How to make Coconut Milk from scratch

The easiest and cheapest way on how to make your own homemade coconut milk from desiccated coconuts. You will be left with additional coconut shreds you can use for breakfast, plus a beautiful coconut cups to serve food into.

In this post, you will learn how easy and simple it is to make your own, homemade coconut milk you have been craving for a long time. No more bought boxed ones from the supermarket. You have no idea what is inside, you have no idea when it was made. So all of the nutritions are almost gone forever.

Delicious Keto Shortbread Cookies will be a great addition to this recipe.

With our tips and instructions, you can have the freshest coconut milk you can imagine.

Coconut Milk Nutrition Facts:

The coconut milk made at home is far the richest in vitamins, nutrition, and food enzmes.

It is high in calories, mostly because of fat it contains.

But it also is rich in fiber so much needed in our lifestyle. Together with great ammount of iron, magnesium and selenium, this just adds to the perfect option we have available.

And it is really easy and quick at the same time to make.

What coconuts to use for making a coconut milk?

In this recipe instructions, I have gone with desiccated coconuts. The reason is, that living in Europe, we do not really have palm trees available around the house.

All I can get is coconuts from the shop. And the choices are either those desiccated coconuts, which has got lots of coconut meat from inside. Second choice is fresh coconuts, which has hardly any layers, but lots of coconut water to drink.

With Fresh coconuts, I would probably need about 50 pieces to make a cup of coconut milk. So this is out of the way.

How expensive it is to make coconut milk at home?

Another reason for making your own milk at home is the price.

Any ready made coconut products are not the cheapest option. But to buy an actual coconut is one of the best and cheapest.

In the vegetable market here in Vienna, one coconut was 1 Euro. You really need 2 pieces to make one liter of perfectly fresh coconut milk. And you would still be left with coconut pulp to make for example coconut shreds or flour out of it.

From only 2 coconuts you can get:

• Coconut Milk
• Shreds and Coconut chips for Breakfast
• Bowls or Coconut Cups for serving

Do you need more convincing?

Is coconut milk dairy free?

Even though the name MILK might confuse you, coconut milk is completely dairy–free. Because it is made from fresh coconut meat it is plant-based.

It also is lactose free, dairy free, vegan, gluten-free and grain-free.

How to make coconut milk?

In this section, you will learn how to make homemade coconut milk completely from scratch with desiccated coconuts.

What do you need to make coconut milk?

• 2 coconuts
• Hand Grater
• Stand Mixer
• Water
• Mesh strainer
• Muslin cloth

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

Steps to make Coconut Milk from scratch:

Step One: Break the coconuts:

With a hammer or heavy meat tenderizer, hit heavily through the imaginary line in the middle of coconut, turning it slowly until the coconut starts cracking. If you would like to use the coconut shells for later as a coconut cups for serving, try to make it precisely in the middle.

If you want an easy option and do not care about the coconut cups, bowls or shelves just hit the coconut on few sports until it starts cracking.

Open the coconut and drain the water.

Step Two: Cut the meat:

With a sharp knife, cut through the coconut meat diagonally and vertically to help with removing the meat from the coconut shelves.

Step Three: Peel out the meat:

With the help of a knife try to release the coconut meat first from the side of the cups, pulling outwards. The most difficult is the first part and then the rest is pretty easy to pull.

Step Four: Clean the meat:

Again with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, clean the brown layer of the coconut meat thoroughly all over. Wash the coconut if needed, so you re left with beautiful white only coconut pieces.

Step Five: Grate the coconut:

With hand grater, grate the coconut into shreds. Using the smaller holes, you will get the perfect shreds for milk making.

If you would like to make a huge batch of coconut shreds, from more coconuts, you can grat the met in a magic bullet, Vitamix or Blender for easier handling.

Step Six: Make homemade milk:

If you would like to make milk with already bought coconut flakes or shreds, skip all of the previous steps and start here.

Into a stand mixer or blender, add 2 cups of coconut shreds and 1 liter (4 cups) of room temperature water.

By using 2 cups of shredded coconuts, you will get perfectly creamy coconut milk, which could be used for ice cream or as a breakfast with your morning Low Carb Granola. If you would like a much thinner consistency, one cup of shreds will be ok as well.

Step Seven: Strain the milk:

Strain the milk through a muslin cloth, milk bag or cheesecloth squeezing all of the liquid possible. straining the milk in batches, all of the shreds set aside but do not throw them. Here is the recipe on How to Make Shredded Coconut from Scratch.

They can be used for various recipes. I normally place them straight onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and dry it on low for perfect crispiness. You can add them for example to this no-bake base of Wild Blueberries Keto Cheesecake. The base is out of this world.

Can you make coconut milk from store bought coconut shreds?

You certainly can. In that case, skip steps 1-5 and jump straight into a step 6. With the case of coconut shreds from the shop, use boiling water for dried shreds to soften.

How long can you store homemade Coconut milk for?

Because homemade coconut milk does not contain any preservatives or additional ingredients, it, of course, would not stay fresh as long as storebought coconut milk.

Keeping it in the refrigerator is perfect for up to 4 days. If you will not have time to consume the milk within 3-4 days, I would suggest freezing it.

Can you Freeze Coconut Milk?

As already mentioned, you can freeze homemade coconut milk. It is, of course, the best to only make amount enough you can consume within 3-4 days, but if you have more left it is no problem placing it into the freezer.

Just bear in mind, that after unfreezing the coconut milk, it might become a bit separated. All you have to do is shake it before use and you are ready to go.

To freeze it, just simply place it into the mason jars and straight into the freezer. Try to use before 3 month time.

Or if you would like to use it straight, have a look at our Keto Coconut Ice Cream Recipes, where I have used fresh homemade milk.

Coconut milk is a perfect addition to meals such as this Lamb Curry With Coconut Milk.

Quick printable recipe card for you.

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