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–+ servings
Anna

Homemade Coconut Milk

5 from 1 vote
Learn how to make homemade coconut milk. This simple homemade coconut milk recipe uses only two ingredients - coconut and water. There are two ways to make coconut milk: dried coconut fruit or coconut flakes, but a dry coconut makes the milk creamier and more flavor than the flakes!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Course: Cooking Basics, Drinks, How to
Cuisine: American, dairy-free
Calories: 24
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole dry coconut or 2 cups dry coconut flakes
  • 2 cups 2 cups hot filtered water

Equipment

  • Hammer
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Butter Knife
  • Jar

Method
 

Preparing coconut:
  1. Drain the coconut water. Find the three "eyes" of the coconut and poke a hole in a "soft eye" with a sharp knife. Pour coconut water into a glass and reserve for later use.
  2. Hit the coconut gently with a hammer across the “equator” of the coconut shell. Rotate the coconut as you tap, ensuring you hit each part of the coconut's equator. Keep going in this manner until you hear a cracking sound. Once it starts cracking, use less and less force to keep it in two large pieces until it breaks in half.
  3. Once broken into pieces, place a butter knife or spoon between the coconut flesh and the outer shell. Carefully rock it back and forth until the flesh separates from the tough outer shell. The flesh should pop out and have a thin, brown skin over it.
  4. Optional: Remove the thin, brown outer skin of the coconut flesh with a peeler. (I recommend doing this if you plan on using leftover coconut flesh to make Coconut Flour)
  5. Cut the coconut into smaller pieces (my coconut yielded about 3 cups of pieces).
Coconut milk:
  1. Add the coconut flesh chunks to a high-speed blender OR use the dry coconut flakes.
  2. Add the boiling water, let the coconut rest in the hot water to release the oil. When water is lukewarm, blend on high-speed for 1 to 3 minutes until creamy and smooth. (For a rich, creamy coconut milk, add just enough water to cover the coconut meat, I added 2 cups of hot water to 3 cups of coconut flesh).
  3. Pour the coconut milk into a sieve, cheesecloth, or strainer bag for nut milk, and squeeze it well. Squeeze the coconut milk until only the coconut pulp is left. This is coconut fiber, which when dried will make coconut flour.
  4. Keep the coconut milk refrigerated. When coconut milk cools down (If you used the coconut fruit to make the milk) it is common to separate into water and coconut cream in the fridge. Stir well before serving, and the milk will get homogeneous again. You can also scoop out the coconut cream for later use, but if you remove the cream it will change the texture and flavor of the milk.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.5g

Notes

Storage: Place the coconut milk in a jar and refrigerate it, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!