Easy way to make coconut milk at home
Making coconut milk at home is simple. You don’t need a lot of equipment or time, and it requires minimal cleanup, which we all love!
For many years I have reduced my dairy intake, as I know it doesn’t always agree with me. However, there are certain drinks that require some form of milk or milk alternative to round them off and balance the flavors.
When I started the AIP diet (read more about it on my About page), I was looking for coffee alternatives and other hot drinks I could enjoy, and came across beetroot latte, simple chai, and golden turmeric milk, as some ideas. These taste amazing with coconut milk.
We prefer these drinks with homemade coconut milk over milk or other store-bought dairy-free alternatives. So, for quite some time now, we have been following this coconut milk recipe to make a batch of fresh coconut milk each week.
Benefits of homemade coconut milk
While we all know coconuts have many health benefits, I will not go into detail about those here, as there are more knowledgeable people and posts out there.
The benefits I am referring to here are more in line with the benefits to your wallet, and the benefits of knowing what you are consuming. Also, making fresh coconut milk can be quite relaxing (except for the noise of the blender). I usually take those few minutes to switch off from the world.
When it comes to budget, making coconut milk as a dairy alternative or for cooking delicious meals is a very cost-effective way of saving a few bucks. A 2 lb bag of shredded coconut costs about the same amount as 14 cups of carton milk or 6 cans of coconut milk. And 2 lbs of desiccated coconut can make at least 18 cups of thick coconut milk and even more if made thinner. Buying in bulk would be even more cost-effective.
Then there are all the additives, preservatives, or thickeners added to store-bought coconut milk. You can find canned coconut milk without additional additives, but these can be harder to find and sometimes cost more.
And then there is the packaging. Using a 2lb bag is one plastic bag, vs several milk cartons or cans. This is a big win for me.
Just the above three factors make this a worthwhile process. Saving money, reducing the amount of strange ingredients in my diet, and reducing waste and my environmental footprint are all important to me. Homemade is better!
Let’s get into how to make coconut milk from scratch
Equipment
- Big jar with lid (wide mouth to put the stick blender in)
- Hand-held blender (and if you don’t have one you can also use a food processor or other type of blender)
- Bowl
- Fine mesh sieve
- Container for used coconut pulp
- Optional: cup for measuring
- Optional: nut milk bag or cheesecloth
Ingredients
- Warm, not boiling, water
- Shredded coconut, make sure to use unsweetened. Finer or coarser doesn’t make much of a difference. I buy whatever is the most cost-effective at the time.
The Process
Step 1
- Measure out 1 cup of shredded coconut and about 3 cups of warm water, but not boiling.
- Warm water helps release the fats. I prefer not to use boiling water, as I don’t know what high temperatures do to the nutritional value of coconut.
- Mix in a large jar. You can let it sit for a few minutes to allow the coconut to absorb the water, but that is optional.
- Measurements don’t have to be exact. If you want thicker coconut milk you can reduce the water to 2 cups. Once you have made this a few times you probably don’t need to measure it anymore. I eyeball it and pour the desiccated coconut and water into the jar without measuring.
Step 2
- Using your hand-held blender, blend the mixture for anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes
- Sometimes, when I multitask, I blend for a minute, move over to do something else, and then return to blend for a bit longer.
- If you don’t keep track of time, there is no right or wrong in how long you blend it. However, I aim not to let the mixture cool down too much, so the fats do not solidify.
- If you don’t have a hand-held blender, a stand-up mixer or food processor should do the trick. I prefer my hand-held blender, as it is easier to clean and move around.
Step 3
- Place the sieve over a large bowl. If using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, drape it over the sieve.
- Pour the mixture into the sieve and let the milk drip out. I usually take a small amount of water to rinse the jar and pour the rest into the sieve.
Step 4
- Strain the milk from the shredded coconut pulp. I usually do this by hand – be careful though, you want to make sure the mixture is not too hot. If it is too warm, let it stand and cool down a bit.
- Alternatively, use a milk bag or cheesecloth to strain it. I have compared both methods and don’t find there to be much difference in the amount of milk you can extract. So, I opted to use my hands, which means one less thing that needs to be washed.
- The desiccated coconut holds onto some liquid, so the yield from 3 cups of water equals about 2.5 cups of milk.
Step 5
- Pour the coconut milk back into the jar, seal and it is ready for storage in the fridge
- As the milk cools, the coconut fat will separate at the top of the milk and will most likely harden. You can break it up and use it with chunks of coconut fat (these will dissolve in hot drinks or warm dishes), or try to cool it slowly, shaking regularly as the milk cools. I barely get this right because I ultimately forget to shake it. I take a fork and mash it up in the jar.
- Place the used coconut pulp in a container for use in other recipes. For some ideas, check out these recipes. If you have any other suggestions, I would love to hear from you.
- Our fresh coconut milk easily lasts about 4-5 days in an airtight container .
Optional Step 6
- I mostly use coconut milk in drinks as a dairy-free milk alternative, so I don’t need it to be very thick. Hence, I repeat the process of blending the once squeezed-out pulp with another round of fresh warm water, to extract even more goodness. This way I get about 30 to 40 cups of coconut milk from a 2 lbs bag of desiccated coconut, saving me a few more dollars.
Homemade Coconut Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm (not boiling water)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup of desiccated coconut with 3 cups of warm water
- Blend the mixture for anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes
- Pour the mixture into the sieve and let the milk drip into a bowl
- Strain it using wither a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or using your hands
- Pour the coconut milk back into the jar and seal it. Store in the fridge.
- Optional: run the used pulp through another round using fresh warm water to extract more milk. Makes for a thinner milk.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does homemade coconut keep?
- In the fridge, in an airtight container, it should last about 4-5 days.
How do I know if the coconut milk is off?
- When coconut is stored incorrectly or gets too old, it can go rancid. You will notice the flavor changes and it will have a strong, perfumy flavor.
Can I freeze homemade coconut milk?
- Yes, you can freeze coconut milk. It should last about 3 months.
Can you make coconut milk from fresh coconuts?
- Yes, you absolutely can. I would love to make fresh coconut milk from a coconut, as I think the flavor could be even better. But fresh coconuts are hard to come by here and aren’t cheap. And to be honest, I would much rather eat the fresh coconut as is.
- The process is quite similar, in that you would cut the coconut into small pieces, small enough for your blender or food processor to manage, and blitz with water and strain.
