Aristotle postulated that the essence of life is to serve others and do good.
The Dalai Lama told us the purpose of life is to be happy.
Douglas Adams said the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42.
I’m going to have to call shenanignas on all of it, because I have discovered the meaning, purpose, and answer to life. Today.
It is homemade coconut milk.
WAIT! Even if you’ve decided you hate coconut milk (for whatever ungodly reason), you’re going to want to remember this post. This recipe. Because drinking it, eating it, and cooking with it isn’t all you can do. In fact, tomorrow I have a super secret special surprise about what you CAN do with it that doesn’t involve tasting it in any way. (Want to know what that is? Make shampoo with coconut milk and castille soap! Here are the instructions. Enjoy!)
So just chillax (that’s right, I said it) and learn how to make homemade coconut milk in something like 5 minutes or less.
(Also, I’m sorry you don’t like to drink the purpose of life.)
How to Make Homemade Coconut Milk
First, I have to say thanks to Pinterest for eventually taking me to several recipe sites that told me how to make my own coconut milk. Which I have now done a total of four times (in less than a week … that’s how obsessed I am.)
Now, when I said it takes 5 minutes or less, I really meant it. It tastes better than the coconut milk I buy every week at the store, too.
You want to know how to do this, don’t you?
Here’s what you need: 1/2 c. coconut milk, 4 cups of really hot water, a blender/food processor, and something to store your coconut milk in. So, technically what you need is: Shredded, unsweetened, dried coconut. (Organic is best, so you’re not getting any sulfites in it.) The other stuff is cake.
1. Measure Out 1/2 C. Shredded Coconut
This is easy so far, right?
You don’t have to be exact on the shredded coconut measurement for your homemade coconut milk. This is not an exact science, and it’s kind of the opposite of baking.
Next, you want to …
2. Place Your Shredded Coconut in Your Blender and Add 1 c. Water
Again, the water should be very hot. Some of the recipes I read said to use boiling water, some said not to use boiling water. So use your discretion on whichever you choose. Me, I use water that was boiled and then cooled for a minute.
Blender or food processor, whatever. Just pour the water over the coconut and pop the lid on.
3. Take 10 Seconds to Pulse Your Mixture
You don’t want to run your blender or food processor on high. And you do NOT want to run it on high and then walk away. What you’ll be left with, after about a minute, is a pulpy, gloppy mess.
Instead, what you want to do is pulse the coconut and water for about 30 seconds (or 20-ish times).
Then, I let it sit for about another minute and pulse it 5 or 6 more times. I do this because I think I’m letting it steep and making stronger coconut milk, but I may just be kidding myself.
When you’re done pulsing, this is what you do:
3. Carefully Strain the “Milk” From the Shredded Coconut
As you strain, be sure to press down on the coconut shreds to push out all the good stuff.
Here’s where I differ from what all the other recipes said to do. They said to use cheesecloth. I laugh in the face of authority, so I use a fine mesh sieve.
And it gives you something I think the others don’t get: A nice, thick chunk of coconut oil that rises to the top when you chill it.
If you strain through a cheesecloth (which you’re more than welcome to do if you want), the fabric will catch the oils, so your coconut milk won’t have nearly as many in it. I’ll show you what the layer of solid coconut oil looks like in a minute, though, because you need to know the last step.
4. Repeat Steps 1-3 Three More Times, Reusing the Shredded Coconut
That’s really all there is to it. You don’t have to use 4 cups of water. You can stop at 3 if you only want 3 cups of coconut milk. Whatever floats your boat. I do feel like, after the fourth run through, the coconut is pretty sapped of all its goodness and you end up with a more watery product.
Here are a few more things to remember:
- Keep a lid on your coconut milk, and store it in the fridge. It’s good for up to 5 or so days, if kept tightly covered and refrigerated.
- If you want to reuse the leftover shreds (after you’ve “milked” them), you can do what Tropical Traditions suggests and make macaroons but, of course, I think you should blend it up a little more with some plain, full-fat yogurt and honey and put it on your face. Bonus – you can eat that, too. YUM.
- The coconut milk, all by itself, is super yummy and light, if you ask me. But you can dress it up a little, too, for an extra delicious drink. (Which I’ll tell you more about in a minute.)
The Coconut Oil at the Top
So, as I mentioned, if you don’t use a cheesecloth, you end up with a good bit of oil at the top of your milk (after you’ve refrigerated it for a while).
This is what it looks like:
I bet there’s a hundred-billion things you could do with that – things that are very, very yummy. Me? I put it on my legs. And they are baby-bottom soft now (except I need to shave).
The texture doesn’t seem to be quite like that of store-bought coconut oil, so I’m not sure it’s as effective as pure coconut oil. But one of these days, I’m going to get brave and try it as deodorant, anyway.
How to Drink Your Coconut Milk
I drink mine straight most of the time. I also put it on my cereal.
There are probably a hundred different things you could add to it, though, to make it swoon-worthy.
Here are the two things I’ve done:
Add blueberries and blend: Just add a small handful of blueberries to 1 or 2 cups of homemade coconut milk and blend well. Deeelicious. For an added sweet treat, sprinkle in a touch of stevia leaf.
Honey and vanilla extract: This is … this is heaven in your mouth. Like a thousand small, rich, creamy angel ballerinas are pirouetting on your tongue. In it, I used 1 c. homemade coconut milk, 1/4 tsp homemade vanilla extract, and 1 tsp honey. If you like nutmeg, this would be the perfect thing to sprinkle a little bit on, too.
