January may be almost over, but the year’s newest food trends are just starting to heat up. Trendspotters at the 37th annual Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Calif., spent three days combing 80,000 products from 1,300 booths to find the next “it” thing in food.

At the top of the must-have ingredient list: coconut. A surprisingly versatile ingredient, coconut can instantly transform a dish. Whether you’re using the juice or the meaty white flesh, using this tropical fruit to infuse any meal puts you ahead of the curve.

Start with something traditional and easy like Sandra Lee’s Lemon Filled Coconut Cupcakes (pictured above). Light and moist, these cupcakes will turn any skeptic into a full-on coconut fan.

More coconut recipes and food trends »