Homemade Coconut Cream

Coconut is a versatile fruit that can be used to produce many dairy-free and gluten-free cooking ingredients, including flour, butter, oil, milk, and cream. All of these—including coconut cream—are readily available in stores, but making coconut cream from scratch is a fun and rewarding experience that delivers a fresh and natural-tasting product.

The Difference Between Coconut Water, Coconut Milk, and Coconut Cream

It may be helpful to clear up any confusion about the three different liquid coconut products. Coconut water is a naturally-occurring clear liquid in the center of the coconut. It’s a refreshing and hydrating beverage on its own, and can also be incorporated into cocktails, smoothies, and salad dressings.

Coconut milk and coconut cream are both made by blending the flesh of the mature coconut with water, the difference between them being the ratio of flesh to water. Coconut cream has a higher ratio of coconut to water, resulting in a higher fat content and a creamier, thicker texture.

How to Use Coconut Cream

With its high fat content, coconut cream is an excellent dairy-free alternative to heavy cream, and is a popular ingredient in many savory dishes such as soups and curries, or in smoothies and desserts. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Southern Coconut Poke Cake
• Vegan Whipped Cream
• South Indian-Style Chicken Curry
• Thai Beef Coconut Curry

How to Choose and Store Fresh Coconuts

To make coconut cream, start by selecting the right coconuts. In general, stores that specialize in international foods with diverse tropical produce have a better selection and more competitive prices than the average supermarket.

For coconut cream, mature brown coconuts are better than young green ones, as they contain a larger quantity of developed flesh. Look for coconuts that are well hydrated, a good indicator of freshness. Generally speaking, a heavier coconut contains more water, and ideally you should also be able to hear the sound of water sloshing around inside if you shake it. Also check the three “eyes,” which are round indentations at the top of the coconut. These should not be moldy or soft.

You can keep a fresh whole coconut for up to a week at room temperature, or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Once a coconut has been cracked open, it must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days, or in an airtight container in the freezer for long-term storage.

How to Crack Open a Coconut

Cracking a coconut may seem daunting, but with a bit of patience and practice it can be done easily. First, find the softest eye on the coconut and create a hole with a metal skewer or corkscrew. Puncturing a second hole will allow easier drainage. Drain out all the coconut water, and retain it for other purposes.

Next, strike the coconut several times with a hammer or the blunt side of a heavy kitchen knife such as a cleaver, hitting carefully but quite hard around the middle or “equator” of the coconut. It may take 10-20 strikes to split the shell in half.

You can also skip the draining step if desired and simply crack the coconut over a bowl to collect the coconut water.

How to Separate Coconut Meat From the Shell

Remove the white flesh from the coconut halves by inserting a butter knife between the flesh and the shell. If the flesh is difficult to remove, use a paring knife to carefully cut the flesh into pieces, making it easier to remove.

Placing the whole coconut in an oven at 375 F for 15 to 20 minutes can expedite the removal of the flesh, but bear in mind that overheating a coconut may change its flavor and texture slightly. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the exterior brown skin layer from the coconut flesh.

As an alternative to using it for coconut cream, raw coconut flesh can be a great snack, or it can be shredded, dehydrated, toasted, and used in various desserts.

How to Make Coconut Cream Using a Juicer

If you have a juicer, making coconut cream is even simpler and easier, eliminating both the addition of water and the separation process. The juicer will turn pieces of coconut flesh directly into coconut cream, leaving behind a dry pulp. The cream can be strained and refrigerated until use, and the remaining pulp can be further dried for other uses.

How to Use the Leftover Coconut Pulp

Coconut pulp can be added to smoothies or dried and used instead of bread crumbs for dredging (especially for baked fish), or as flour in macaroons, cookies, and crackers. When substituting coconut pulp for flour in baked goods, start by swapping no more than one-third of the flour for the coconut pulp for best results.