Tomorrow is Going to Be Fun
Tomorrow, I’ll show you exactly WHY I got off my butt and made my own homemade coconut milk to begin with. You are going to love this.
Hint: Get your hair ready.
—
So, as a newly affirmed homemade coconut milk addict, I want to drink it all the time with lots of other stuff in it, with it, and around it.
What else do you guys think would be good in coconut milk, to make it fruitier or velvetier, or … what sounds delicious to you?
The Difference Between Crunchy and Mainstream
You know Betty, first time I was made this coconut milk. It was made so tasty and delicious. I used the oil and cream to top as a moisturizer that was heavenly. I will definitely make this coconut milk very soon. Thanks for sharing great info about coconut milk.
I’m intrigued to try this, but what happens if I don’t use hot water and just use room temp water instead? I think I read in the comments that this caused there to be an absence of the floating coconut oil on top. Would that oil stay in the shredded coconut pulp or would it still be in the milk and just not rise to the top for some reason?
The reason that I ask is that my blender is plastic and I’m usually pretty careful to avoid putting hot things into plastic containers when preparing food. This can cause plastic to leach into the food. Thanks in advance for any responses!
Also, how long does the milk stay good for?
trying to figure out calories carbs etc in my homemade coconut, I was looking for a recipe and found one that said 1.5 -2 cups shredded coconut and same amount of water as you said. Next time I will use less. Anyway I ended up with 3 cups milk. Taste is great BUT I do my fitness pal and can’t come up with the calories etc. Can you help me.
This may be redundant – I didn’t read the other comments, but you can also use the leftover coconut to make flour after it’s dried.
I’ve been making coconut oil for awhile now, but I use 2 cups shredded organic coconut and 3 cups very hot water and blend for about a minute at least and then strain with very thin tea towels. I really squeeze as hard as I can to get all the liquid out. I feed the shredded coconut to my dogs, which they love and it’s good for them. I get the cream on the top and just shake up my bottle before pouring on my cereal. I’ll have to try some of these other ideas. Thanks for the tips!
OOPS! Typo! I’m sure you mean that what you’ll need is 1 c. shredded coconut and not 1 c. coconut milk…? Threw me for a minute.
I may be a bit technical here, but the first ingredient is listed as coconut milk. Wait a minute, I thought we were making milk. I guess the first ingredient should be changed to shredded coconut. Oh well, today’s hi-tech communication devices leave a lot of room for improvement. My cell phone’s keyboard is nerve-wracking – when I try to type something it changes it into something else.
Hi There!
I just read your recipe and it sounds great. I want to make sure I’m reading it correctly. In the list of ingredients you said you start with 1/2 cup of coconut milk??? Or do you mean shredded coconut?
Thank you!! 🙂
25 September 2013
Do I use the same batch of 1/2 cup of shredded coconuts 3 or 4 times with 1 cup of hot water each time, or do I have to take each time a new 1/2 cup of shredded coconuts and then strain it later?
thank you so much for letting me know and thank you for informing us about how to make coconut milk!
Coconut oil is the best oil for cooking as it has no cholestrol. Like any oil it has a high calorie count but is still the greatest option for cooking. About the gloppy mess you mentioned, that just looked like it would be great in a cake or pudding. I can’t wait to try this as I purchase both coconut oil and coconut milk weekly. Would be nice to make my own.
It warms my tiny black heart every time I see someone post an article proclaiming the glories of coconut.
I feed coconut in all its forms to my family (here are some recipes I have tried and tested out on my family, http://www.yummycoconut.com) and we also use it as a lotion and deodorant. For me, coconut oil deodorant is definitely the best deodorant I have ever used. While it does not stop you from sweating (which I have read is bad for you anyways) it does absolute wonders at actually deodorizing.
And as a lotion (coconut oil), it is a must for me. If you have ever dealt with small kids you know that anything that goes on their skin also goes in their mouth. Its, one less thing to worry about if they are putting coconut oil in their mouth instead of all the weird chemicals in commercial lotions.
High five to coconuts!
The ingredients you list to make the coconut milk starts with “1/2 c. coconut milk”!!! Would you please look over your ingredient list & update/correct, as I would very much like to try this recipe, but I think you have made a mistake!
I’ve been making coconut-chia seed pudding with Thai Kitchen canned organic coconut milk for a long time now. It was part of our breakfast every morning. The recipe is: 1 can coconut milk, 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/4 cup organic, unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/4 cup raw honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a dash of sea salt. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, vanilla and salt until well blended, then stir in the chia seeds and shredded coconut. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Stir again, cover and refrigerate. Pudding will be set in about 4 hours. It comes out perfectly smooth and absolutely delicious every time.
Well, I finally decided to try making my own coconut milk with my Tropical Traditions shredded coconut. The milk was delicious, but the pudding came out all clumpy. The chia seeds collected in several large masses and would not separate and disperse throughout the pudding. I solved that by using my immersion blender on it after it was set. I think the problem may have been the method for making the coconut milk (it was from a blog) which called for using a Vitamix blender on high for 2 minutes, then straining through cheesecloth (I used butter muslin) and repeating once. (I borrowed my sister’s Vitamix.)
I was so disappointed with the homemade milk that I went back to buying the canned coconut milk at $2.18 a can!
But now I am so excited to try it again using your instructions! The taste and nutrition of homemade coconut milk can’t be beat, and the $$$ savings is amazing! So if the consistency of it will give me the same results as canned for my coconut-chia seed pudding, I will be forever grateful to you!
