Learn How to Make Coconut Cream From Scratch (2024)

Coconut is a versatile fruit that can be used to produce many dairy-free and gluten-free cooking ingredients, including flour, butter, oil, milk, and cream. All of these—including coconut cream—are readily available in stores, but making coconut cream from scratch is a fun and rewarding experience that delivers a fresh and natural-tasting product.

The Difference Between Coconut Water, Coconut Milk, and Coconut Cream

It may be helpful to clear up any confusion about the three different liquid coconut products. Coconut water is a naturally-occurring clear liquid in the center of the coconut. It’s a refreshing and hydrating beverage on its own, and can also be incorporated into co*cktails, smoothies, and salad dressings.

Coconut milk and coconut cream are both made by blending the flesh of the mature coconut with water, the difference between them being the ratio of flesh to water. Coconut cream has a higher ratio of coconut to water, resulting in a higher fat content and a creamier, thicker texture.

How to Use Coconut Cream

With its high fat content, coconut cream is an excellent dairy-free alternative to heavy cream, and is a popular ingredient in many savory dishes such as soups and curries, or in smoothies and desserts. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Southern Coconut Poke Cake
Vegan Whipped Cream
South Indian-Style Chicken Curry
Thai Beef Coconut Curry

How to Choose and Store Fresh Coconuts

To make coconut cream, start by selecting the right coconuts. In general, stores that specialize in international foods with diverse tropical produce have a better selection and more competitive prices than the average supermarket.

For coconut cream, mature brown coconuts are better than young green ones, as they contain a larger quantity of developed flesh. Look for coconuts that are well hydrated, a good indicator of freshness. Generally speaking, a heavier coconut contains more water, and ideally you should also be able to hear the sound of water sloshing around inside if you shake it. Also check the three “eyes,” which are round indentations at the top of the coconut. These should not be moldy or soft.

You can keep a fresh whole coconut for up to a week at room temperature, or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Once a coconut has been cracked open, it must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days, or in an airtight container in the freezer for long-term storage.

How to Crack Open a Coconut

Cracking a coconut may seem daunting, but with a bit of patience and practice it can be done easily. First, find the softest eye on the coconut and create a hole with a metal skewer or corkscrew. Puncturing a second hole will allow easier drainage. Drain out all the coconut water, and retain it for other purposes.

Next, strike the coconut several times with a hammer or the blunt side of a heavy kitchen knife such as a cleaver, hitting carefully but quite hard around the middle or “equator” of the coconut. It may take 10-20 strikes to split the shell in half.

You can also skip the draining step if desired and simply crack the coconut over a bowl to collect the coconut water.

How to Separate Coconut Meat From the Shell

Remove the white flesh from the coconut halves by inserting a butter knife between the flesh and the shell. If the flesh is difficult to remove, use a paring knife to carefully cut the flesh into pieces, making it easier to remove.

Placing the whole coconut in an oven at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes can expedite the removal of the flesh, but bear in mind that overheating a coconut may change its flavor and texture slightly. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the exterior brown skin layer from the coconut flesh.

As an alternative to using it for coconut cream, raw coconut flesh can be a great snack, or it can be shredded, dehydrated, toasted, and used in various desserts.

How to Make Coconut Cream Using a Juicer

If you have a juicer, making coconut cream is even simpler and easier, eliminating both the addition of water and the separation process. The juicer will turn pieces of coconut flesh directly into coconut cream, leaving behind a dry pulp. The cream can be strained and refrigerated until use, and the remaining pulp can be further dried for other uses.

Can I Turn Store-Bought Coconut Milk Into Coconut Cream?

An unopened can of full-fat coconut milk can be placed in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. The cold temperature will allow the coconut milk to separate and the fat to harden, with the thicker cream rising to the top and the thinner liquid settling at the bottom. Simply scoop out the solidified coconut cream and save the cloudy coconut water left behind for another use.

How to Use the Leftover Coconut Pulp

Coconut pulp can be added to smoothies or dried and used instead of bread crumbs for dredging (especially for baked fish), or as flour in macaroons, cookies, and crackers. When substituting coconut pulp for flour in baked goods, start by swapping no more than one-third of the flour for the coconut pulp for best results.

