How To Make the Creamy, Toasted Coconut Milk of Your Dreams
If you already make your own nut milks at home, you have to try this. I mean - walk to your kitchen, turn the oven dial, and get some coconut in there. Toasted coconut milk is incredible.
Let me start by saying, if you already make your own nut milks at home, you have to try this. I mean - walk to your kitchen, turn the oven dial, and get some coconut in there. You have to trust me here. I started making homemade toasted coconut milk a few months ago, and it has become one of my favorite things. It's creamy, rich, nutty, and intense. I enjoy it immensely on its own, and as an ingredient in other preparations as well. It's a real flavor punch. Imagine all the ways you can use it to make some of your favorite preparations even better. It's great in chai, in morning oatmeal, baked oatmeal(!). You can use it in a wild range of sweet preparations, but it's also good as a way to add a little je ne sais quoi, to broths, soups, and weeknight curries.
You can see how it comes together in a video of the process here, and you can find the recipe down below, as well as a few notes. Let me know if you make it, and if you do, please let me know how you're using it!
A couple notes. If you want to totally geek out on this, play around with the toastiness of your coconut. If you toast coconut deeply, you're going to have a different profile than a more lightly toasted coconut. I tend to ride the dark side of the spectrum, but it's wild the difference between a milk made with lightly toasted versus dark. Both delicious, just different.
Also, like all pure coconut milk, it will separate. And it solidifies in the refrigerator. Use it as you would canned coconut milk, and expect it to behave similarly (i.e. you might need to warm it up a bit, and give it a good stir before using)...
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Creamy, Toasted Coconut Milk
Be sure to toast your coconut well (but not burned!) if you want the flavor to be extra pronounced.
- 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut
- 4 cups water
- fine grain sea or Himalayan salt
- natural sweetener to taste, optional
-
In a blender, combine the coconut, water, and salt. Blend, and then blend some more. Strain through a nut bag (makes it easy!) or fine strainer. Sweeten to taste if you like, I usually use a few drops of liquid stevia, or maple syrup. Refrigerate.
Makes 3 cups.
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Comments
I’m wondering if taking this in the direction of ice cream (with or without dairy) work…
I bet it would! Let us know if you try.
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Hi Kayla, I try to use it within a couple of days.
Me and my kids really loved this, thanks for sharing! 😀
I absolutely love this coconut milk. I dehydrated the leftover coconut “pulp” , stuck it in a baggie and put it in the freezer. I use it just like coconut flour in recipes that call for coconut flour. I LOVE the toasted taste. It is great in sweet things like muffins and cakes.
Hi! I made coconut milk once from fresh coconut pulp and I found it to be terribly bad- it had basically no trace of the beloved Bounty taste and perfume. None whatsoever.
I now suspect it’s because the lack of thermal preparation which brings out the nuttiness?
I will try to roast the fresh flakes first as you suggested
Sorry Heidi – jusy read the comment on how to reuse the pulp 🙂
Heidi – Any recommendations for what to do with the leftover pulp (besides compost it)
This is one of my favorite recipes! I make it once a week! Since I am making so much, I feel terrible throwing out the strained coconut – any thoughts on how to use the leftovers? Thanks!
HS: Hi Amanda – you could chop it up and bake with it, or add it to curries, Or to dressings for added texture/flavor, etc.
Where do you get the toasted coconut to make this?
HS: Hi Hannah,I start with raw coconut flakes and toast them in the oven (350F-ish) until golden brown.
This looks delicious! Do you start with sweetened or unsweetened coconut? Thanks!
HS: Hi Debbie – start with unsweetened, you can always sweeten to taste at the end.
Would using coconut water for an over the top coconut flavor work?
HS: I suspect it might! Or even a 50/50 blend….
Where did you get your nut milk bag? It looks like a natural fiber and most of the ones I’m finding are nylon.
HS: Hi Catie – I picked mine up at a local natural foods grocer, but(!) if you search around online for cotton cheese bag, or tea bag or that sort of thing, you should be able to find them.
Can anyone clarify this recipe for me. It seems too simple to be true. Do I use shredded coconut and toast it and make milk? Or am I to use a FRESH coconut and toast the flesh?
HS: Hi Chelsea – shredded coconut 🙂 You could try it with fresh if you have access to fresh coconut, but yeah, in the video I use shredded from the bag…
This is intriguing! I have never made coconut milk before. Will it be fairly thick, like canned coconut milk? I tend to use the Thai variety of canned.
HS: Hi Melanie – it definitely has body, and you can control the thickness with the amount of water you use. Meaning, if you make it following this recipe, and you think it is too thin, use less water the next time around. If it is too thick for your liking, add more. Hope this makes sense!
Toasted coconut: bake flakes @ 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes? I guess it’s a pinch of salt?
HS: yes! That’s perfect.
Mine curddled when i tried to make tea the next day. Did I do something wrong?
HS: If it was cold, you might need to warm it a bit, and stir – the coconut fats will solidify at cold temps.
This is dangerously good.
What a fantastic idea – I’ve made coconut milk for years, but it never occurred to me to toast the coconut. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks very much.
Lady! I used a batch in a cocoa pudding and in a tropical smoothie. It’s pretty great in strong coffee too — thank you!
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