Coconut Milk from Coconut Flakes

Using coconut flakes you can make your own coconut milk!

This will not be like the coconut milk you can buy in the stores. It’s thinner than canned coconut milk, and the fat rises to the top when cold, unlike the coconut milk sold for using as a dairy replacement (like the So Delicious Brand coconut milk). It has a light coconut flavor and is also great for using to drizzle in tea, use in smoothies, add to soups (though it won’t add quite the same creaminess) and used to make hot cocoa.

Once again, I use a higher ratio of coconut flakes to water to make a richer coconut milk. But you can certainly water it down to make it go further, and you can also make a weaker second batch of coconut milk by reusing the coconut flakes one more time.

One last tip, make sure you do not use coconut flakes that have been de-fatted or partially de-fatted (the packages will often say “low fat”). This type of coconut flake will have a lot of the goodness taken out and won’t make a good coconut milk.

Coconut Milk from Coconut Flakes

2 cups of coconut flakes, unsweetened and fine
4 cups of boiling water

Place four cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the coconut flakes and cover. Let sit for 1 to 4 hours. Blend in two batches in a blender (or one, if you have an extra large blender) for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve (pressing down on the coconut mixture to release all of the milk) or through cheesecloth or a nut bag (squeezing to release all of the milk). Keep refrigerated