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How to Make Coconut Milk, The Easy Way

January 17, 2013 by Katie Mae Stanley 31 Comments

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, as well as through other affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, as well as through other affiliate links.

CoconutLeche

Rich creamy coconut milk. It’s something you find me using at my house few times a week. It’s the base for my currys, hot cocoa and smoothies. For those that are dairy free or just like to mix things up a bit it is a wonderful substitute for dairy milk. It is so good for you! Coconut milk is rich in magnesium and calcium, anti-bactririal and can boost your immune system.

 

For years I bought full fat coconut milk by the case to keep up with the demand. I had seen different posts on various blogs on how to make your own so I finally bit the bullet and gave it a try. Since then I have been hooked!

 

Coconut milk made from coconut flakes is not as hard as you would think. It is so much easier than cracking open a coconut yourself and grating it to make milk. It is not quite as thick as full fat coconut milk from a can. The secret to thicker coconut milk is a longer soaking time. I’ve read of people suggesting soaking your flakes in hot water from 30 minutes to 4 hours. By mistake one time I left my coconut flakes soaking for 6 hours. The result was the thickest, most delicious coconut milk I had ever made!

 

Now that I make my own it is hard to go back to using canned coconut milk. The canned version has a slight metallic taste that I didn’t notice before.

How to Make Coconut Milk, the Easy Way

 2 cups coconut flakes (unsweetened)
4 cup boiling water

1. Place the coconut flakes in a glass bowl or ½ gallon canning jar. Pour the boiling water over the flakes. Cover with a plate or canning lid. Leave on the counter for 6 hour.

2. Pour the contents of the jar a blender. You may have to do this in two batches if your blender is smaller. Blend on high for about 2 minutes or until you have a smooth mixture.

3. Strain the contents of the blender through a fine sieve gently pushing on it with a spoon to remove all the liquid. Or pour through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, allowing the coconut milk to collect in the jar. Twist the cheesecloth or nut milk bag to be sure to get all the liquid out.

This should keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The fat from the coconut will rise to the top, so be sure to shake well before using. (You may need to let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes to bring it to room temperature if it is too thick.)

You will be left with coconut pulp, don’t throw it out. You can freeze it and add it to smoothies, baked good or ice cream. Or dry it and save to use in muffins and other baked goods.

 

This post is part of  Get Real Frugal Friday, Homestead Blog Hop, 

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized

About Katie Mae Stanley

Katie Mae Stanley is the creator of Nourishing Simplicity. She believes that a made from scratch life is possible with a measure of grace. She teaches you to craft simple, nourishing recipes and natural DIY products at home.

Previous Post: « What’s With All the Changes?
Next Post: Homemade Almond Milk »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jamie

    May 4, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    Tthis and the almond milk look wonderful! Any idea on fat and calories?

    Reply
    • Katie Mae Stanley

      May 4, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      No, I’m sorry I’m not sure. It is high in fat and calories but the GOOD kind. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sadie @allnaturalme

    February 20, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    I’m going to do this!!! Trying to do less & less canned pantry items –

    Reply
  3. Penny

    August 5, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    Thank you for sharing the soaking tip, that’s good to know!

    Reply
  4. keek

    June 15, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    I use coconut milk instead of water or juice I my morning fruit smoothies. Also add flax or chia seeds and a collard green leaf.

    Reply
    • Katie Mae

      June 15, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      Sounds wonderful!

      Reply
  5. Susan Godfrey

    January 24, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    I am going to have to try this sometime soon! BTW this post was chosen as one of the top 3 of the week over on my blog hop, Get Real Frugal Friday! I hope you’ll back come by my blog hop, Get Real Frugal Friday and join us again! http://realfoodrealfrugal.com/2013/01/24/focus-on-the-food-cauliflower-get-real-frugal-friday-3/

    Reply
  6. isis

    January 24, 2013 at 3:33 am

    My mom always makes her own coconut milk. She prefers it over the canned ones from the grocery. Probably because it’s fresher?

    Reply
  7. Lynden Blossom

    January 24, 2013 at 1:14 am

    I’m here via Blogelina – I’ve never heard of making this… Very interesting! ;-}
    Lynden
    http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Elegant-Touch-/162889457132788

    Reply
  8. Anabolic Cooking Review

    January 23, 2013 at 8:12 am

    Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
    There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Cheers

    Reply
  9. Dawn

    January 22, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    Thank you for sharing, I have never had coconut milk before. This is something I will have to try, I love Coconut.