Wow this sounds delicious!!! Can you omit the shredded coconut at the end when you add the chia seeds? I am not a fan of shredded coconut but will drink the milk. Will the pudding still form without it?
I’d love your recipe for the coconut chia seed pudding. Thank you, Sheila 🙂
Tricia, did you end up trying it? what were the results?
Sharing this method for straining… I use all the instructions above (stop after 3rd batch and freeze the coconut pulp, to use in recipes and sprinkle on my dog’s food to help her arthritis, and works great).
BUT, instead of straining it through cheesecloth (never! can’t stand the thought of wasting any oil LOL) or the mess of a strainer or sieve, I use my French Press pot with a stainless strainer. Works beautifully for me!
Many thanks Cherie! I just made this first time and it turned out to be delicious, even though I used an immersion blender. I strained it through sieve as Betty did, but as I happen to have a French Press too, I’m gonna use that next time soon!
Thank you!!!!
I got my oil! And my flour! And 8 cups of coconut milk (used 1 c coconut, 2 c water), which cost me $0.15/cup, as opposed to $2/cup for the milk that we usually buy, which is organic, additive free and comes in bpa free cans. By the time I’m finished by 5 lb bag of coconut, this recipe will have saved me over $200!!
BUT…my milk seems really watery! It still tastes like coconut milk, but I think that it’s more like light coconut milk then full fat. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to make icecream with it 🙁 (Just a bit addicted.) I followed the recipe exactly, repeating all of the steps four times. Maybe try stopping at 3 next time?
I always stop at 3 because I like the richer flavor. For special recipes I’ll use just 2, and use it (maybe for ice cream? I have to try that!) then I’ll do one more run and put that in my drinking pitcher.
I think what you meant to say at the beginning (before the recipe) is rhredded coconut.:
This is what you said: Here’s what you need: 1/2 c. coconut milk, 4 cups of really hot water,…etc.
I think you meant to say: 1/2 c. shredded coconut (not coconut milk).
I am definitely interested in this deordorant..what are the ingredients ratios…I am sure many would love to learn of this…I am an avid gardener..need I say more..many thanks..
You can order raw freshly frozen coconut meat from Exotic Foods. It’s fantastic they have the water frozen raw also.
You can order raw freshly frozen coconut meat from Exotic Foods. It’s fantastic they have the water frozen raw also.
For the life of me, I can’t find UNsweetened shredded coconut! I’m in AK, and I’ve checked Safeway and Fred Meyer’s (which are all we have, grocery wise). But I want to make this for the shampoo…right MEOW! Where can I order the unsweetened, and can I use the sweetened, just this once?
My favorite source for unsweetened shredded coconut (organic) is TropicalTraditions.com. I buy the 2.2 lb bags and stock up when they offer free shipping! Great quality, makes awesome milk.
Look for the unsweetened coconut in the bulk/nutrition center of Fred Meyer.
I live in AK too!!!! There’s a lady in Chugiak and one in Palmer that can get you the coconut you’re looking for try googling Wholly living or Living proof AK. They both are wonderful help when looking for more natural foods.
In my country, Puerto Rico, we open the coconut with a machete, and we use a spoon to get the white of the coconut out, then we eat it like that, or use it in many recipes. We also drink the coconut water, very cold, just make a hole on top of the coconut with something like a screwdriver, and insert a straw. Make sure the coconut was in the refrigerator, because the coconut water is soooi good when it is very cold.
I preffer simply the yolk of the egg. Same money, less work..
Hm, I bet drinking the egg yolk is not as fun as drinking the coconut milk…. 😉
When I lived in Tanzania for 2 months, we had coconut milk in a lot of the food. My family made it by cracking open a coconut, using a special carver to shred the coconut, then they would soak it in some water, and squeeze the pulp. They kept doing that about 4 times and then would pour it into the food. So yeah you can do it with fresh and it’s fabulous, just a lot more work!
Hi There! LOVE your site. I use it for several recipes but especially love the petro free vaporub. Anyway… Just wanted to check… on this recipe you say that you need 1/2 c coconut milk. I’m guessing you meant 1/2 c shredded coconut but wanted to be sure.
Keep up the wonderful work!!
i’m trying this today. sounds terrific. also wanted to say that i’ve been making my own deodorant with coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch and essential oil for the last 3 years and will never use anything else again. it works amazingly!!!
what is the recipe on making deodorant thanks
I buy bulk chipped coconut (unsweetened, dried, large chips rather than thin shreds). Is this suitable for use in making homemade coconut milk?
I buy bulk chipped coconut (unsweetened, dried, large chips rather than thin shreds). Is this suitable for use in making homemade coconut milk?
I make homemade coconut greek yogurt out of it
I would really love it if you’d share with us the recipe and directions for making homemade coconut milk greek yogurt! : )
I’m so going to try this and use it to make the shampoo you write about in another blog! Can you use Kirk’s original Coco Castile soap instead of the liquid Castile or is that just too much coconut in terms of oil?
I made this recipe twice, and I get the oil at the top, but I don’t get the good cream that is supposed to rise to the top. It’s the hard oil and nothing else. What am I doing wrong? 🙁
You probably are not doing anything wrong it is more than likely the coconut you bought. Try a different kind or buy from a different store.
Hi, Thank you for your instructions! I’ve just been playing it be ear, fermenting fresh coconut I’ve run through Champion Juicer. I add either molasss or organic honey to culture it. It will frement even without a starter, it just takes longer, so I’ve started it with a little organic plain yogurt and use that batch for a couple of more.
