What is Homemade Coconut Milk?

Homemade coconut milk is a fresh, creamy, and all-natural dairy-free milk made by blending coconut meat with water and straining it to remove solids. Making your own coconut milk from scratch might seem futile. After all, it’s easily available in cans in most stores. However, many brands use added thickeners and stabilisers to give the coconut milk a creamy texture that doesn’t separate, and even organic coconut milk is usually a messy concoction of water and softened pulp that is impossible to mix together. Plus, if you’ve ever tasted fresh coconut milk, you know that the shop-bought stuff is sadly nowhere near.

Don’t get me wrong. When recipes ask for coconut milk I also usually reach for a can. But making your own from scratch, at least once, will give you a different appreciation for its flavour and value. Good coconut milk is hard to come by and when there’s a special occasion, or when you simply want to experience the purity of natural flavour, then making it yourself is your best bet.

If you’re after some inspiration for what to do with your coconut milk, one of the best ways to savour a freshly made batch is to turn it into Tembleque, a traditional Puerto Rican dessert.

The History of Coconut Milk

The origins of coconut milk date back centuries, deeply rooted in Southeast Asian, Indian, and tropical cuisines. Traditional coconut milk was made by hand-grating fresh coconut flesh and squeezing it with water to create a thick, flavorful liquid. This process was passed down through generations and became essential for dishes like creamy coconut curries, tropical desserts, and even drinks. Today, learning how to make homemade coconut milk is a wonderful way to connect with these culinary traditions while enjoying a fresher, more sustainable option.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Homemade Coconut Milk

• Fresh coconut: With only one ingredient (besides water), fresh coconut is essential for that creamy coconut milk. You’ll want a mature coconut for this, which are the brown ones with the hairy husk. Younger green coconuts are mostly used for their water and tender flesh.
• Filtered water: Used to blend the coconut meat and squeeze out the milk.

How to Make Homemade Coconut Milk (Step-by-Step)

Crack Open the Coconut. Hold the coconut over a bowl. Use the back of a sturdy knife (or a rolling pin, though it may leave dents) to knock firmly along the center of the shell, rotating it around the equator until it cracks open. Catch the coconut water in the bowl, strain it, and enjoy as a drink.

Remove the Flesh. Using a blunt butter knife, wedge between the coconut flesh and the shell. Wiggle the knife around the edges to loosen the flesh—it may take a few turns before the pieces pop free. Peel off the brown skin with a vegetable peeler for a cleaner, whiter coconut flesh.

Weigh and Blend. Weigh the coconut flesh, then chop it into smaller pieces. Add the coconut to a blender with 1.5 times its weight in water. Blend until the mixture is fully broken down.

Strain the Milk. Pour the blended mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.

Gather the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze to extract as much milk as possible.

Store and Use. Transfer the milk to a bottle or airtight container and refrigerate. Shake well before use, as the coconut cream and water will naturally separate.

Useful Tips

• Separation of the cream and water is natural—simply shake the bottle before using. In fact, you can also skim off the top layer for your own coconut cream. See the tip further below.
• For more yield, double-blend: After the first extraction, blend the leftover pulp with a smaller amount of water and strain again.
• Use the leftover pulp: Spread out the leftover coconut pulp on a baking tray and dehydrate it in the oven (at 80°C) for around 1-2 hours, or in the sun, until completely dry. Then grind it for your own coconut flour.
• Repurpose the shell: use the leftover shell without the hole as a makeshift bowl. Place it onto a gas hob and turn on the flame to burn off any fibres. Then use some sandpaper to smoothen it all around. Give it a few coatings of flaxseed oil before letting it dry and using the shell as a bowl.
• What kind of coconut should you use? To make coconut milk, you want to use a mature coconut. These are the brown ones with the hairy husk. Younger green coconuts are mostly used for their water and tender flesh.

How to tell if a coconut is ripe or spoiled?

To determine if the coconut you’re about to buy is ripe take the two steps below:

1. shake it – good coconuts will have a sloshing sound, indicating there is still plenty of water inside. If you don’t hear any or only a little liquid, it could mean that it has dried out, which might indicate that the coconut is too old to still be any good.
2. check the eyes – inspect the three “eyes” at the top of the coconut. They should be dry and not mouldy.

Coconut Cream

Turning your coconut milk into coconut cream is easy. Simply pour the milk into a (glass) bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes. The cream and water will separate and you can skim off the cream from the surface. Using a glass bowl makes this easier, because you can see the separation, similar to the glass bottle below.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Naturally vegan
• No preservatives or additives
• Simple and easy to make
• Creamy and versatile

How to Store Homemade Coconut Milk

Pour your homemade coconut milk into an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days. The milk will naturally separate, forming a thick cream layer on top—just shake the container before using.

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Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is a creamy, dairy-free staple loved worldwide for its rich flavor and versatility. Made by blending grated coconut flesh with water, this silky ingredient adds depth to savory curries, soups, and even desserts. Whether you're making a fragrant Indian curry, a velvety soup, or a refreshing smoothie, coconut milk is your go-to for a touch of tropical indulgence. Beyond its taste, it’s packed with healthy fats and nutrients, making it a deliciously nourishing addition to plant-based cooking.

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Active Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Staples

Servings 400 ml

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 large fresh coconut

Instructions

 

• Hold the coconut over a bowl and use the back of a sturdy knife (or a rolling pin, but it might leave dents) to knock firmly on the centre of the shell, going around the equator until it cracks open and catching the water in the bowl (you can strain and drink it).
• With a blunt butter knife, pierce between the flesh and shell and wiggle the knife around the flesh to loosen it (it might take a few turns before it pops loose), then peel off the brown skin.
• Weigh the flesh, then roughly chop it and blend along with 1.5x the weight in water until completely broken down. Strain through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much milk as you can. Store in a bottle or an airtight container in the fridge until needed. The coconut cream and water will naturally separate after a few minutes, so just give it a shake before using.

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Notes

Storage: You can store the milk for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Leftover Tip #1: Spread out the leftover coconut pulp on a baking tray and dehydrate it in the oven (at 80°C) for around 1-2 hours, or in the sun, until completely dry. Then grind it for your own coconut flour.

Leftover Tip #2: You can use the leftover shell without the hole as a makeshift bowl. Place it onto a gas hob and turn on the flame to burn off any fibres. Then use some sandpaper to smoothen it all around. Give it a few coatings of flaxseed oil before letting it dry and using the shell as a bowl.

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