Home-made coconut milk

Just like almond milk, there are many ways to make home-made coconut milk: creamy and rich or a light and refreshing drink for sunny days.

However, you shouldn’t expect your coconut milk to turn out like canned, store-bought version: that’s usually stabilized with xanthan gum. I don’t have any problems with xanthan gum, but some people are intolerant and it’s also quite difficult to purchase (at least for me) and to work with. So, if you’re looking for whippable coconut cream, you need to buy it.

This home-made, plant based milk can be used to make smoothies with an exotic twist!

100g desiccated coconut

800 ml water

pinch of salt

sweetener (xylitol, stevia, etc.) to taste

cheese cloth, sieve

blender machine (1000ml volume)

1. At first you need to soak the coconut flakes in about 400ml of water. The consistency of your milk depends on how you do this: for a stronger flavor, use hot, but not boiling water or soak for a long time (overnight) in the fridge. Using hot water also dissolves more fat, so your milk is going to be creamier.
2. Now pour the mixture in the blender, gently rinsing all the coconut flakes with the remainging 400ml of water. Add salt, sweeteners and blend thoroughly for 1-2 minutes.

3. Filter your coconut milk with the sieve and cheesecloth as explained by the almond milk recipe.