Coconut
The anchor of most tropical and tiki drinks, and it arrives in more than one shape. The forms are not interchangeable, and swapping sweetened cream of coconut for plain coconut milk is where most Piña Coladas go wrong.
Quick Facts
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Sweet, nutty, tropical coconut: richer and rounder as cream, lighter as milk, and warmer and deeper once toasted in the pan.
Storage & Handling
Tinned coconut milk and cream of coconut keep unopened in the cupboard; refrigerate and use within days once opened. Flakes keep sealed and dry.
Shelf Life
Opened tins: two to three days, refrigerated. Toasted flakes: best the day you toast them.
Usage
Brought in as cream of coconut for body and sweetness, coconut milk for a lighter texture, coconut rum for a spirituous hit, or toasted flakes as a garnish. Each changes a drink differently.
One Fruit, Several Products
Coconut reaches a bar in several shapes. Pressed flesh gives coconut milk and coconut cream. A sweetened, thickened blend gives cream of coconut, which is what a Piña Colada is built on. Dried flesh becomes flakes for toasting, and coconut-flavoured rum brings the taste and the alcohol together in one pour.
Those forms are not interchangeable, and the common mistake is reaching for plain coconut milk where a recipe means sweet cream of coconut. Milk is thinner and unsweetened; cream of coconut is rich and sugared and made for blending.
Reading a Recipe
The safest habit is to treat the exact words as the specification rather than as a loose description of coconut. A recipe saying cream of coconut and one saying coconut cream are not the same instruction, which is unhelpful and true.
Coconut cream is the thick, unsweetened top layer of pressed coconut. Cream of coconut is the sweetened blend. The half-word between them changes the sugar of the finished drink completely, so it is worth reading twice.
Toasted Flakes
Beyond the liquid, toasted flakes are worth the minute they take. A dry pan over a low heat turns pale flake into something nutty and aromatic, good as a garnish or pressed onto a rim.
They burn quickly and without much warning, so it wants watching rather than leaving. Move them continuously, take the pan off the heat as they colour, and tip them straight out, since a hot pan keeps cooking them after the heat has gone.
Coconut Rum
Coconut rum sits alongside as the spirituous route, and it is sweet enough to shift the balance of whatever it joins. It brings flavour, sugar and alcohol in a single measure.
That means a drink using it needs its sugar and its strength counted rather than treated as a flavouring. Substituting it for coconut cream removes the body and adds alcohol, which moves the drink in two directions at once.
It is also the one coconut product that will keep indefinitely once opened, since it is a spirit. The tinned products are all fresh once breached and want using within days, which is worth planning for before opening three of them.
Top Tips
- Cream of coconut is sweetened and thick; coconut milk is not. They are not interchangeable in a Piña Colada.
- Toast coconut flakes in a dry pan for a garnish with more aroma and a little crunch.
- Coconut rum, such as Malibu, adds coconut and alcohol together: account for its sweetness in the spec.
Possible Substitutions
- Coconut milk plus sugar to approximate cream of coconut, adjusting to taste
- Coconut rum where you want the flavour and the alcohol together
Production Method
Coconut reaches the bar in several forms: the pressed flesh becomes coconut milk and cream, a sweetened blend becomes cream of coconut, the dried flesh becomes flakes, and coconut-flavoured rum is a spirit in its own right.
Common Questions
What is the difference between coconut milk and cream of coconut?
Coconut milk is pressed coconut flesh and water, unsweetened and relatively thin. Cream of coconut is a thick, sweetened blend made for drinks. A Piña Colada needs the sweet cream rather than the milk, and the swap is the usual reason one disappoints.
Is coconut rum the same as coconut cream?
No. Coconut rum is a sweetened coconut-flavoured spirit that brings alcohol as well as flavour, where coconut cream and milk are non-alcoholic. If a recipe uses coconut rum, count both its sugar and its strength in the balance.
How do I get a toasted coconut flavour?
Toast desiccated or flaked coconut in a dry pan over a low heat, moving it constantly until it colours and smells nutty. Tip it straight out, since a hot pan keeps cooking it. Toasting deepens the flavour and adds a crunch raw flake lacks.
Which coconut products keep once opened?
Only the rum, since it is a spirit. Tinned coconut milk and cream of coconut both become fresh products once opened and want decanting, refrigerating and using within a few days. Flakes keep well sealed and dry.
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Often Used With
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits