake don't have to be ho-hum. Infuse your from-scratch creations with exotic flavors like coconut to liven up meals on even the darkest of days.

Recipe: Coconut Chiffon Bundt Cake with Coconut Frosting

This delicious, multi-layered coconut cake is courtesy of Robert Carter from the Peninsula Grill, in Charleston, South Carolina. It's topped with rich coconut frosting and layered with coconut filling so it'll wow even the most adamant of coconut lovers.

Recipe: Ultimate Coconut Cake

Sweet, shredded coconut and coconut extract flavor this delicate coconut dessert soufflé recipe.

Recipe: Coconut Soufflé

This scrumptious coconut cake topped with fresh berries and cream will make your mouth water all summer long. Swap out the berries for seasonal produce to get a warm-weather pick-me-up even in the depths of winter.

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream

Chocolate and coconut make a dynamic duo in these simple but delightful cookies. Oats make them hearty and the chocolate makes them sweet, and everyone will love these perfect little treats.

Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Lace Cookies

If you're a fan of come-on-strong coconut, this dessert is for you. Rich coconut milk custard is nestled between a layer of toasted coconut crust and smooth chocolate in these decadent bars.

Recipe: Coconut Joy Bars

Here the classically round coconut cake is transformed into a handsome rectangle while giving it a moist, airy feel. Layered with saffron cream, the cake gets a modern flavor boost.

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Saffron Cream

If you thought classics snacks couldn't get any better, guess again. This delicious recipe takes marshmallow squares to the next level with toasted pecans and coconut.

Recipe: Coconut-Pecan Cereal Bars

Even Santa needs to throw in a light cookie every once in a while. These chocolate, coconut, and almond meringues have just 36 calories per cookie with the rich flavor of a much fatter cookie.

Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Meringues

The bright color and taste of mango adds a lift to the classic coconut cream filling in this tart recipe. Randomly placed swirls of cream and spirals of mango add an elegant flourish.

Recipe: Mango-Coconut Cream Tart

It's quick and easy to mix together these slice-and-bake almond-coconut cookies whenever you need something sweet.The recipe makes enough dough so you can bake half and put the other half in the freezer — ready to pull out and bake up a few fresh cookies anytime.

Recipe: Almond-Coconut Cookies

Coconut milk enriches and flavors this custard. Zang Toi suggests using fragrant emi>pandan juice (from the palm-like pandan tree) instead of vanilla for a more Malaysian flavor.

Recipe: Coconut Crème Caramel

Add something tropical to the Christmas cookie spread this year with these easy lime and coconut coins. Even if you can't take a vacation, you can conjure the Caymans.

Recipe: Lime and Coconut Coins

Sophie Dahl's coconut frozen yogurt with a swirl of mango is like a tropical take on the classic orange Creamsicle. The method here, which does not require any special equipment, gives the frozen yogurt a fluffy, slightly icy texture, like a granita.

Recipe: Coconut-Mango Frozen Yogurt

These traditional Passover cookies couldn't be easier to make — just stir and bake — and they require only a handful of ingredients. The coconut treats are crisp and nutty, with a chewy center, perfect for any time of year.

Recipe: Almond-Coconut Macaroons

The great thing about coconut is its versatility; it feels refreshing in warm weather and comforting in cold. This recipe makes the most of it, featuring a triple whammy of coconut in the batter — flakes, extract and milk — and a coconut cream cheese frosting.

Recipe: Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut-White Chocolate Frosting