Coconut milk

A creamy white liquid made by blending grated coconut meat with water and straining it, used in baking as a rich, dairy-free stand-in for milk or cream.

Coconut milk: A small glass bowl of thick white coconut milk next to a halved coconut
  • Baking ingredients and additives

Canned coconut milk is thick and rich, and the fat often rises to the top as a firm layer of coconut cream; shaking the can or whisking the contents brings it back together. Coconut milk sold in cartons for drinking is much thinner and gives different results in recipes.

It is used in custards, puddings, panna cotta, rice desserts, coconut cakes and ice cream. Do not confuse it with cream of coconut, which is heavily sweetened and made for drinks and desserts.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Coconut milk (Q841779), Wikidata