Today I'm going to share an easy and delicious Coconut Filling that we used in our Almond Joy Cake. If you love coconut, drop everything and print off a copy of this deliciousness. It's the best!
The BEST Coconut Filling for Cakes and Cupcakes!
We experimented with several different recipes in our search for the perfect coconut filling for our Almond Joy Cake.
This thick coconut filling has such a wonderful flavor and consistency that we knew we had a winner as soon as we tried it!
There is a surprise ingredient in this recipe: marshmallows!
The marshmallow flavor is not noticeable, only the delicious coconut. However, adding melted marshmallows to this recipe was the key to getting the consistency that we were looking for...much like the coconut filling of an Almond Joy or Mounds candy bar.
Homemade Coconut Filling (Our Almond Joy Cake)
How to Make a Coconut Filling for Almond Joy Cake
- In a saucepan over medium heat add the milk and sugar, stir until the sugar dissolves.
- This is a slow process because you don't want the milk to boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the marshmallows.
- Stir constantly, when the marshmallows begin to soften, remove from the heat and whisk until the marshmallows have melted.
- Stir in the coconut and coconut extract. Allow to cool completely before spreading between the layers. It can be made in advance and refrigerated.
More Coconut recipes
Make sure to check out our roundup post of Favorite Coconut Cakes! Here are just a few popular cakes to try!
Enjoy the Recipe!
Thanks so much for stopping by. We hope that you enjoy this delicious recipe! We'd love for you to leave a comment and photo below if you give it a try.
Coconut Filling (for Almond Joy Cake)
This delicious Coconut Filling is wonderfully flavorful! We use this in our Almond Joy Cake but it would work for all sorts of recipes!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (121g) milk
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 2 ½ cups (220g) sweetened coconut ( I used Bakers Flake Coconut)
- ½ bag (144g) mini marshmallows or 24 large (155g) marshmallows (the large ones can be cut into small pieces for easier melting)
- 1 teaspoon (4g) coconut extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat add the milk and sugar.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved. It is a slow process because you don't want the milk to boil.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the marshmallows. Stir constantly, when the marshmallows begin to soften, remove from the heat and whisk until the marshmallows have melted.
- Stir in the coconut and coconut extract. Allow to cool completely before spreading between the layers. It will thicken as it cools.
- This coconut filling can be made in advance and refrigerated.For our Almond Joy Cake, we filled our three layer cake with this filling and also spread some on top then sprinkled a bit of coconut on it.
I have this chilling in kitchen as we speak. I made a yellow cake, this filling, and going to top with chocolate frosting. The only change I made to the recipe was to use almond extract instead of coconut. I am also going to wait for this filling to cool, then mix a small amount with peanut butter and see if I shouldn’t just have a chocolate coconut peanut butter cake.
How long can this filling be left at room temperature? I’d like to use it in a fondant cake.
How do I thicken if too runny?
Hi Wendy, It should not be runny after cooling to room temperature or refrigerating until cool. However, someone posted that theirs was too runny because of using lactose free milk and they warmed it a bit then added 2 teaspoons cornstarch and it thickened and was fine. We used whole milk so possibly if reduced fat milk or other milk substitutes are used it might need cornstarch or use a bit less milk when making. I hope you will enjoy the filling. Let us know
Hi, can this be made with 2% reduced fat milk, condensed milk or heavy cream? I have never made this filling before and I am concerned it would be too runny. Thanks.