The ultimate dairy-free solution, coconut milk offers a rich and creamy texture to your recipes while still being allergy-friendly. Learn about the different kinds of coconut milk and which ones are best for your recipes with the guide below.
What Is Coconut Milk
At its base, coconut milk is just the flesh of the coconut that’s been blended with water and then strained leaving a thick, creamy, white milk.
It is most commonly used as a replacement for cream in the dairy-free world (learn more about the benefits of a dairy-free diet and the best dairy-free swaps) as it results in a creamy texture for just about everything.
It can be made into a whole30 whipped cream, a creamy smoothie, a delicious dairy-free alfredo sauce and so much more.
However, there are a lot of types of coconut milk on the market. You’ll need to choose from canned coconut milk, full-fat, low-fat, carton coconut milk, and packaged coconut cream.
Read on below to learn about the best choices for your dairy-free recipes.
The Difference Between Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is made the same way as coconut milk, but more water has been removed to leave a very thick white cream.
Coconut milk is normally liquid at room temperature though it will firm up in the fridge. The thick white cream is the richest part of the blend and contains the most fat. The better quality of product the more cream will be in the can.
Key things to note:
- Some brands of canned coconut milk will be so thick that the coconut cream and the water have separated in the can. Drain the water and use only the coconut cream on top for your recipes.
- Most canned coconut milk is thickened with guar gum that acts as a stabilizer. Avoid canned coconut milk with added sugars though.
- Liquid coconut milk is great in any baked good, energizing smoothie, or curry recipe. However, for coconut whipped cream you want to buy a coconut milk with the water separated.
How To Change Coconut Milk from Liquid to Solid
If you purchased canned coconut milk and it’s solid in the can, all you need to do is heat it up.
Either mix it into something already warmed like slow cooker Tuscan chicken or heat it on low in a pot on the stove for something like dairy-free chocolate ganache.
Types Of Coconut Milk
As mentioned, there are a few different kinds of coconut milk to choose from. Below are the common types of coconut milk and what to do with them.
Coconut Milk in A Carton
This type of coconut milk is liquid at room temperature and in the fridge. It’s most similar to almond milk in the sense that it’s pourable and made for things like smoothies or cereals.
It will also have the most amount of ingredients added to it.
Canned Coconut Milk
As stated, there’s different kinds of canned coconut milk and the contents often depend on the brand.
Full-fat coconut milk: this will be soft at room temperature and often harden when in the fridge. With many brands, you’ll want to open it, drain the water from the can, and only use the thick coconut cream for your recipes like Thai pineapple curry and coconut whipped cream.
Light coconut milk: this coconut milk has been watered down and is much more liquid. It can be used in most overnight oats and chia pudding recipes, but it won’t work for whipped cream as it doesn’t solidify well.
Hack: store the full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge upside down. When you open it, the water is on top and easy to pour out as the cream is hard.
Brands Of Coconut Milk
Cha’s Coconut Milk: tends to have the coconut cream and water separated for easy use. The coconut cream is often a bit flakey and super concentrated.
Thai Kitchen: the coconut milk is a bit thinner and often mixed with the water. Not great out of the fridge in terms of whipping.
Native Forest Coconut Milk: my favorite for whipped cream as it’s super thick and there’s lots of coconut cream.
The best dairy-free alternative to heavy cream.
Packaged Coconut Cream
You can also buy packaged coconut cream that doesn’t come in a can.
I find this the most concentrated thing of all but not amazing.
Because the coconut cream is completely solid, you must heat it to use it. It doesn’t whip well, nor does it mix well.
How To Use Canned Coconut Milk
Canned coconut milk can often be used interchangeably for heavy cream in recipes. Just make sure to use full-fat coconut milk.
I use it just about all my overnight oat recipes, to make chia protein pudding indulgent, and as a whipped topping on recipes like two-bite-brownies.
Likewise, it’s wonderful to make dairy-free caramel sauce or slow cooker chicken alfredo.
Anything you need to add richness to, you can use coconut milk.
How To Store Coconut Milk
Once opened, coconut milk must be stored in the fridge.
Know that a carton of coconut milk will maintain its texture. However, canned coconut milk especially the full-fat kind will thicken up and sometimes become hard depending on the quality.
This also goes for recipes with coconut milk as the base, they’ll thicken in the fridge and need to be heated again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Canned Coconut Milk
Use a classic “smell” test. If the smell of the coconut milk is at all sour, it’s gone bad. Also check for signs of mold or yellowing.
Coconut milk should be thick and creamy however, it depends on the brand you use. Most will be thick but soft at room temperature and hard but creamy when chilled. Some coconut milk will be totally liquid depending on the fat content.
Should coconut milk be chunky?
Sometimes coconut milk can be a bit chunky as it is technically the meat of the coconut milk blended with water. If this is the case, there should be a smoother texture on top and more liquid underneath. Give it a stir to mix it together.
Coconut milk is naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, whole30 and vegan as it is made from just coconuts and water (unless something has been added to it).
It depends on the brand and the fat-content of the coconut milk. Though not overpowering as if you’re biting into a fresh coconut, it sometimes has a slightly nutty flavor.
Canned coconut milk can be solid with liquid on top or the bottom or it can be liquid. It depends if the can is labeled as full-fat or light as well as the quality of the coconut milk.
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