Since I’m not exactly doing this for culinary reasons, I gladly consume the yogurt regardless of the taste. My gut simply needs fremented foods right now.
However, I might give it a few spins through my VitaMix and strain it, though I don’t really want to toss much on the compost pile. As an experienced chef, I love to experiment, and since I’m the only one who eats the results, how can I lose?
So far, the most challenging thing to master has been to remove the meat from the shell, but I learned to use a small chisle quite skillfully.
I’m just starting on the food culturing band-wagon, but it’s already been more than worth it’s weight in gold, since my digestive tract has become much more effective in absorbing nutrients, especially minerals. I’m even getting my money’s worth from the few supplements I take since these absorb so much more effectively.
Patrick Hickey, Sedona, Arizona
Patrick, I just started fermenting coconut milk too. I am very curious to know how you can tell your digestive track is absorbing nutrients and minerals more efficiently. Do tell? :o)
Hello Nirvana!!!! Love, love, love it. I use it in my tea instead of creamer…couldn’t be happier!
Also have used it for the “almost no poo” recipe…which is great not only for my hair, but my whole body!.
Thanks for the delicious recipe….Oh…I only used 3 cups of water…like a little stronger flavor, And a full cup is only 3 points on weight watchers!!
The first 3 times I made this coconut milk it came out perfect! I used the oil/cream that rose to the top as a moisturizer that was heavenly. I made the milk again last night and to my great disappointment, no cream today. I just re-read the instructions and see that I forgot to use “HOT” water. It really does make a difference.
I like using about three tablespoons to one cup of almond milk for my honey lattes 🙂
Love this recipe!!! We found that the coconut oil we got from this had a lot of the coconut milky goodness in it, which we really like using in your toothpaste recipe (http://crunchybetty.com/homemade-toothpaste-want-to-ditch-the-fluoride)
can you use store bought coconut milk to sorta poo wash your hair?
I think what you mean in this first line . . . Here’s what you need: 1/2 c. coconut milk . . . is 1/2 c shredded coconut.
You’re super funny and super cute! Thanks for this recipe, I plan on putting it in, on, and around my face 😉
can you use store bought coconut milk to sorta poo wash your hair?
can you use store bought coconut milk to sorta poo wash your hair?
In your directions to make coconut milk, your first ingredient listed was 1/2 c. coconut “milk.” I think you may have meant; 1/2 c. coconut?
No, there is such a thing as coconut milk, look for it in a health food or organic store.
In this particular post, it is supposed to be shredded coconut. You are making coconut milk from the shredded coconut. If you already bought coconut milk, there would be no need to make it.
I’ve been browsing your site for 2 months now and think I will finally try some of your ideas- it started with the honey face wash which I am now infusing. I don’t want to get too crunchy but maybe try a few things. It all started with making my own Christmas gifts of lotion bars and lip balm, of which I am now addicted. Then, I found your site. My boyfriend is already worried and it’s quite a change from my city girl mentality
Anyway, I had took a cooking class in Thailand recently and we made our own coconut cream/milk. I wanted to add that if using fresh coconut shreds (as opposed to the dry you can buy at the store) the first press is actually coconut cream, the 2nd, 3rd is considered milk, and the 4th coconut water. I can’t speak for the dried coconut since we only learned about the fresh stuff. But, in thai cooking they do differentiate between the cream and the milk.
Im on a kick lately!! I made the butter now I made this milk and next is the ‘poo!!! I love it!! Thank you 🙂
I adore you and your site!
ONE MORE QUESTION PLZ! WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF THIS SORTA POO? I mean milks don’t usually stay well for more than 3-4 days, so does this apply to this recipe too? and does adding preservatives prolong its shelf life?? REALLY need to know that so I’d appreciate any help from anyone <3 x
One month
Uh, this just blew my mind.
Oh and what if I add a teaspoon of BS to every cup of sorta poo? does it make any difference? btw I make my own liquid castile soap, I have the soap bars (100% natural of course) and I just melt them on low heat, then I add them to the homemade coconut milk (THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE BTW!), the result is great so far, but I haven’t used it on my head yet, maybe tonight or tomorrow morning, I have dry frizzy thin hair and I hope this works out for me, I tried another homemade recipe before which used liquid castile soap and some herb concoctions, I didn’t like it much, so I hope this works out well and then I could use the herbal concoctions as a final rinse with vinegar or so..
Did anyone’s sorta poo turn out slimy? 😀 I mean I can’t hold it in my hand unless I’m cupping it, the second I put it on my hair it just SLIDES into the sink :/ what should I do?
This may just be the best coconut milk i’ve EVER had. EVER. I loved it so much that I just ordered a huge bag of coconut from Tropical Traditions (as well as some virgin coconut oil). Simply amazing. Thank you for sharing this amazingness. I never would have even thought to make my own coconut milk. And the oil on top, I put it in a small jar and i’ve been picking at it. My apartment tends to be warm so I keep it in the fridge. I love how silky it is. It just melts in your mouth.
I made this tonight, but slightly different. I only had shaved coconut, so I let it run in the food processor for a few minutes, which I think released a lot more of the oils. Then I boiled 3 cups of water. I put the now flaked coconut into the blender with all 3 cpus of water and let it sit a few minutes. Then pulsed it a bit, let it rest, and pulsed again a few seconds. Then I strained into jars. It looks and smells delicious!!!!!! Now, other than making coconut flour… what can I do with the flesh?
I just whipped this up, and because I don’t own a sieve or a funnel, made it in my french press. It was sooo easy! I’m about to try it out with some castille soap as my first foray into non-commercial shampoo.
