Welcome to my blog, and welcome to my FIRST post – homemade coconut milk! I thought I would kick things off with a simple recipe that is essential in my pantry. When I decided to give up eating and drinking dairy several years ago, the options for conventional nut-milks were pretty slim. The only choices I had were tasteless, chalky, and frankly not tasty. Things have come a long way, and there are lots of choices, many of them quite tasty.
In my new health reality – I’d rather not call it a disease – I’ve been more vigilant about reading ingredients on packaged foods, including commercially produced nut-milks. Some nut-milk have quite a bit of added sugar. Additionally, many commercial nut-milks will incorporate stabilizers to prevent separation and emulsifiers to enhance creamy mouth feel. Hmmmm – I’m beginning to know why these products taste so good.
If you have the opportunity to eliminate sugar and stablizers/emulsifiers, and create homemade plant-based milks that are tastier than any store bought version in 10 minutes or less, why wouldn’t you?
There are a many versions of this recipe on the internet. I consider myself a veteran at making coconut milk below is the method that works for me every time.
HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MILK (vegan, paleo, aip)
No need to buy pre-made coconut milk. Homemade coconut milk requires 2 ingredients, just a few minutes, and you will be rewarded with deliciousness.
Ingredients
2 cups coconut, flaked or shredded
4 cups filtered water
pinch sea salt
Instructions
warm the filtered water (lukewarm, not boiling).
place coconut, warm water and salt in blender container. allow mixture to steep for 5 minutes.;
blend at high speed until mixture turns “milky” (~20 seconds for a high speed blender)
strain through nut bag into large bowl. let cool.
transfer to glass container. enjoy at room temp or refrigerate and enjoy cold!
Notes
- Water temperature: I’ve seen directions where you boil the water. IMHO, totally unnecessary. In fact, the hot liquid makes it difficult (can we say ouch) to squeeze the liquid from the nut bag.
- Type of dried coconut used: Flaked vs shredded – it does not matter. As long as you give the dried coconut time to “steep” in the water, everything will get pulverized in the blender. It all turns out the same.
- Salt: Most recipes don’t call for this. I add a small pinch of sea salt. It brings out the sweetness of the milk.
- Separation: You will see natural separation when this coconut milk sits (hello, no stabilizers here). Just shake up the product, and you’re good to go.
- Flavorings: I keep my recipe simple so I don’t do this. If you want to add flavorings like a little vanilla or almond extract, please taste before you add right before you refrigerate. I really believe less is more for this recipe.
- Thick and creamy: If you’re looking for a thicker consistency, like a creamer for your coffee, reduce the water to 3 cups.
