Homemade Coconut Milk

By Shelly Rose  , , , , , , ,

March 18, 2017

Once you see how incredibly easy it is to make your own homemade coconut milk, you may never go back to the store-bought boxed milks again! The fresh, bright milk that comes out of this is impressive to me every time. The pre-packaged milks on the shelves are mostly water and have unnecessary, added ingredients like carrageenan, sugar, natural flavors, and others to make them last longer on the shelf.

All you really need is shredded coconut (usually found in the bulk bin section) and water. That's it. The nutrient density is higher and the flavor is richer. So as long as you keep coconut on hand in your pantry, you always have a simple, homemade coconut milk 5 minutes away.

  • Prep: 5 mins

Ingredients

1 cup water

1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

optional, 1 pitted medjool date

Directions

1Heat the water until it's hot, but not boiling.

2Add hot water and coconut to the blender and blend on high for a few minutes, until it turns bright white and creamy.

3Run the milk through a fine mesh strainer to separate any leftover pulp. Discard or compost the pulp. If you'd like an even smoother milk, run the freshly blended milk through a cheese cloth after you strain it.

Variations:

Flavoring: You can add a 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like vanilla-flavored milk.

Sweetener: Feel free to make it unsweetened, or use medjool dates, raw honey, or maple syrup to sweeten.

Storage: If you make a larger batch for the week, store in an air tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Consistency: Add more or less water to obtain the consistency you prefer. General ratio is 1/2 cup coconut to 1 cup water.

Want to make other super easy homemade nut milks?

Check out this Homemade Nut Butter Milk recipe or  this Homemade Almond, Cashew, or Pistachio Milk recipe.

 

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