Coconut Filling (for Almond Joy Cake)
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!
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.
Table of Contents
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.
Exactly what I was looking for! So excited to try it!
Hi - Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut extract ? I don't have coconut extract, only vanilla extract.
Thanks.
Hi Alyssa, I would not want you to buy a whole can of Coconut cream to use 1 teaspoon to replace the vanilla extract. Coconut cream is very thick so I think to use that in place of the milk, you would need to thin it a bit with milk. You could also use coconut milk as a replacement for the milk. There is so much coconut in the recipe you may be fine making the filling as written without the coconut extract
Hi everyone! OMG this was a big hit as a filling. So I used this recipe as a basic guideline with what ever I had in my house. My first issue was that I only keep fat free milk in my house BUT I had half and half. I also didn't have any coconut extract (nor would i probably buy it just to make this cake once? twice? a year) BUT I had coconut oil. I had the sweet coconut flakes and tons of the mini marshmallows (I try to stock up early for thanksgiving yams!)
So my recipe looked like this:
1/4 cup fat free milk
1/8 cup regular half and half
1/8 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut ( I used Shoprite Brand Sweetened Coconut Flakes)
1/2 of a 14 oz bag of mini marshmallows
1)I took the coconut flakes and put them in my chopper and pulsated them a couple of times so the flakes were about a little less than a quarter inch long, so people aren't there a while trying to chew long shreds of coconut.
2) over med-low heat with a silicon spatula, I vigorously stirred the milk, half and half, coconut oil, and sugar until all the sugar was melted and the coconut oil wasn't a thick layer on top but scattered pin point drops. I made sure NOT to bring it to a boil or even get it to the point where you see the smoke/heat rise from the inside of the pot. Constantly stirring!
3)Next I added the marshmallows a handful at a time, constantly stirring them in, and waiting for them to be about half melted before adding another hand full, until they were all incorporated.
4)I then added the coconut flakes until it made a thin layer on top of the mixture. I folded it in and made sure it was incorporated before adding another layer of coconut, and repeating this until all the coconut flakes were mixed in.
5) I put it in a plastic container and put it in the frig to be used the next day
The following day it was NOT runny and was JUST like the inside of an almond joy/mounds which meant it was difficult to spread onto a cake. So I put it in the microwave for 10 seconds, mixed it, put it in for 10 seconds, mixed it again, and once more for another 10 seconds and it was the perfect spreadable consistency.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks so much for taking the time to post how you were able to adjust the recipe and make it work for you!
Made this for my daughter I doubled the recipe, used coconut milk and lactose free milk, it was still a bit runny after cooling so I warmed it up and added 2 tspn corn starch. This made it just right.
Thank you
I plan on trying out this recipe today! One question though...how long does this filling last in the refrigerator? And can this filling be frozen?
Hi Naomi, I'm sorry but I haven't tried freezing this filling. I think it should last a week in an airtight bowl in the refrigerator. I hope you will enjoy the recipe. Let us know what you think.
I have everything but the marshmallows to make this. I do have a 7oz jar of marshmallow fluff. Could I use that in place of the marshmallows?
I am sorry, Tammie, but I just can't be sure about the outcome if using marshmallow fluff.
Hey, so i was making a lime coconut type of cake, and wanted to make this filling. I dont want the coconut to overpower the lime. can i use coconut milk instead of regular milk, and skip out on the coconut extract? I thought the extract would make it too coconutty lol. Also if i skip the extract do i just not put any in? Or is it necessary.
Hi Abby, I'm not sure how the coconut milk substitution would effect things, it may be fine but we just haven't tried it. You can leave out the coconut extract if you'd like (you can always stir in a little later if you change your mind).
How long can this be left out of the fridge? Id like to use it in a fondant cake