Mixers

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the unsweetened liquid pressed from grated mature coconut flesh, with at least 10% fat under the Codex standard. It gives a drink body and coconut flavour while leaving the sugar to you, which separates it from the sweetened cream of coconut. Our Coquito uses a full 400ml tin alongside the sweetened kind.

Quick Facts

ABV0%

Legal categoryFood

OriginSoutheast Asia (traditional coconut processing)

Flavour Strengthlight medium

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeUnopened: to the date on the tin. Opened: two to three days refrigerated.

Storage

Unopened at room temperature. Once opened, we keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within about three days, because it is a fresh product once the tin is breached whatever the tin implies.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Coconut is not one of the 14 listed allergens. A few tinned brands add other ingredients, so check the tin.

The ingredient

About Coconut Milk

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Mild coconutCreamy fat

Tasting Notes

Soft coconut aroma with neutral sweetness and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Acts as a texture enhancer rather than a dominant flavour.

Coconut milk is pressed coconut flesh and water

Grated mature coconut flesh, pressed with water, gives a white, rich liquid. Its thickness depends on how much water is used; the Codex Alimentarius standard for aqueous coconut products grades the result: light coconut milk at 5% fat or more, coconut milk at 10% or more, and coconut cream at 20% or more. None of these grades is sweetened.

The fat grade sets how thick the drink is

Codex grades of coconut milk and cream (CODEX STAN 240-2003, section 3.1.3)

Light coconut milk

Total solids: 6.6 to 12.6%
Fat, minimum: 5%
In a drink: Thin; little body

Coconut milk

Total solids: 12.7 to 25.3%
Fat, minimum: 10%
In a drink: Body without sugar

Coconut cream

Total solids: 25.4 to 37.3%
Fat, minimum: 20%
In a drink: Thick; sets in the tin

Cream of coconut

Total solids: Outside these grades
Fat, minimum: A sweetened product
In a drink: Body and sugar together

Grade	Total solids	Fat, minimum	In a drink
Light coconut milk	6.6 to 12.6%	5%	Thin; little body
Coconut milk	12.7 to 25.3%	10%	Body without sugar
Coconut cream	25.4 to 37.3%	20%	Thick; sets in the tin
Cream of coconut	Outside these grades	A sweetened product	Body and sugar together

The last row causes most coconut mistakes. Cream of coconut takes coconut cream and sweetens it for drinks; swap it for coconut milk and a recipe loses most of its sweetness.

Separation in the tin is normal

Many coconut milk tins carry little emulsifier, so the fat rises and, in a cool kitchen, sets as a firm layer over thin liquid. Stand the tin in hot water for a few minutes and shake or whisk before measuring. Once a tin is opened, we keep it in a lidded container in the fridge and use it within two to three days.

In our Coquito it brings the coconut, not the sugar

The Coquito blends one 400ml tin of coconut milk with 425g of the sweetened kind, two tinned milks, a generous measure of white or lightly aged rum, vanilla and spice. The sweetened tins set the sugar; the coconut milk adds coconut flavour and loosens the batch so it pours from a bottle.

Using it

Using Coconut Milk

Usage

Our Coquito blends a 400ml tin of coconut milk with sweetened cream of coconut, two tinned milks, white rum, vanilla and spice, then chills it overnight. The milk adds coconut and body; the cream of coconut and condensed milk supply the sugar.

Pro Tip

If a batch made with coconut milk separates in the fridge, shake the bottle hard or blend it again before pouring. The fat has risen; nothing has spoiled. Our Coquito asks for a shake before each pour for the same reason.

Top Tips

Buy full-fat. Light coconut milk can have half the fat, and the drink tastes watery.
Shake the tin before opening. The fat rises as it stands and can set on top.
Leave cartons sold as a dairy alternative for the breakfast table. They are thinned for drinking by the glass; check the fat on the label.
We keep leftovers in a lidded container and use them within two to three days.

Possible Substitutions

Light coconut cream (thinner, less fat)

Production Method

Produced by pressing grated coconut flesh with water, then straining to extract a rich, opaque liquid.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is coconut milk?

The liquid made by grating the white flesh of a mature coconut and pressing it with water. It is unsweetened and opaque, and the Codex Alimentarius grades put its fat at 10% or more, with light coconut milk at 5% or more and coconut cream at 20% or more.

How is coconut milk different from coconut cream?

Fat and thickness. Both come from pressed coconut flesh and neither is sweetened, but the Codex grades give coconut cream at least twice the fat of coconut milk, and it sets thick in the tin. In a drink, coconut cream gives more body, while the coconut taste barely changes.

Why does my coconut milk have a solid layer on top?

Because coconut fat turns solid when cold and floats up through the tin. It has not gone off. Warm the tin a little in hot water, then shake or whisk until smooth before measuring, or the first pour will be mostly fat and the last mostly water.

Is coconut milk sweetened?

Tinned coconut milk normally has no sugar; its ingredients are usually coconut and water, sometimes with a stabiliser. Sweetened coconut products for drinks are sold as cream of coconut. Check the label of any brand you have not used, since a sweetened one would unbalance a recipe that expects to add its own sugar.

How long does coconut milk keep once opened?

Two to three days, chilled, in a lidded container rather than the open tin. Unopened, it keeps to the date printed on the tin. Treat a batched drink made with it as fresh too: chill it and serve it within the same short window.

Does coconut milk contain nuts or dairy?

Coconut milk has no dairy, despite the name, and coconut does not appear among the UK's listed tree nuts. A drink built with it may still contain milk from elsewhere: our Coquito adds condensed and evaporated milk. Check any tin's label for added ingredients.

What drinks use coconut milk?

Our Coquito, a Puerto Rican Christmas drink of coconut, rum and spice, uses a full 400ml tin with cream of coconut, condensed milk, evaporated milk, white rum, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Coconut milk also suits blended rum drinks where you want coconut body but plan to set the sweetness with a syrup.

Sources.

Correct as of 19 October 2026.

Codex Alimentarius (FAO and WHO), “Codex Standard for Aqueous Coconut Products: Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream (CODEX STAN 240-2003)” (primary: section 3.1.3 composition table: light coconut milk fat 5.0% min., coconut milk 10.0%, coconut cream 20.0%, cream concentrate 29.0%).

Make something

Made with Coconut Milk

Featured In These Cocktails

Coquito

Often Used With

Updated 19 October 2026

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