a simple {real food} recipe :: coconut milk

Whether you are on a dairy break, allergic to dairy, or just plain love coconut milk, you are gonna love this cost effective way of bringing this delicious drink to your family every week!

Coconut milk can be expensive, and to be honest, most brands are full of added sugar, and are in containers lined with BPA that leaches into the milk. Native Forest
is the only brand I’ve found that is both BPA free and unsweetened, so it is a great option if you are in a bind and can’t make your own.

I make 2 quarts of coconut milk with this recipe and spend just under $3 🙂 Can’t beat that! And the leftover coconut shreds can be dehydrated and ground up for coconut flour – another great ingredient that can be very pricey but by making your own can save a lot. The left over coconut shreds can also be used in smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods. I love double duty!

We love coconut milk straight out of the glass, in smoothies, in popsicles, over soaked oatmeal – pretty much anything you would use regular milk in. In the winter months the cows don’t make as much milk as the summer, so our milk share is lower and we sub coconut milk weekly. And, as nutritious as regular milk is, we could all use giving our guts a dairy break in the winter. It is a good idea to rotate foods within the same category often – there is a reason God created those cows to make the majority of their milk only part of the year 🙂

Please see the bottom of this post for references on the dangers of processed soy found in other alternative milks like soy milk. Coconut milk is a fantastic, safe, and healthy alternative if you can’t handle dairy. And please use the comment section to ask questions if you have more! I love talking milk!

I compiled my recipe from many different recipes I have found and tried – this is what I have come up with that our taste buds enjoy! Feel free to play around with the stevia and vanilla to your taste – or completely leave out!

Here’s what you’ll need to make 2 quarts:

8 cups hot filtered water

4 cups UNSWEETENED shredded coconut (I get mine in bulk at our local health food store – if you cannot find that, THIS is a great brand too)

2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 packets powdered stevia (optional)

1. Heat the water up and pour the coconut shreds in a large bowl.
2. Pour the hot water over the shredded coconut.
3. Let the mixture “steep” for 2 hours with a towel over the top.
4. Pour the mixture into your blender or food processor and blend for 30 seconds or so. I use my Magic Bullet – nothing fancy here, but it does take about 5 batches. I timed myself the last time I made it and it really only took about 7 minutes start to finish. A BlendTec or Vitamix is on my “someday hopefully” list and would literally take less than a minute I’m sure 🙂 …and I know ya’ll don’t want to sit there and hear me complain about my lack of blender power so I’ll leave it at that 🙂
5. Set a dish towel or mesh strainer over a bowl and strain/squeeze out the milk. Squeeze as much as you can out of it! The coconut left behind can be used later – see below for details.
6. Stir in the vanilla and stevia to your taste.

Kitchen Tips:

1. The “fat” that rises to the top is essentially coconut oil – you can shake it up into the milk! This is actually called coconut cream and can be scooped off whipped into “whip cream” just like regular cow milk cream!
2. I just use a dish towel to strain off the milk, but have used a mesh strainer before too. I hear cheesecloths or coffee filters work, but I had wasting those with just one use, and find I’m always needing something to go faster (not sure why that would be with a 15 month old hanging on my leg or up on my hip, and a 3 year old wanting to read a Max and Ruby book. For the 127^th time today.) 🙂
3. Coconut flour recipe is coming soon! Otherwise save that leftover coconut for adding to smoothies, oatmeal, granola, or baked goods!
4. Read THIS to learn why coconut products are so beneficial!
5. Read THIS and THIS to educate yourself on the dangers of processed soy in alternative dairy products like soy milk.

YOUR TURN!

Let me know how you like the recipe if you haven’t tried it before! How do you use coconut milk? Anyone out there try making coconut milk yogurt before? My attempts have left me with more of a coconut kefir – quite liquidy. Tasty in smoothies but not much a of a “yogurt”.

Come back tomorrow for a super refreshing cucumber watermelon smoothie 🙂

This post was shared at Real Food Freaks Freaky Friday and The Prairie Homestead’s Barn Hop!