To serve a coconut drink at a birthday party, choose a coconut plant-based drink. For a cream or mousse that needs a thicker texture, choose culinary coconut milk. If a child needs to avoid milk, this distinction alone isn’t enough: check the label on the product you buy and follow the guidance provided by their family.
You’re looking for a coconut-based ingredient for a group celebration, while taking account of each child’s individual requirements. If the party is at school, the French Ministry of National Education says an Individualised Welcome Plan (PAI) can arrange the necessary adjustments.
For a cream, mousse or icing that needs a thick texture, you’re comparing culinary coconut milks rather than choosing a plant-based drink intended to be poured into a glass.
You’re looking for a drink to serve at the party and want to compare the ingredients and sugar content listed for the available products.
Choose this for: serving as a drink or adding liquid to a recipe that doesn’t rely on a thick texture.
Bear in mind: it isn’t a direct substitute for culinary coconut milk in a cream or mousse.
Choose this for: making a dessert whose recipe calls for a more concentrated coconut milk or cream.
Bear in mind: this may not be the right product for filling the children’s glasses.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Milk exclusion | Read the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you buy; ask the family for their guidance and follow the PAI if there is one. The DGCCRF reminds consumers that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted on pre-packed foods. | When a child needs to avoid milk, I want to prepare the party food according to their requirements rather than rely on the word ‘plant-based’ alone. Checking that milk is excluded would be the priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Use in a recipe | Look for the description ‘plant-based drink’ or ‘culinary coconut milk’, then compare the fat content with the amount required by the recipe. | For a birthday cream or mousse, I first look for a product that will give me the texture I’m after. Around 30% of consumers would put this culinary result first. |
| Drinks and sugars | For the drinks you’re considering, compare the ingredients and the ‘sugars’ line in the nutritional information, using the same unit. | If I’m serving coconut drinks in glasses, I want to choose one with its composition in mind. This would be the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
These two categories don’t serve the same purpose: a drink may make a recipe too runny when it calls for a thick texture.
Decide whether you’ll serve the coconut drink in a glass or use it in a cream, then check the category shown on the packaging.
Assurance Maladie distinguishes between lactose intolerance and an allergy to milk proteins. So ‘lactose-free’ does not replace the guidance given for a child with an allergy.
Ask the child’s caregivers what needs to be excluded and check the label on the product you actually buy.
Carrefour’s product information for Carrefour Sensation drink lists rice syrup, for example, while Alpro Coco Sans Sucres is described differently. The word ‘coconut’ alone isn’t enough to tell them apart.
Compare the ingredients and sugar content in the nutritional information for the products you’re considering.
You may have some coconut milk left after making the cake. For its Kara Bio 20 cl product, Auchan says to refrigerate it after opening and use it within three days; this guidance doesn’t automatically apply to other products.
Estimate how much you’ll need for the recipe and read the storage instructions for the pack you choose.
Carrefour’s Coco Sans Sucres product is a plant-based drink in a 1 L carton, not concentrated culinary coconut milk.
Carrefour’s product information describes a Sensation coconut plant-based drink and a Bio culinary coconut milk: your choice depends first on how you plan to use it.
The Kara Bio 20 cl product described by Auchan is coconut milk intended for cooking.
Carrefour’s 85% coconut milk product is available in a 1 L carton as a cooking ingredient.
These Joybuy products are coconut milks or creams for making desserts. If you’re serving a coconut drink at the party, look for a plant-based drink instead. In either case, check the label if a child needs to avoid certain ingredients.
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A coconut cream for desserts that need a rich base. The product description states that it contains 22% fat and comes in a 400 ml pack.
If a child needs to avoid an allergen, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you receive before using it.
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A 200 ml pack to consider for a small recipe using coconut cream. The product description states that it contains 24% fat and 90% coconut extract.
If the dessert is for a child with an allergy, check the label on the product you receive and follow their family’s guidance.
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A 400 ml culinary coconut milk for desserts. The product description states that it contains 68% coconut extract and 17.4 g of fat per 100 ml; it also lists guar gum.
If you’re catering for a party where milk is excluded, read the label on the product you receive before adding it to your recipe.
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A multi-pack to consider if you need several cartons for your desserts. The product description states that it contains 16 to 18% fat and 70% coconut extract.
It lists tree nuts: check the allergen information on the packaging and follow the guidance for each child who’s invited.
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A 200 ml pack of culinary coconut milk for a small recipe. Before choosing this product for a recipe that relies on a specific fat content, check the figure on the packaging.
If a child needs to avoid an allergen, also check the ingredients, allergen information and the family’s guidance.
No. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the product you buy, then follow the guidance provided by the child’s family. Assurance Maladie distinguishes between an allergy to milk proteins and lactose intolerance; ‘plant-based’ or ‘lactose-free’ on the label doesn’t replace this check.
Choose culinary coconut milk or cream if the recipe calls for a thick texture. A coconut plant-based drink is better suited to serving in a glass or using in a runny mixture. Always check the quantities and ingredients specified in the recipe.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging you choose. For its Kara Bio 20 cl product, Auchan says to refrigerate it after opening and use it within three days; don’t apply this guidance to another product.
First ask the child’s caregivers what requirements you need to follow before preparing or serving the party food. In France, the Ministry of National Education says an Individualised Welcome Plan can arrange the necessary adjustments at school.