Sooo excited to try this!! One question, do you just toss the pulsated coconut out once done making the milk??
so… I’m not that “crunchy” yet, but I’ve taking baby steps. I hate the taste of milk so I buy the “so delicious”coconut milk. I’m waiting to finish my last carton and give this recipe a try. But I don’t wanna waste the coconut fibers or the leftover cream. I thought of using it on the next thing on my “make from scratch list. Homemade granola, that is. Do you think this could work?
Thank you for all the wonderful ideas!
hi~
thank you so much for the sorta poo recipe! i have two questions: can i use dr bronner’s peppermint soap instead of castille? my other question is: on your recipe, the first ingredient is listed as a half cup of coconut milk…? i am confused about that. do you mean a half cup of shredded coconut? thank you so much for doing all this research and experimenting for the benefit of ALL!!!!
thank you thank you!!!!
rachel
It was supposed to say shredded coconut. Someone else pointed the error out to me, and I thought I remembered to fix it – but I guess not. Oops! Also, Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap’ll work just fine. Enjoy, lady! You’ll love it.
Hmmm still not fixed though and I’d love to pin it but not sure since it reads wrong.. Can you fix?
Hi! I’m from the Philippines and we love our coconut. We call it the Tree of Life. And it’s just so awesome that we have been blessed with many coconut trees. Here you can ask the ‘niyog’ vendor to grate the fresh white stuff for you. We soak the shavings in warm water. We squeeze the milk out with our own (clean) hands. The first squeeze is called “Kakang Gata” (meaning thick coconut milk). We rehydrate the shavings and the second squeeze is just “Gata”. The thickness of the milk will dictate its use.
We many uses for coconut milk. I use it as an all-around moisturizer. My mother uses it for cooking. We use it to polish the floor and the furniture.
I use Gata on my hair and face overnight then I wash it off in the morning. The reason is that it tends to react with the tropical heat and pollution, leaving a sticky mess. The milk leaves my skin glowing and pimple-free. I learned this from my mom. She is nearing 50 (ssshh!) but does not look a day older than 30! My hair suffered due to coloring and I brought it back to its former shiny, bouncy, wavy self with Gata.
We use Kakang Gata on curries and fish dishes. It’s great on vegetable stew. We also use Kakang Gata to top desserts or even make rice pudding. Yum yum yum!
Any left-over gata is stored in the ref to make Virgin Coconut Oil. A little goes a long way. VCO is my all-over body oil and hair shine serum. It reminds my bf of his favorite rice pudding *wink* I also use it to remove makeup. I mix it with honey and brown sugar for my face-n’-body-scrub.
I also take 2 spoonfuls of VCO or Kakang Gata everyday as a gentle laxative. It helped me loose weight. Mixed with honey, it also helps with my problem with acid reflux.
Nature has provided us with this great gift. And I intend to use it!
Yeah, I’m making y’all jealous on purpose. Har har har! *evil laugh*
Hi,
How much water do you use for your”Kakang Gata” and how much for the second pressing “Gata”?
Also, how do you make your own VCO? I would love a recipe!
Thanks!
I made a batch of this for my castile and shampoo mixture (lathered up VERY NICELY, I might add!) and the coconut oil I got from it is wonderful, but I was wondering why the milk in the photos looks so much more opaque and thicker than what I got? Mine is very much the color/texture/thickness of watered-down skim milk. Any thoughts? Oh, I also used frozen flaked unsweetened coconut, so perhaps the freezer made it so.
Frozen, flaked, unsweetened, and dry… is fresh necessary?
Mine turned out pretty thin looking too. I also couldn’t tell if we were supposed to use the same half cup of coconut over and over, or a new half cup with each cup of hot water. But I used it in my oatmeal this morning, and it was delicious, if a bit more watery than canned coconut milk.
I’ve recently put my entire family on the SCDiet. Homemade coconut milk, however, is something I grew up with – my roots are in the Caribbean. Check my post on how to bust and milk a coconut. So I’ve been making coconut milk almost every day. Two questions:
1. What to do with the coconut flour?
2. Why did my last two batches turn into gloppy gloop after 24 hours? I immediately refrigerated the milk in glass bottles. The only thing I can think of is that the coconuts were not as fresh as the previous ones.
Thanks, enjoyed your blog!
Odddlycrunchy
You can bake with coconut flour! I have never personally baked with it, but have eaten baked goods with it in it. YUM! It is a great alternative to wheat flour, coconut flour has no gluten. found a recipe for pancakes looks delish!
Fluffly Coconut Flour Pancakes
Recipe Notes: Both cow and coconut milk work well in this recipe. You can also add cinnamon or fruit as desired. Just keep the pancakes small and watch them so they don’t burn.
Ingredients
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk (raw cow’s or coconut both work)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey or a pinch of stevia
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
coconut oil or butter for frying
Directions
Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia.
In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated.
Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with butter, coconut oil, honey, syrup, or fruit.
yes!
i made this over the weekend with my husband helping me (which consisted of him repeatedly asking me what the heck we were doing) and it is so delicious!
as a bonus, i used it in place of the yogurt/whole milk needed for the mocha frappuccino mask this morning and my skin feels BABY BOTTOM SOFT.
aisha
Wait, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of coconut milk? I thought that’s what the recipe was for……. or did you mean 1/2 coconut?
Ha! Nice catch. Typo on my end. Apparently I’d just typed “milk” after “coconut” WAY too many times. The recipe calls for 1/2 c. shredded coconut. Editing that puppy out. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
haha no problem. Thanks! I just made the recipe and now it’s chilling in the fridge…so excited to try it!