    Dawn
    Dawns Delights Art

    Reply
  10. Darcy

    January 22, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    I never thought about making it at home before. It’s got to be cheaper than buying it! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  11. Terri Babin

    January 21, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    I never thought about making my own coconut milk before, but I totally look forward to trying it- thanks for sharing!

    ~Terri
    Eco-Crazy Mom

    Reply
  12. Marjorie Dawson

    January 21, 2013 at 11:19 am

    We love coconut milk it is an essential part of our fish curry. Thanks for the mkae it at home tip, this will be such fun to do.

    Reply
  13. Shelly

    January 20, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I have made soymilk but I have never tried to make coconut milk. I will be giving this a try really soon. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Stacee

    January 20, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    Is it really that easy? I have to try this now. I make a lot of my own items, butter, salsa, ketchup, mayonnaise, and cleaning products so this may be the next thing added to the list. Thanks for sharing how easy it is.

    Reply
  15. Becca

    January 20, 2013 at 11:43 am

    Oh wow, this sounds great! The recipe sounds easy to follow and I love the fact that it’s healthy! Thanks for sharing, Katie Mae. I’m going to have to pin this and I think I’m gonna have to follow your blog. 🙂

    ahumblebumble.blogspot.com

    Reply
  16. LaVonne

    January 20, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I have made soy milk once but never coconut milk. This doesn’t look too hard. I love coconut milk in curries. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Kelley @ Never a Dull Day in Poland

    January 19, 2013 at 11:52 pm

    love this!! I am having one heck of a time finding coconut milk here in Poland, so I am going to have to try this!!!!

    Reply
  18. Cinella

    January 19, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    Thanks for sharing…. going to look up some recipes I can use it with! Stopping by from Commentathon. Pinned and Tweeted ur post!
    Cinella @ The Mami Blog

    Reply
  19. Kirsten Oliphant

    January 19, 2013 at 8:27 am

    I found you via blogelina! Love this recipe and thanks for sharing! Will definitely try it! Sounds much cheaper than buying.

    Reply
  20. Darwin

    January 19, 2013 at 6:26 am

    I love coconut milk, and coconut juice as well. I grew up in the Philippines where coconut is in abundance. Have you ever tried coconut salad? It’s good too.

    Reply
  21. kristi

    January 19, 2013 at 1:19 am

    Sounds pretty yummy, I will be trying this out in the very near future!

    Reply
  22. Shary

    January 18, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    Oh wow. I always wondered how to make this stuff. I have coconut oil,coconut flakes, but alas no coconut milk. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  23. Grady

    January 18, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    I so admire people who are skilled at cooking. I feel like I will be forever hopeless at this. I just don’t understand how to put fun combinations together or how to experiment with food!

    I feel like, if I got any kind of decent at it, I’d be pretty fulfilled by cooking, especially because it’s not something I’m naturally drawn to! Do you love to cook?

    Reply
  24. Clarinda

    January 18, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    I have to make my own coconut milk for my diet but I have never tried cause it seemed too hard. But I love your directions. EASY! Thank you. Gonna have to try this soon.

    Reply
  25. Janet

    January 17, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    Have you ever heard of coconut cream concentrate? I have two jars of it. It is coconut meat. I was thinking I could make coconut milk with it. I bought it and I do not know what to do with it. Sounded good to buy at the time, I think I learned my lesson 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie Mae

      January 17, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      I have heard of coconut cream concentrate. I bought some awhihle ago and had probelms making it into coconut milk. It wasn’t as smooth or creamy as I wanted it to be. Katie @ Riddle Love uses it all the time with succsess so you might want to check out her post.
      http://www.riddlelove.com/2012/09/why-i-dont-buy-canned-coconut-milk.html

      Reply
  26. alisa

    January 9, 2013 at 4:56 am

    love the new website! looks like the down-to-the-wire craziness was worth it 🙂

    Reply
    • admin

      January 8, 2013 at 9:11 pm

      Thanks Alisa! Can you tell that I’m moving a lot of things around? 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Frothy Nutrient-Dense Peppermint Mocha — Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS says:
    December 22, 2014 at 6:26 am

    […] Cue a peppermint frothy mocha. I prefer to make my mochas with raw milk, but feel free to use homemade coconut milk or almond milk instead. If you have extra peppermint around, try making your own mint […]

    Reply

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