Homemade Coconut Cream

By
Omid Roustaei
Headshot of Omid Roustaei in kitchen wearing a striped apron
Omid Roustaei
Omid Roustaei is an Iranian-American psychotherapist, recipe developer and culinary instructor, who is passionate about healthy and improvisational cooking, often incorporating Persian influences.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/19/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Homemade Coconut Cream

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Steep/Cool Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
96 Calories
10g Fat
1g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 96
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 33mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Coconut is an extremely versatile food. It can be turned into flour, milk, oil, butter, or cream, and you can drink the water or simply eat the coconut as is. It can be purchased fresh, shredded in packages or cans, sweetened or unsweetened, and is used in both sweet and savory dishes.

One ingredient that can be made from coconut is coconut cream. As its name applies, coconut cream is a thick and creamy substance. Made by steeping shredded coconut in hot coconut water that is combined with cream or milk, it's used as a thickening agent for soups, curries, smoothies, or desserts. Coconut cream is available in cans in the supermarket (usually in the international foods aisle), but it is actually easy to make your own at home using freshly grated coconut.

0:47

Click Play to See This Homemade Coconut Cream Recipe Come Together

“A good excuse to crack open your own coconut and get a fresher flavor than something from a store-bought coffee creamer. I used it for my own iced lattes for a nice summer treat. If you save the leftover flakes you can bake them and use them as a garnish for desserts or a snack.” — Noah Velush-Rogers

Homemade Coconut Cream/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 ounces grated coconut (from 1 shelled coconut), water reserved

  • Heavy cream or whole milk, as needed (enough so when added to reserved coconut water it measures 1 quart)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. 

    Homemade coconut cream ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Pour the reserved coconut water into a measuring cup, and then add enough cream to make 1 quart of liquid.

    coconut water and milk in a measuring cup

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Place the grated coconut in a heavy saucepan and cover with the coconut water-cream mixture.

    Add coconut and coconut cream to saucepan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cover the saucepan and remove from the heat. Let steep until the mixture is room temperature, about 2 hours.

    Bring coconut mixture to boil

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Place a sieve or strainer over a large bowl. Line it with a double layer of damp cheesecloth.

    Line strainer with cheesecloth

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Pour the soaked coconut with its liquid into the lined strainer.

    Pour coconut mixture into strainer

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Lift the cheesecloth, pull the edges together, and squeeze out the coconut cream into the bowl.

    Squeeze coconut cream into bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  8. Cover and refrigerate the coconut cream and use within 5 days. 

    Homemade Coconut Cream in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • After squeezing out the liquid, the remaining coconut flesh can be air-dried and/or toasted for other uses.
  • If you can't find or don't want to use a fresh coconut, you can make coconut cream from canned or packaged unsweetened flaked coconut. Substitute 12 ounces of flaked coconut for the fresh coconut and use 1 quart of cream or milk. Proceed as directed.

How to Open a Fresh Coconut

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place a folded towel in the bottom of a large bowl and set the coconut on top of it. Turn the coconut so the end with the three "eyes" is facing up. Use a screwdriver and meat mallet and hammer holes into 2 of the eyes.
  2. Turn the coconut upside down over a clean container to drain the water. Store the water, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  3. Place the coconut on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. The coconut should have cracks in several places. Using a dull-bladed knife like a putty knife or oyster knife, separate the hard shell from the brown husk. Peel the brown husk from the coconut meat with a serrated vegetable peeler. Rinse the coconut meat under cool water and pat dry.
  4. Grate the coconut pieces in a food processor or by hand. Refrigerate any unused grated fresh coconut in a covered container for 2 days. For longer storage, squeeze out any liquid from the grated coconut and place it in a covered container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Make sure to leave a little headspace in the container to allow for expansion of the coconut.

What's the Difference Between Coconut Cream, Milk, and Water?

Although they can be used together in some recipes, there is a difference between coconut milk, coconut water, and coconut cream. The easiest way to distinguish each is to simply focus on the word after "coconut," and keep in mind how we use cream, milk, and water in general. So if the recipe calls for milk, you know you can substitute coconut milk, but not cream or water. Another product that can add to the confusion is cream of coconut; this is a sweetened version of coconut cream and is used in desserts and cocktails.