I found unsweetened shredded coconut in BULK last weekend on a road trip!!!! I was super ecstatic and my non-crunchy friend was less than impressed. LOL The funny thing is I couldn’t remember what I actually wanted it FOR, but I knew I wanted it. I filled a bag and have been trying to recall why for a week now. SOOOO happy I found this blog entry again!!!!!!!! 😉
This is brilliant. I’ve been wanting to find a way to avoid buying cans of coconut milk, can’t wait to give this a try. Thank you for sharing it.
Let me preface this with the simple facts that one, I’m new at crunchy. Two, I’m an idiot. I thought if the bagged coconut would make great milk, imagine how phenomenal a fresh coconut would be….. (again.. idiot). I have cursed a blue streak today and there’s a good possibility my neighbors will have me committed.
I couldn’t crack my coconut. It didn’t have a hull, it had armor. If I could have found my husband’s reciprocating saw and a blade for metal, I would have made short work of it. Instead, it ended up with a massive war between The Big Idiot and The Coconut.
I ended up using a sledgehammer. Let me rephrase… I did not wrap the stupid coconut in a towel first.. I placed it on my back porch and started whacking with a sledgehammer. I missed the first few times. My neighbors saw a fat woman, chasing a coconut with a sledgehammer, and cussing. Once I wrapped it in a towel and took out my frustration.. two whacks, pulverized coconut.
And NOW I can finally make the milk. So folks.. learn from my mistake. Trust CrunchyBetty. If she says it is good and easier this way, it is. Otherwise, your neighbors walk over and ask you if you’ve been drinking your lunch again.
You know what? I did the same thing, lmao. Except I got a young coconut because they’re supposed to taste better. First we spent an hour carving the husk off, and then came the actual coconut. Ugh. Another hour was spent trying to whack that sucker open. Unexpectedly we found the eye with a drill and we were consequently covered in coconut water (yuck). Finally, three hours later, we managed to crack it open (btw, you’ll notice that I kept saying “we” – it was a joint effort with me and my grandmother. At one point, it stopped being a project and we donned war paint and machetes).
Turns out young coconut is too slimy to use to turn into milk, and it doesn’t taste too good either. I threw it in the blender with some yogurt and clay and made a mask. My skin turned out rather nice.
Next time, I will buy bagged, shredded coconut.
Love your comment! Super funny!
Mature brown coconut is called “niyog” in Filipino. Young green coconuts are called “buko”. Shredded (or noodled) young coconut is yummy in a fruit salad.
I ask the vendors in cart to shred or “noodle” the buko so I can drink it with the coconut water. So refreshing when chilled! No sugar – just pure goodness. My mom puts a little sugar on hers, though. I take its as part of a cleanse. I also drink it to rehydrate after boxing.
As a midwife, I recommend it to all women to help prevent UTI. Before resorting to expensive (and harmful!) antibiotics, I recommend it to pregnant women with in the early stages of UTI. This is like a tropical version of your cranberry juice, which we don’t have in our country.
LOL I just ordered a coconut from Fresh Direct. But I watch food network all the time and I know how to open a coconut. First, drill 2 holes in the “eyes” of the coconut and drain out the water. Then pop in the oven at 375º for about 15 minutes. Then the coconut will crack easily. Peel the skin with a veggie peeler and cut up the coconut. I watched Alton Brown make a coconut cake the other day and this is how he got the meat out of the coconut. He made coconut milk (using cows milk), coconut cream, and coconut extract with it.
Amber I have tears running down my face from laughing so hard at this comment. Makes me want to be your best friend…lol
Lol, I can see myself with the hammer. You made my day!
I bought a coconut. I am also a fat woman. This will NOT end well, just like your story. Wish me luck…
How well does this freeze? I’m busy mama and I like to make things in batches and freeze them if I can. I really want to make the shampoo, but I can’t see myself making coconut milk every week so I can wash my hair. I’d be more faithful to it if I could just thaw it out and add the soap…
Coconut milk freezes great. Pour it into an ice cube tray and dump the cubes into a baggie for easy access.
That’s perfect for making iced coconut coffee 🙂
Excellent! I live in/around a lot of woods, so my favorite trick is to go outside and pick a bunch of wine berries to blend in. They’re not quite as sweet as blueberries, so it gives the c. milk a really amazing, slightly tart flavor (just watch out for seeds). The black mulberries are starting to come in to, so they’re my next adventure, and it’s all FREE!!
I’m making coconut milk from my fresh (well, I deshelled it and froze it, so fresh-frozen) coconut right now. My boyfriend’s grating it for me :). I’m going to try making the sorta-poo…and maybe some curry….and a smoothie…or two. Wish me luck!
I made this today and I’m obsessed. I used it as a moisturizer/toner after washing my face by dabbing it on my skin with a cotton ball. It was very moisturizing and not at all greasy. I highly recommend it!
Hey Folks,
I love me some coconut milk. Its fabulous in many ways, fancy little drinks.
Heres a great treat you can make with the cream from the top
Ingredients
Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp (or to taste) of Steviva Blend
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (I use organic, non alcoholic)
dash of organic Cinnamon
Directions
Place coconut milk upside down in refrigerator, preferably overnight. Better if you make a few batches of coconut milk so you ge ta decent yield of the cream.
Scoop just the solid cream portion into a medium size bowl, being careful not to scoop out any of the liquidfied milk. Save the liquid for a smoothie. Add to cream in bowl,
1tbsp stevia blend or sweetner of your choice, Vanilla Extract and dash of Cinnamon. Whisk until smooth.
