I’ve been using coconut products for years and now you can find everything from coconut cream to coconut flour in your grocery store baking aisle. Coconut milk is a wonderful alternative to pasteurized cow’s milk or to rice, almond, soy, or other plant-based milk, and you can find this at most stores as well.
Unfortunately, canned coconut milk at the store usually contains BPA in the can lining. New refrigerated carton varieties are somewhat better but can be expensive and have added sweeteners or preservatives. Not to mention the cost and packaging generated for what is — let’s face it — mostly water!
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Fortunately, making coconut milk at home is very simple and inexpensive! From my calculations, homemade coconut milk costs less than $1 per batch. We use it in smoothies, curries, ice cream, or just to drink by itself. It can also be flavored with natural vanilla, strawberries, or cocoa powder. (Yum!)
How to Make Coconut Milk From Scratch
Coconut is packed with medium-chain fatty acids and lauric acid with a host of health benefits — one of the reasons coconut oil has become so popular. My kids can’t get enough of it and I love that it is full of the healthy fats that are especially good for growing bodies.
Best of all, you only need two ingredients to make coconut milk and one of them is self-stable! Grab some unsweetened shredded dried coconut from the pantry, add some hot water and a blender, and voila — fresh coconut milk!
Another bonus: this recipe takes minimal prep time and clean-up. You don’t have to have a nut milk bag for a strainer, either (although it is nice if you make coconut or almond milk from scratch often). I have used a towel or some cheesecloth in a pinch.
I’m experimenting with creative ways to use the coconut pulp when I’m done… let me know in the comments if you’ve found a favorite way to use it!
Coconut Milk Recipes to Try
Coconut milk works great for vegan, dairy-free, or paleo diets. Here are some recipes to try with your freshly made creation!
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)
- Coconut Curry Chicken (Quick Instant Pot Recipe)
- Coconut Milk Irish Cream Recipe
- Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream Recipe
- Coconut Mango Popsicles (With Probiotics)
- 10 Other Ways to Use Coconut Milk
Try this inexpensive way to make coconut milk:
Homemade Coconut Milk Recipe
Servings
Nutrition
Notes
- Vanilla coconut milk: ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Strawberry coconut milk: ½ cup pureed fresh or frozen strawberries
- Chocolate coconut milk: 2 tsp cocoa powder + ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Ever made coconut milk before? Planning to try sometime? Offer your favorite tips below!
recipe was good but my coconut may have been rotten because it tasted like soap or some sort of cleaning product
any tips?
Coconut that’s gone bad tastes rancid and soapy. You shouldn’t have that problem if you use good coconut.
ONCE THE SOAKED SHREDDED COCONUT IS READY TO BE BLENDED, DO I ADD MORE WATER IN THE BLENDER?
No
Would be really good to know the yield here. Maybe I’m missing it, but I’ve been over the recipe several times, and can’t find it. It isn’t in the “Nutrition Label” serving size, either.
The recipe is done in servings in order to calculate the nutrition data per serving and there are 6 servings total. The recipe yields about 5 cups of milk.
Super easy, simple instruction with the best results. I can enjoy a plant based milk while avoiding the additional “stuff” and my tummy is much happier! Thank you for the recipe. Looking forward to trying more coconut milk, cream and ice-cream recipes on your site.
One star for not shredding your own coconut from fresh.
hahahahahaha……wow
Thanks for the recipe. However, I have a suggestion and a question about this recipe.
I don’t think you need to add hot water to the coconut shreds in the blender. That creates unwanted pressure build up that is not safe. You could simply soak the coconut shreds in hot water and let it sit for 30 min.
Under nutrition information, you’ve listed the calorie content for one cup as 586?!?!
Is that a typo?
Do you use this for cooking? Like in curries to thicken/flavor ?
how long does it last in shampoo…. first time I made it, hair was great on first wash, since my hair is sticky, per say. I should be past this stage
I’ve used this recipe for atleast 5 years if not more. Since I’m not on a family budget, I use 2 cups of tropical traditions (healthy traditions now) shredded coconut. It comes out perfect every time.
What is the reason for soaking in the very HOT water in making the milk? I have seen recipes that call for this and recipes that soak at room temp, and recipes that don’t soak at all. I’m trying to find one that is simple and good tasting.
I would also like to know the reason for hot versus cold. I’m making a mess because I obviously can’t blend it with the lid fully sealed.
Using hot water helps to better extract and blend the coconut shreds. If there’s too much for you to fit in your blender then you can do it in batches and take the
lid off every so often to let some steam out before blending again. This should not be blended with the lid partially on.
350 kcal per cup? Is that right?
There was a glitch in the recipe markup. It is for the whole batch! Should be fixed now.
Could one use a juicer instead of blending/straining?
I really enjoyed making my own coconut milk for some homemade golden milk latte. The directions were simple and clear and the milk turned out great! Ive made it twice since and plan on continuing to use this recipe in the future.