"The homemade coconut cream was much easier to make than I thought it would be, and the flavor was subtle, but more distinct than canned coconut cream. It was a fantastic addition to my hot chocolate, and I can't wait to use it in a curry." —Diana Rattray

Learn How to Make Coconut Cream From Scratch (1)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

3 mature coconuts
1 1/2 to 3 cups water

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Drain the coconuts by inserting a metal skewer or a corkscrew into one or two of the coconut eyes. Allow the coconut water to drain into a bowl, and reserve it for another use.
Crack open the coconuts using a hammer or the blunt side of a large knife.
Use a butter knife to pry the coconut flesh from the shells. Then use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown, fibrous layer that covers the white flesh.
Cut the coconut flesh into small pieces and place them in a blender. Add the water and blend until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. If the texture was too dense, add up to an additional 1 1/2 cups of water.
Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag or several layers of cheesecloth over a bowl and squeeze to remove all the liquid. You should be left with a thick and creamy liquid in the bowl, and a fairly dry pulp inside the nut milk bag that can be saved for other purposes.
Transfer the liquid from the bowl into a narrow jar with a lid, and place it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Over that time the liquid will separate, with the coconut cream rising to the top and a much thinner liquid collecting underneath.
Scoop out the coconut cream, and refrigerate until needed. Save the thinner liquid for other purposes.

How to Store Coconut Cream

Store your homemade coconut cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Alternatively, it can be placed in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen coconut cream can be thawed out overnight in the fridge or used directly in soups, stews, and curries.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
703	Calories
66g	Fat
30g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	703
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 66g	85%
Saturated Fat 59g	295%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 44mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 30g	11%
Dietary Fiber 18g	64%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 7mg	33%
Calcium 31mg	2%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 707mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

coconut
coconut cream
caribbean
winter

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FAQs

What is the process of making coconut cream? ›

This process essentially consists in the steps of: shelling the coconut; scraping and triturating its pulp; expressing the pulp for obtaining a creamy juice; filtering said creamy juice, hom*ogenizing it and mixing it with sugar in order to adjust the specific gravity of the cream to a pre-determined value.

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How much water to add to coconut cream to make coconut milk? ›

The most trusted how-to site on the internet. Use a ratio of 1 tablespoon (14.77 mL) of water to 3 tablespoons (42.52 grams) of coconut cream for 1 serving of coconut milk. If you'd like to make more servings of coconut milk, stick to this ratio as a guide!

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What is the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream in a can? ›

Coconut cream is the same thing as coconut milk—coconut meat blended with water—but it contains less water. While coconut milk is thin like cow's milk, coconut cream is thick like whipped cream. You can find this fat-rich cream floating on the top of any canned coconut milk, or you can buy it in a dedicated can.

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Can you make coconut cream from shredded coconut? ›

To make coconut cream at home: Combine one part water (or milk, for a richer result) with four parts shredded unsweetened coconut (either fresh or dried) and simmer the mixture until it becomes foamy. (Coconut milk is made with equal parts shredded coconut and water.)

What is the liquid in coconut cream? ›

Coconut cream is a type of thick cream made from coconut milk. Although canned versions are widely available, you can also make coconut cream at home. Simply refrigerate coconut milk for a few hours and observe how a thick layer of cream floats to the top and separates from the thin, watery liquid below.

Can you freeze coconut cream? ›

Coconut cream has a short shelf life once opened, so refrigerate and use within 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

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What is shredded coconut called? ›

Desiccated coconut refers to the relatively finely grated and dried mix often found covering your favourite lamington recipe, or sprinkled over other delicious baked goods. This is the best option for baking into slices, cakes and biscuits.

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What is the process of coconut cream production? ›

Kernel is washed and then blanched by immersing in hot water at 80oC for 10 minutes. The next step is comminution of kernel into small gratings using a hammer mill. The gratings are subjected to pressing using, continuous screw press to extract the milk.

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How is coconut cream processed? ›

The gratings are subjected to pressing using, continuous screw press to extract the milk. The coconut milk thus obtained is filtered by passing through a vibratory screen. Food additives such as emulsifiers and stabilizers, are to be added to the milk to obtain a stable consistency and texture.

How is coconut cream made commercially? ›

Coconut cream is extracted from the first pressings of grated coconut pulp directly through cheesecloth. Sometimes a small amount of hot water may also be added, but generally coconut cream is extracted with no added water.

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How is coconut milk made industrially? ›

The processing of canned coconut milk starts with the extraction of coconut milk, followed by heating at 92 to 95 °C for 5 to 20 min. Emulsifiers and/or stabilizers are added before hom*ogenization. The hom*ogenized coconut milk is either hot-filled in cans or passed through an exhauster before can sealing.

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What is the process of coconut milking? ›

For coconut milk extraction, the double screw press or belt press are the most commonly used. To increase the yield rate and extraction efficiency, during coconut milk extraction, the RO pure water usually is dosed into the extractor or more than one stage extraction process will be used.

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