(its really yummy on cakes and other sweets in place of dairy)
that is Coconut Whipped Cream, sorry I didn’t leave a “title” for the recipe 🙂
I use this recipe too but I have also added an alteration to the cheesecloth straining method. I use a french press for coffee. It works sooo well and is instantaneous. I don’t have to pour and wait for it to strain, pour and wait for for it to strain…you get the picture. I also never burn my hands wringing that last little bit out. 🙂
You are brilliant. THANK YOU.
This is perfect! I don’t buy canned coconut milk any more because of BPA in cans and the extra ingredients in the canned stuff. But I love it. Now, I can make it myself! Thank you Crunchy Betty!
ohh, so good. I just tried this and it is very good. Even my husband loved it. He asked me, “honey could you make me some hot cocoa with this??”. Sure thing. First batch gone before it even cooled. So I made another to cool, and drink later. Only reused the coconut two or three times, because it was looking a little watery for me. Also made the dry shampoo by grinding oats, and the coconut butter deoderant. All in about an hour. Crunchy Girl you are my hero!
Did you also know that if you dry the leftover coconut solids in the oven or a dehydrator or something, and reblend them a little, you have COCONUT FLOUR!!!! Coolness! That stuff is expensive! I only need a few tablespoons for the occasional recipe, so here it is! Yea for Coconut! Yea for Crunchy Betty!!!
Very cool!!! 🙂
I LOVE the taste of fresh coconut… I’ll probably drink it before enough is left for my hair… But won’t coconut milk raise bad cholesterol? I would love to blend it with blueberries but I’m afraid it’s gonna have my LDL levels shooting up. :'(
It’s so late here right now and my eyes are crossing with sleepiness, so I can’t answer as coherently as I would like. Long story short, I’ve read several studies that showed coconut oil actually lowers LDL (and that the composition of the oil is such that, even though it’s a saturated fat, it’s really good for you … as are a few other saturated fats). It’s just important not to eat hydrogenated coconut oil, which, of course, you’re not doing if you’re drinking coconut milk made from water and shredded coconut. 🙂
Try doing a few searches on “coconut oil raised LDL” and “coconut oil cholesterol benefits.” See what you think!
Yeah, found lots of positive info about coconut oil reducing LDL but not much on coconut milk. Unfortunately, though, I started consulting a naturopath/nutritionist the other day and she put me on a Blood Type diet. I’m a Type A and my diet seems very restrictive. It takes out most of the things that I usually crave for, coconut milk and oil being some of them. 🙁 I feel like crying but I’ll give this a try for 3 weeks.
I feel soooo bad for you! You should check out a movie called “Fat Head” thats free on hulu or can watch on netflix, and check out westonaprice.org (nourishing tradtions type diet) and marksdailyapple.com. (primal blueprint which is now what my family eats, and my husband is in a wheelchair and seen great progress with it) Trust what your body craves, our bodies have been evolving this way to help us live longer, Doctors and nutritionists seem to forget that, in lieu of getting paid to say what ever brings in more money (veggie oils, and grain-based food pyramid jump out.)
The “what your body craves is what you body needs” seem to apply well to my hubby but I think I’ll get a heart attack at 45 if I follow my cravings ’cause I used to crave for unhealthy stuff all the time, lol… Like creme brulee’, steak, creme brulee, steak.. that sort of craving. So far, I’ve seen some improvements on my health after the detox and now I’m retuning to normal food but healthier. I guess my body just needed to unclog all the dirty pipes inside ’cause previously it seemed that nothing from what I ate really got absorbed. I’m currently following something similar to the primal blueprint (my nutritionist doesn’t know about this, she thinks I’m still on detox) and so far I’m feeling great! I’m glad it’s working well for your husband, too. 🙂
please please please look at marks daily apple and the primal blueprint it will change your life!
Oh man, and here I thought the secret of life was butter! You are rockin’ my DIY world with this!
This sounds amazing! Any idea how it compares in price to canned?
Canned (or boxed, as it comes so often these days) cannot compare to the frugalness that this is. I SO should’ve done the math here. It might’ve persuaded more people to try.
Here’s some VERY rough math right now: First, a 32-oz carton of SO Delicious coconut milk is around $4 at the store. 32 oz is 4 cups.
The bag of coconut I bought was something like $5 (I see it goes for $7 a pound at Mountain Rose Herbs, so let’s use that instead).
According to a really awesome weight conversion chart that lists out weights of foods to cups, there are 7 cups of shredded coconut in a pound.
That makes each 4-cup batch of coconut milk exactly 50 cents each, if we’re using the $7 a pound price.
And that’s on the HIGH end. If we went by what I paid for my pound, it would be 36 cents per 32 ounces.
A savings of $3.64 cents. Per carton.
CRAZY!
Awesome – thanks!
Yes, that is CRAZY! Since I paid only $4.39/lb @ Whole Foods, my batches will cost even LESS, awesome!!! Plus, the homemade coconut milk doesn’t have all the extra ingredients that the cartons contain, just pure goodness!
“If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain”… I made coconut milk a few days ago and have been singing this ever since. To the point where my husband now has it stuck in his head. hahaha The recipe said to cook it though so I faithfully cooked it and I think that’s what made it turn brownish instead… I need to stop following random recipes like a big dumb sheep. oh well. tastes good in a smoothie! I added banana, strawberries, ground flax, honey, and cinnamon. Oh. My. Land. liquid breakfast of champions.
