Homemade Coconut Milk & Coconut Cream


Homemade Coconut Milk from scratch ... yes, you can!




بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِارَّحْمَنِ ارَّحِيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

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 I'm all about DIY versions of kitchen staples. And you know with Ramadan coming up soon, I'm prepping and stocking up with things like homemade Nutella, creamy Mediterranean Labneh, feta cheese or even during Eid el Adha we make homemade merguez. Why buy store-bought when you can make it better at home for less?!

And this healthy dairy free alternative to cow's milk is no exception. Homemade coconut milk is a wonderful substitute full of healthy fats and important nutrients. This recipe is simple, yet versatile. Use homemade coconut milk for cooking, baking, drinking, or even culturing! Bonus – Use leftover coconut pulp to make coconut flour for baked goods including 
healthy gluten-free ones. 


Today, I'm giving 2 recipes. One for the type of thinner drinkable version, like the type you find in cartoons. you drink and the fattier, rich thicker type found in cans you can cook.The second is more like coconut cream to me, so I'll be calling it coconut cream.

Here in Algeria, desiccated coconut is widely available in bulk or sold in bags about 80 dinars for a 150g bag. From one bag I made over 2liters of coconut milk plus still have leftover coconut. Compare that to the 1-liter store-bought cartoons that go for more than 450dinars. And added bonus: You can make reuse the coconut after straining to make another "light" batch of milk. A version that's comparable to skim milk.


For this recipe, you'll need something to use to strain the coconut milk. When I first made this milk, (as you can see in the photos)I used a fine mesh strainer. It was very clumsy and I couldn't get all the milk from the coconut. Using a nut bag or another fine mesh material like a clean paint strainer bag,  lingerie laundry bag or even a brand new thick nude stocking are a better options. Alternatively, you could make your own nut bag using these instructions here. 

Optionally, if you are sweetening your coconut milk, I suggest adding a tiny pinch of salt to it, as this brings out the sweetness and keeps the milk fresher longer.


How to Use Coconut Milk

– In any recipes as a dairy free alternative, if you are dairy allergic, vegan, or just plain out of milk.
– In smoothies, like this one.
– Make frozen coconut milk ice cubes and add them to your favorite drinks so they aren't diluted by regular ice cubes.  This is great in coffee or tea.
– Over hot or cold cereal (we love it over my Super Sunnah Suhour Porridge)
How to Use Coconut Cream
– In recipes like Indian or Thai curries.
– In gourmet coffee drinks (suitable for Paleo, Primal, Low Carb and Keto diets)
– In milkshakes or smoothies
– In soups recipes
– For weight gain purposes with underweight children
– In porridge, rice puddings or other cooked grain recipes
– In French toast, clafoutis or bread pudding recipes
– In soups recipes
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One year ago: Date Chai Masala
Two years ago No Rennet Feta Cheese

So let's get started with the recipe.

KITCHEN TIME 🕓 ACTIVE PREP TIME: 3 min |   INACTIVE PREP TIME: 0 min  |  COOK TIME: 5 min  


Homemade 
Coconut Milk &
Coconut Cream 

beverages | yields about 4 cups




FOR DRINKABLE COCONUT MILK

 60g - 1 cup desiccated coconut
‣ 950ml - 4 cups filtered water
‣ vanilla essence (optional)
‣ tiny pinch of salt (optional)
‣ 1-3 tablespoon (to taste) honey, dates or date paste

FOR (COOKING) COCONUT CREAM
 120g - 2 cups desiccated coconut
‣ 950ml - 4 cups filtered water
‣ vanilla essence (optional)
‣ tiny pinch of salt (optional)
‣ 1-3 tablespoon (to taste) honey, dates or date paste

Coconut milk and coconut cream both have the same directions, just the ingredients amounts differ.

1. Grind the coconut in your blender or spice grinder until fairly finely ground. (I prefer doing this step in a coffee grinder. I think you get a better grind in this than in the blender.)

2.Add the coconut to a heavy bottom pot, then pour in the water and the additional ingredients if using. Bring the water gently up to an almost boil. No need to stir, just make sure the liquid doesn't boil over. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will look murky, whitish but not white like a cow milk. Taste and adjust, if you're using a sweetener.

3. Meanwhile, open your straining bag and place it inside a medium sized bowl or pot. Optionally, use clips to make sure the bag stays in place. Once cooled, gently pour the mixture through the bag. Squeeze the out the coconut milk by cinching the bag shut and twisting. Twist until you cannot see anymore liquid coming out.

4. The cooled milk can be transfered to a glass jar or pitcher.
You could optionally play with the 
flavors in this milk, adding dates for sweetness, or some spices like cinnamon or even a chai spice mixtures. Chocolate or even orange zest would be lovely. 

    Storage
    ⇝ This milk can be used right away, stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 3 months. Your coconut milk will separate after being refrigerated (or when thawed after being frozen) — this is normal! Just stir it and it should be ready to use. 

    Variation
    ⇝ Coconut milk and coconut cream both have the same directions, just the ingredient amounts differ.

    ⇝ You can alternatively, use other sweeteners such as Stevia, maple syrup, coconut sugar or even cane sugar.

    Leftovers
     ⇝Leftover coconut pulp can be used to make coconut flour. Use a dehydrator or oven on the lowest setting to dry the pulp. Fluff a few times during the drying process. For a fluffy, light flour, return the dried coconut flour to the blender, coffee grinder or a food processor and pulse to break up the clumps. Use in any recipe that calls for coconut flour. 

    Substitutions
    ⇝ You can use fresh coconut also instead of the dried version. You can find a recipe for that version here.

     CATEGORIES: BREAKFAST, SUHOUR, VEGETARIAN, VEGAN ADAPTABLE, HEALTHY, QUICK AND EASY, beverage, ,homemade, basics, quick and easy



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        A tall glass of this milk would be so well with a few Algerian date cookies or these galettes. 

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