Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Chocolate and coconut is truly an underrated flavor combination. You have to try these out.
Texture: These Easter cupcakes are texture heaven with the tender, moist chocolate cupcakes, creamy coconut frosting, and a hint of crunch from the toasted coconut and egg candies.
Ease: SO easy to make.
Pros: These cupcakes will look absolutely adorable on your Easter dessert table.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I make these cupcakes every year for Easter!
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These Easter Cupcakes are sure to be the showstopper of your Easter celebration!
Super tender and moist chocolate cupcake base. Easy coconut buttercream. An adorable topping of toasted coconut and mini Easter egg candies for decoration. Even the Easter Bunny himself will want one of these cupcakes!
It doesn’t get much cuter than these easy Easter cupcakes!
These cupcakes are absolutely perfect for your Easter dinner or Easter brunch celebrations. Plus, they’re ridiculously easy to bake so you can get the kids involved in making these sweet treats, too!
Warning: they won’t last long on your Easter dessert table.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Easter Cupcakes
Do I Have to Use Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder?
Use Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder for best results, as it creates moist and tender cupcakes with a deeper color. Dutch-process tends to have a higher fat content and is less starchy than most grocery store natural cocoa powder products. You’re less likely to have dry cupcakes when using Dutch-process cocoa. If you don’t have or can’t find Dutched cocoa, check out the paragraph just below.
How to Use Natural Cocoa Powder Instead
Use the same amount of natural unsweetened cocoa powder in place of the Dutch-Process and omit the vinegar from the recipe. Learn more about Dutch-Process vs. Natural Cocoa powder here.
How to Bake with Coconut Oil
- Since the oil needs to be melted to incorporate into the batter, I find it easiest to measure melted.
- You can simply pop your glass container of coconut oil in the microwave without the metal lid and nuke until the top layer melts enough for the recipe.
- By the way, I also have a great Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and a Coconut Oil Brownie recipe to enjoy more of that coconut oil!
What if I Don’t Have Coconut Oil?
While I recommend using coconut oil if you can, vegetable or canola oil will also work just fine. Just make sure your oil is fresh and has no off aroma.
Coconut Milk Tips
Be sure to use canned full-fat coconut milk for beautifully rich, moist cupcakes. Vigorously shake the can before opening. If it’s still very separated, whisk until somewhat smooth before adding into the Easter Cupcake batter.
Can This Easter Cupcake Recipe be Made Into an Easter Cake Instead?
Absolutely! Check out my full article on how to convert cupcakes into cake (and vice versa!).
How to Make Easter Cupcakes Ahead of Time & How to Store
- Unfrosted: Store unfrosted Easter Cupcakes in an airtight container at a cool room temperature (about 67°F) for up to 2 days. Airtight containers work better than resealable bags to prevent the tops from becoming sticky.
- Frosted: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 8 hours at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
- If you need to prep these cupcakes further in advance, check out my freezing instructions below.
How to Freeze Easter Cupcakes
- If storing unfrosted Easter cupcakes for longer than a couple of days, wrap cupcakes individually in plastic wrap, to prevent freezer burn and taste transference.
- Place wrapped cupcakes inside an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw: Unwrap the Easter cupcakes and allow to defrost at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours. I don’t recommend defrosting in the fridge overnight, as this can cause a sticky cupcake top.
- Freezing the buttercream: Freeze the buttercream in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and re-whip with an electric mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a splash of cream to thin, or a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to thicken, as needed.
More Easter Recipes You’ll Love:
- Brown Butter Carrot Cake
- Perfect Carrot Cupcakes
- Easter Blondies – made with Cadbury eggs!
- Lemon Cupcakes – the perfect spring cupcake!
- Chocolate Coconut Cookies
Tools for Easter Cupcakes:
- Cupcake liners – These ones are my favorite for cupcakes that don’t stick to the liner
- Offset spatula
- Gel food coloring
- Mini egg candies
Looking for more Easter Desserts? Check out my full collection of Easter recipes HERE.
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Easter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 5 ounces (142 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup (28 grams) Dutch-process cocoa
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, shaken well or whisked until somewhat smooth
- 1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil
- 2 large eggs plus one egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the coconut buttercream:
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
For the toppings:
- 1 cup (85 grams) shredded sweetened coconut
- Easter egg candies
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- In a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour hot water over mixture. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until thick and smooth, then set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Whisk the coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth, being careful not to overmix.
- Using a spring-loaded scoop, divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups until 3/4 full. Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, about 17 to 20 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely, about 1 hour. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the salt, coconut extract, and coconut milk and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, adding more cream if needed , to thin, or more powdered sugar to thicken.
Toast the coconut:
- Place the coconut in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Stirring constantly, toast until golden brown. Remove and let cool.
To assemble:
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with the cooled toasted coconut. Place 3 Easter egg candies on top of each cupcake. Serve or store for 1 day at room temperature or up to 2 days covered in the fridge.
This post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hi! This looks like a fabulous recipe. Can you please let me know if this sweetened or unsweetened canned coconut milk? Thank you so much!
Hi Heidi! We recommend using unsweetened coconut milk. Let us know what you think of these cupcakes once you have given them a try 🙂
Thank you so much, these recipes are immaculate. They are THE ONLY recipes that I do not enhance or “put my own spin on” because they cannot be any better. And I’m a professional chef! I use these recipes on my day off to make treats for my family. So…CHEF APPROVED!
I couldn’t find bittersweet chocolate. May I use baking chocolate or unsweetened chocolate?
Hi Cathy! We haven’t tried either of those, but just keep in mind that using unsweetened chocolate would result in a less sweet cupcake as bittersweet chocolate contains more sugar. That will have to be something you experiment with. Good luck!