Got some extra coconut cream at home and looking to use it before it goes bad? You’ve come to the right place.
These delicious coconut cream recipes are universally nourishing, delicious, and easy to make. Give them a spin – I think you’ll be surprised by how awesome coconut cream is as an ingredient.
How to use coconut cream in recipes
If you’ve ever opened a can of coconut milk and noticed a semi-solid, fatty layer at the very top, that’s coconut cream. It’s delicious, nutritionally dense, and very thick – think like half & half or whipping cream.
(This is one of the reasons it’s actually very easy to make coconut cream at home – because it naturally rises to the top of a can of coconut milk, you can easily skim it off and store it separately.)
Because of this thickness and the coconutty taste inherent to coconut cream, you’ll often see it used as a thickener in sauces and as the base for desserts (particularly ice creams!). The thickness also really distinguishes it from other plant-based milks (and even coconut milk, which is pretty thick by most measures) because it gives it a body that soy milk, almond milk, and others lack. Relatedly, I frequently get asked:
Can I substitute coconut cream for coconut milk?
Generally, yes, on a 1:1 basis. And if you need to make coconut milk, just add three parts water to one part coconut cream – which will give you coconut milk!
More broadly, you can substitute coconut cream for most other plant milks, particularly if you’re worried about your sauce being a little watery. It’ll solve THAT problem very quickly!
Coconut cream storage
Coconut cream is VERY shelf-stable and will last a long time in your pantry. Once you’ve opened the can, generally the best option for coconut cream storage is in an airtight container in the refrigerator – and you should plan to use all the rest within a week or so.
(Ok, fine, in my experience, generally you can extend that to two weeks if you use the sniff test to make sure nothing smells off. As always, your mileage may vary.)
So if you’ve got some coconut cream sitting in your pantry and you want to use it, let’s talk recipes!
7 best coconut cream recipes
Like I mentioned above, coconut cream isn’t just for dessert! (Sure, I’ve led with desserts, because dessert is delicious, and coconut cream in a dessert is even better – but I’ve included several savory recipes further down.)
Check these delicious recipes out, and leave a review on whichever ones you try!
Creamy coconut flan with caramel
Flan is one of my favorite desserts. Its richness and creaminess are just total perfection at the end of a delicious meal.
(And coconut is one of my favorite flavors with it. Just really melds well with caramel.)
This coconut flan recipe is NOT vegan as written, since it has both heavy cream and eggs, but I’ve found that coconut cream is a good substitute for heavy cream (and hey, a little extra coconut taste), and I’ve generally found JustEgg, chia seed eggs, and flax eggs to be a good substitute for chicken eggs.
Give it a try – I think you’ll be thrilled!
Coconut cream frosting (dairy-free)
Four things I love most about this coconut cream frosting recipe:
#1: It’s vegan. My kiddo is allergic to dairy, and I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to pivot when we found out that, although the cake itself was fine, the frosting wasn’t. Not an issue anymore here!
#2: It’s flexible and versatile. This coconut cream frosting can easily be adapted from the “traditional” frosting taste to a cream cheese frosting, a chocolate frosting, and more. All the full details in the recipe writeup.
#3: It stores well. It’s good in the fridge for 2-4 days on its own, and you can also freeze it for up to a couple of months.
#4: It tastes delicious. Obviously!
Strawberry & coconut cream popsicles (dairy-free)
I’m grateful for all the frozen vegan options out there (fruit popsicles, sorbet), ESPECIALLY because I want my child to have something delicious and cold to eat on a hot summer’s day like today.
But I also don’t want him to miss out on the creaminess of ice cream and creamsicles. (Especially because he LOVES popsicles so much.) That’s why I’m so in love with this strawberry and coconut cream popsicle recipe – it means he’ll get that experience too.
Coconut cream pie
Ok, this one probably isn’t shocking to you. Coconut cream’s in the name, so of course this delicious dessert should be on any list of top coconut cream recipes.
Coconut cream pie is a welcome addition to any dessert table, as the sweetness of the coconut is well-balanced by the rest of the pie.
As a bonus, this coconut cream pie recipe is both keto-friendly and dairy-free!
Butternut squash soup (dairy-free)
Butternut squash soup is another old favorite that converts to a dairy-free recipe really easily – just sub in coconut cream for heavy cream! Because coconut cream’s flavor isn’t overpowering, it’s a great dairy-free replacement for heavy cream or milk in other recipes, and it does add a nice subtle coconutty taste. Plus, because of its richness and creaminess, it blends so well with butternut squash to deliver an excellent finish. Highly recommend!
Coconut chicken curry (Keto + Whole30 + dairy-free)
I’m a huge fan of curry in general, especially because it’s a great way to get vegetables in without sacrificing taste. Plus, curry naturally lends itself to dairy-free cooking, since whatever milk (or plant milk) is there mostly to provide body and to temper the spices – which is exactly where coconut cream shines! (Plus, a little subtle coconut taste always complements Indian cooking.) This chicken curry recipe has also been tailored for both the Keto and Whole30 diets, so you check a lot of boxes all at once.
Coconut rice (just four ingredients!)
I love rice because it’s mostly a “set it and forget it”-type recipe. Once it’s on the stove cooking, you can turn to cooking whatever you’re pairing with the rice, and generally they’ll both be finished at about the same time.
Coconut rice is a fantastic elevation over microwave rice – it’s thicker, more nourishing, and more delicious. Once you try it, you’ll save the microwave for genuine emergencies.
(Especially since this coconut rice recipe only has four ingredients!)
What additional recipes would you like to see? Comment below, and I’ll see what I can do!
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