Hahahaha. I’ll have you know, I read this comment earlier today when I didn’t have time to respond, and I’ve had that darned song stuck in my head ALL EVENING. Thank you very much. Tell your husband I feel his pain.
I can’t imagine why you’d want to cook it, but it’s weird that it turned red. Really weird. Reminds me of the other day when I cut potatoes and had to leave them on the counter for 10 minutes to take care of something urgently. Came back, and they were a dark pinkish red. More than I’ve ever seen potatoes turn. Weirdness.
The worst part is I only know the first three lines… I might have to listen to it on youtube to get closure. The hubby is all excited about me making coconut milk, he’s lactose intolerant and has been using almond milk, so he wants to try this out. It’s nice to get the support when I’m admittedly going a little hogwild trying to live more crunchtastically. He still insists on his old spice body wash. It’s such an overpowering smell. That is a fortress I’m determined to conquer.
My husband’s response to my comment about his body wash was, “Great, now all your hippie friends on here are going to boo me.”
Yes we will, my love, because when men use Old Spice, somewhere butterflies wilt, kittens cry and maple trees lose their will to live.
hahahahahah Magie that is funny! My DH uses old spice too, maybe he would like the ‘poo for his body wash, for Adam it is the bubbles that he needs (with his man pod body puff 😉
Sounds de-lish! I am going to make some asap!
You had me at coconut!!! You.Are.Amazing. Thank you for this awesome recipe, love it & can’t wait to try!
I bet I could get the BF to drink this. He loves milk but he’s lactose intolerant. This might just be the solution I was looking for! Are there any other benefits to making it yourself vs buying it? Is it cheaper (#1 priority for a college kid, of course)?
I have visions of coconut milk & strawberries swirling in my head. Doesn’t that just scream ‘summer’?
It is very, very cheaper. And I’m lactose intolerant, too, so this was, like, just incredible to learn how cheaply I can make it! It’s definitely better when you add in the vanilla extract and a tad bit of honey, too. (My neighbor also said he thought a little sprinkle of nutmeg on top would be divine. And it was.)
Coconut milk, strawberries, honey, and mint.
OH. MY. WORD.
Makes me wonder if your could use it in ice cream? Mmmmm…Like, you could stick the honey.yogurt, coconut milk combo in the freezer, and it would probably come out as a really nice ice cream.
Now I want ice cream… 😉
~Ness
I love my ice cream maker. Add a bit of cream for the fat so the ice cream is creamy and I bet that would be delicious 🙂
Yes! In the Philippines our ice cream is made with equal parts cow’s (or carabao’s milk) and coconut milk.
A lot of us are lactose intolerant so coconut milk is easier on the gut … and on the pocket!
Dairy, by the way, is very expensive in my country. Which is ok for me since we have lots of coconuts.
Also, I try to minimize bovine products since cattle-farming is not exactly sustainable.
Except maybe for your honey, yogurt and coconut dream ice cream. yuuuuummmmm!
What a fabulous idea. I love all things coconut! Totally going to make this into a coconut shake like the ones I used to drink in Thailand.
Lucy Can we have the coconut shake recipe!!!!!! It sounds great!
BATHE!!!! I can’t wait to try this and BATHE in it!!
Um, guess what? (You’ll see the newest post about the shampoo) But it makes the most incredible bubbles when mixed with castille. I haven’t done any real tests to see how long the bubbles actually last, but I mixed up a little bowl full of bubbles with it today and it was HUGE!
I think we may have found a homemade bubble bath that actually works like we expect it to.
You really are just the BEST when it comes to these tips and recipes. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I use coconut milk on my hair so I love the fact that I can make my own!
Ooooooooh! On the latest post about the castille/coconut shampoo, would you mind telling us all how you use it on your hair? I am DYING to know. And it may be a great alternative/addition to the “sorta ‘poo” we have going now.
Can’t wait to hear!
In Asia, coconut milk is common in curries and to make coconut rice. I prefer it as my hair conditioner. Beats the strong smell of apple cider vinegar. I soak the shredded coconut and use a cloth to squeeze the milk (but now i have learnt about losing the ‘oil’ ;)). And simply use the milk to rinse hair, after baking soda or castile soap.Hair. IS. SO. SUPER. SOFT.SHINY. SMOOTH!
Some find it greasy but it wears off in a day. So those with frizzy dry hair, your perfect natural solution is coconut milk! ;D If less conditioning effect is preferred,, you can use the milk from the subsequent processing/ squeesing, as effective, just a little less ‘oily’ ;))
Are you sure the stuff on the top is coconut oil, as opposed to coconut *cream*? (ie, fattier, but not necessarily just oil.)
Just asking! I have no idea, myself. But you get the same kind of creamy “lid” on top with canned coconut milk too.
See, I really super fretted about whether to call it cream or oil. It TASTES like coconut oil … only just a little more creamy. Which maybe makes it cream? I have no idea. I was juts thinking, what is cream but mostly fat? And what is fat but oil? So … yeah.
Whatever you want to call it, it’s uber delicious and so skin-softening, too.
Coconut butter might be a good name…
Are you serious? That’s all there is to it?? I love making Thai curries and I am excited to see how this works!
Glorious! I can’t wait for tomorrow. The recipes I have seen use fresh coconut. Is there any difference between using shredded and fresh coconut (besides the amount of work fresh coconut takes)? Thanks!
From everything I’ve read, nope. There is not much difference between fresh and shredded. I’ve read a few sites saying that shredded/dried coconut retains all of the same goodness that’s in fresh. SUCH a bonus there!