25 Coconut Milk Recipes for Anytime, Anywhere

Good things come in tin cans. Case in point: sardines, whole tomatoes, beans galore—and coconut milk. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Coconut milk is one sexy, dreamy canned good. It's sweet but not cloyingly so, rich but not heavy. It's cheap! It adds depth to the savory and the sweet, from soup to sweet potatoes to cake. Its creamy, dairy-like qualities make it a vegan's best friend—and it can be your best friend, too.

Here are 25 ways to make friends with coconut milk:

1. Iced Coffee With Avocado (Es Alpukat Kopi Susu)

Creamy coffee without the, well, cream. Start your morning with a one-two punch of coconut (milk, water), and richness (chocolate syrup and avocado–don’t knock it!).

2. Golden Milk Smoothie

Haldi doodh (“turmeric milk”) is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy for colds and coughs. This breakfast-ready version adds banana, nut butter, and coconut milk.

3. Toasted Almond and Coconut Quinoa Porridge

A creamy, rich quinoa porridge to make any morning feel special.

4. Mingau de Tapioca (Nigerian Tapioca Pudding)

Introduced by Portuguese colonists and reappropriated by Afro-Brazillian home cooks, coconut enriches this spiced tapioca pudding—a dessert with a shared history and complicated heritage.

5. Sautéed Spring Mushrooms, Chiles + Cilantro in Caramelized Coconut Broth 

Meet the deeply satisfying coconut soup that stars meaty mushrooms and rice noodles to boot.

6. Butternut Squash & Shrimp Bisque

Come fall soup season, flavors of coconut and dark rum ground this homesick Caribbean author. 

7. Simple Weeknight Vegetarian Green Curry & Noodles

This coconut curry is full of the goods: shallots, scallions, butternut squash, broccoli, and more. Serve it over rice or noodles, and eat in oversized pj's. 

8. Coconut Milk Sweet Potato Mash

Just when you thought the sweet potato couldn't get any creamier. 

9. Vegan Kale and White Bean Korma 

Ten minutes of active cooking time + seasonal veg riffs = this warming, hearty vegan korma.

10. Collard Greens Braised in Coconut Milk

Creamed greens 2.0.

11. Cheap Creamy Chicken Curry 

Weeknight got you down? Coconut chicken curry to the rescue!

12. Lao Isan Beef Satay With Coconut Milk Marinade

More people need to know about this (very weeknight and every protein–friendly) Lao-style marinade. 

13. Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk

These coconutty lentils are from Julia Turshen's*Small Victories*. In the words of Alexandra Stafford, "These lentils come together in about 30 minutes, are deeply satisfying, and could be vegan if you leave out the yogurt." 

14. Thai Chicken Curry and Coconut Rice

Coconut milk stars twice here: first, in Thai coconut red curry; and second, in fluffy coconut rice.

15. Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha)

This tom kha calls in shrimp, lime juice, and lemongrass for an extra-savory coconut milk soup. 

16. Coconuttiest Coconut Cream Pie

Think: coconut cream pie, taken up 10 notches. There's a coconut shortbread crust. There's a coconut cream filling. There's whipped coconut cream. And on top? Coconut crispies! 

17. Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Citrus and Ginger 

This cozy coconut rice pudding is just as happy to be your snack, or your dessert. (Or, you know, your breakfast.)

18. Vegan Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream 

 

A dairy-free, vegan ice cream with the texture of velvet sounds, well, impossible—that's where the magic comes in. 

19. Coconut Whipped Cream

Coconut cream, whipped into a cloud-like topping. Use it to make freshly sliced berries or warm slices of cake extra special—or simply eat it from a spoon. 

20. Coconut Cajeta & Chocolate Fondue 

This fondue made with chocolate and cajeta is almost custard-like, thanks to coconut milk.  

21. Coconut Kaya

Coconut milk gets cooked down into a custardy, caramelly jam.

22. Coconut Tres Leches 

Aargersi writes, "It's rich and milky and coconutty and good. Ask the neighbors." Or the Food52 team, some of whom have had this for breakfast and lunch.

23. Bebinca: Goan Layered Coconut Cake

Coconut on coconut on coconut—with coconut.

24. Ten-Minute Bowl of Bananas in Coconut Milk 

Like your favorite sweater and a big hug, all at once, in a bowl.

25. My Favorite Pina Colada 

This is our co-founder Merrill Stubb's all-time favorite piña colada. She writes, "After a few experiments, I found that a combination of coconut milk and cream of coconut produced the right blend of sweetness and creaminess. A spritz of lime juice and a grating of fresh nutmeg were later additions." Cheers!

This post originally ran July 2015.

What's been your best coconut milk experiment? Tell us in the comments!