Coconut milk is a staple for most Paleo enthusiasts. However, canned or boxed coconut milk is often full of additives, including emulsifiers which are gut irritants and have been linked to inflammation, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease (see this post and this recent Science Notes).
Fortunately, it is getting easier and easier to purchase emulsifier-free full-fat coconut milk and coconut cream in BPA-free cans and tetra packs. (Please do not confuse coconut cream with creamed coconut or coconut cream concentrate, which are the same thing as coconut butter.) The convenience of packaged coconut milk and cream just can’t be beat, but they can be expensive. If these high quality products are beyond your food budget, or if you live in an area where sourcing them is a challenge, you can make you own from unsweetened dried coconut (shredded or flaked). If you buy shredded coconut in bulk, you’ ll find that the cost of making your own is anywhere between one-quarter and one-half the cost of buying it. As an added benefit, the clean taste of homemade coconut milk just can’t be beat!
This recipe is a revisit of a previous version that I have removed from this blog for two reasons: first, there were safety concerns with the original methodology; and second, this recipe produces superior coconut milk. In fact, this is the recipe included in The Paleo Approach Cookbook.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour (hands-on time is about 5 minutes)
- Yield: 1²⁄3 cups coconut milk (equivalent to one 13½-ounce can)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
- 2 3/4 cups water
- Combine the coconut and water in a saucepan and bring to a full boil over high heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour.
- Pour the coconut and water into a blender. Blend on high for 2 to 5 minutes (less time for a high powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, more time for other blenders), until the texture is thick and only slightly granular (place a tea towel or other cloth over the lid of the blender, and make sure to keep your hand over the top while the blender is running).
- Pour the pulp into a nut-milk bag, yogurt-cheese bag, paint-straining bag, or fine-mesh strainer suspended over a glass bowl, mason jar, or measuring cup. (If using a nut-milk bag or paint-straining bag, it is easier to handle if you place the bag inside a sieve or strainer.)
- Either let the coconut milk strain out by gravity or squeeze the pulp through the nut-milk bag.
- If not using immediately, store the coconut milk in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year. Shake well, blend, or gently warm before using.
Tips:
- I almost always double this recipe.You can make large batches of coconut milk and freeze it in freezer-safe mason jars (leave an inch of headroom) so that you always have some handy.
- Because there are no emulsifiers, the coconut milk will naturally separate and be a little clumpy (the consistency of curdled milk with a very solid top layer) when chilled. If you want to drink the milk, blend in a blender right before drinking.
Homemade Coconut Flour:
Dehydrate the coconut pulp on fruit roll sheets in a dehydrator for 12 to 24 hours, then blend on high until it’s a fine powder. (If you don’t own a fruit roll sheet, use parchment paper to line the racks.)
Variations:
- When rehydrating the dried coconut, you can use coconut water instead of water for even more coconut flavor.
Want more? This recipe is a preview from The Paleo Approach Cookbook which also includes directions for making coconut cream and coconut whipped topping using the above recipe.
The Paleo Approach Cookbook is currently available from several popular retailers: Amazon (USA), Amazon (CA), Barnes&Noble, Independent Bookstores, Book Depository for international locations, and COSTCO! You can also download a FREE Costco Shopping Guide here.
Guest Post by Michele Spring – Can’t Do The “OM” Thing? 5 Alternatives to Traditional Meditation
Darn it! I just bought unsweetened coconut FLAKES. Could I use these to make this recipe?
Her into says shredded or flakes will work just fine, I prefer the flavor flakes produce, more full.
What if you are using whole coconuts? Would you still boil the count flesh?
Do you think homemade coconut milk like this would work for making coconut milk yogurt? Also, I haven’t had luck with trying to skim the top after it’s chilled and use it for coconut whipped cream. It seems too dry and doesn’t whip like canned stuff. Have you tried that? I’d love to use my own additive-free coconut milk for both of these recipes but am not sure it will work the same. Thanks so much!
The only reason I haven’t done this yet is lack of a blender. Can it be successfully done in a food processor? Thx!
Wow!! just made this for the first time.. what a dummy I am. I lived in the country of Panama in the islands for 14 yrs and had access to tons of cheap, cheap coconut. I could have been doing this!! And I used the exact measurements in the recipe but I got almost 3 cups of coconut milk!! Now I don’t have a dehydrator but I made beef jerky in the oven with it set on very low temp and the door cracked so I am thinking I am gonna try that with the left over coconut to make flour.. Hope it works!
Would you mind specifying the safety concern of the other coconut milk recipe? I’ve used it many times and loved the simplicity of it; it worked great in recipes, but now I’m not sure if I should continue to use it.
Thanks!
Some people burned themselves. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
What a great weight loss tool!
Could you add extra filtered water and use in place of store bought coconutmilk beverage? My kids like to drink a cup with snacks or a treat, but I know I need to stop serving them the stuff with emulsifiers and what not. Thanks.
Is there any analysis of the nutritional composition of coconut milk made from fresh coconut flesh vs canned vs this method using dried coconut? Even though this method is more convenient than using fresh coconut I would like to know what i’m giving up in order to get the convenience.
I have made this several times and I always get at least 3+ (almost 4) cups of coconut milk out of it! I must be squeezing the heck out of it, huh? Love my nut milk bag; Sure makes life easy!
is a nut milk bag reusable? I’m starting this process and maybe I should get one of these!?
Yes it is. Amazon sells them, they are awesome
Could you make coconut butter out of the pulp rather than dehydrating it for flour?
made this—-so dang yummy! Thanks Sarah!
Is it possible to use kefir grains with almond milk ???
What is a good way to calculate the calorie and macronutrient breakdown of this recipe.
I’m currently trying to bulk up a bit and I want to be able to calculate my caloric intake.
Any help is appreciated!
I live in Mexico with easy access to fresh coconuts. Would I just blend the coconut flesh and the coconut water to make coconut milk? Any special consistency I am looking for? I feel as if this is a dumb question, but where I live, they often pour the coconut water into a jar, and throw away the rest of the coconut.
I just made coconut milk from a cup of shredded coconut. I did it like I make nut milks. So I didn’t cook it. My goal was a to do buying silk coconut milk.
Does it need to be cooked first?
Simple and Delicious! Thank you.
Are you sure the link for the coconut cream is right? When I click on the link, it takes me to Trader Joe’s brand coconut cream, but it contains XANTHAN GUM… I thought you said xanthan gum isn’t good for the digestive tract…?
Tested and approved 🙂
I wanted to make my own coconut milk and then try to make homemade yogurt with it. I was quite disappointed with the result, which is a 1/3 of yogurt, 2/3 of “water” at the bottom.
I used to do it with coconut milk or cream I bought in cans and don’t have that issue. Maybe to much water?
Well I might stick with homemade soya milk for the yogurts, the texture is better in that case.
Anyway, the milk taste great and cost effectively cheaper so for that I do like your recipe, thanks 🙂
There is so much variation in the amount of coconut if only measuring the in “cups”. Do you have the measurements in grams?