Anyone making a creamy dish
For a curry, sauce, soup or dessert, check whether the recipe calls for coconut milk or cream for cooking. A plant-based coconut drink won’t necessarily give you the same texture.
Who are these options for?
Anyone serving a coconut drink
For drinking, adding to coffee or making a lighter recipe, compare plant-based coconut drinks, particularly their sugar content and ingredients, rather than choosing coconut milk for cooking based on its name alone.
Anyone doing their shopping in advance
Before New Year’s Eve, check how the product should be stored before opening, its best-before date and how long it can be kept once opened. This varies from one product to another.
What should you look for when shopping for New Year’s Eve?
First decide whether you’ll serve the coconut as a drink or use it in a recipe that needs a creamy texture. Then choose the right size and check the storage instructions for the product you’ve picked.
Plant-based coconut drink
Choose it for: serving as a drink, adding to coffee or making a lighter recipe.
Bear in mind: it won’t necessarily give a sauce or curry the creamy texture you’d expect from coconut milk for cooking.
Coconut milk or cream for cooking
Choose it for: a sauce, curry or dessert where the recipe calls for a creamy texture.
Bear in mind: fat content, pack size and how long it keeps once opened vary from one product to another.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Texture for cooking | The product name, coconut content and fat content, using the units shown on the label. | If I want my sauce or dessert to be creamy, a coconut drink may not give me the result I’m looking for. This would be a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Drink to serve | The suggested use, sugars, fat content and ingredients list. | If I’m serving coconut as a drink or adding it to coffee, I’d choose a drink rather than a creamy cooking ingredient. Around 29% of consumers might put this use first. |
| Storage and pack size | Storage instructions before opening, the best-before date, pack size and how long it keeps once opened. | If I’m buying before New Year’s Eve, I want to be able to keep the product until the meal and use any leftovers according to the instructions. Storage would be the main priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Specific ingredients or claims | Organic certification if that matters to you, declared sugars and ingredients. These are separate from the coconut content. | If I’m looking for an organic or sugar-free option, I check for that specifically rather than assuming it tells me anything about the product’s texture. Around 14% of consumers might make this their main criterion. |
Common mistakes to avoid
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Using a coconut drink as if it were coconut milk for cooking
A plant-based drink and coconut milk intended for cooking can produce different textures in a curry or dessert.
Start with how you plan to use it, then compare the product name, coconut content and fat content, taking the units shown into account.
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Assuming UHT means you don’t need to check the date
UHT processing alone doesn’t tell you whether the pack you’ve bought will be suitable for the date of your meal.
Check the best-before date, make sure the packaging is intact and follow the product’s storage instructions before opening.
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Buying a large pack without planning what to do with the leftovers
Instructions for use after opening vary: the product information we reviewed recommends keeping them in the fridge for anything from 24 hours to five days, depending on the product.
Choose a pack size that suits your planned recipes and follow the instructions on the packaging you open.
Any leftovers not used within the stated time may need to be thrown away.
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Assuming organic or sugar-free means more concentrated
An organic or sugar-free coconut drink is still a drink if its ingredients and intended use don’t match the coconut milk for cooking required by the recipe.
Check organic claims, nutritional information, ingredients and coconut content separately.
Brands worth knowing
Alpro
Alpro’s coconut drinks in cartons are suitable for drinking and lighter recipes, depending on the variety you choose.
- The Auchan product listing for the unsweetened coconut version states that it contains 0 g of sugars and 1,2 g of fat per 100 ml.
- The coconut and rice drink sold by Carrefour contains 8,6 % coconut milk and 3,3 % rice, so don’t choose it expecting a concentrated cooking ingredient.
Auchan
Auchan offers coconut drinks in cartons, including a variety described as UHT-sterilised and an organic, unsweetened variety that is also UHT-treated.
- The coconut drink’s product listing recommends storing it below +18 °C before opening.
- These are coconut-based drinks. Check the ingredients of each variety if your recipe calls for coconut milk for cooking.
Carrefour
Carrefour’s 200 ml coconut milk for cooking is a handy small pack for recipes.
- Its product listing states that it contains 76 % coconut extract and 18 g of fat per 100 g.
- If you’re buying it in advance, check the packaging for storage instructions before and after opening.
Kara
Kara’s 1 L UHT coconut milk for cooking is suitable for a range of recipes that call for creamy coconut milk.
- The Joybuy product listing for this item states that it contains 90 % coconut extract and 17 % fat, and comes in aseptic packaging.
- For this 1 L pack, the product listing says to refrigerate it after opening and use within three to four days.
Vietcoco
Vietcoco’s 400 ml sterilised coconut milk for cooking is a mid-sized pack for recipes.
- The Joybuy product listing for this item states that it contains 85 % coconut extract and 17 % to 19 % fat.
- It says to refrigerate the product after opening and use within 24 hours.
Coconut milk and cream for cooking on Joybuy
These coconut milks and creams are intended for cooking this New Year’s Eve, in sizes ranging from 200 ml to 1 L. Choose according to the quantity you need and, if you’re buying in advance, check the best-before date on the packaging you receive. These products are not coconut drinks to serve as they are.
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Kara Organic, UHT coconut cream 24 %, 200 ml
A 200 ml pack to consider for a small recipe that calls for coconut cream. The product name states that it is UHT-treated and contains 24 % fat. Once opened, refrigerate and use within three to four days, according to the instructions for this product.
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Vietcoco, coconut cream 20–22 %, 400 ml
A 400 ml pack for a recipe that calls for coconut cream. The product name states that it contains 20 to 22 % fat. Plan to use it within 24 hours of opening and keep it in the fridge.
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Kara Organic, UHT coconut milk 17 %, 200 ml
The 200 ml pack is a good choice if your recipe calls for a small amount of coconut milk for cooking. The product name states that it is UHT-treated and contains 17 % fat. Once opened, refrigerate and use within three to four days. If organic certification matters to you, check the packaging rather than assuming it from the name.
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Vietcoco, coconut milk 17–19 %, 1 L
The 1 L pack may suit you if several recipes call for coconut milk for cooking. The product name states that it contains 17 to 19 % fat. Once opened, refrigerate this pack and use within five days, according to the instructions.
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VDS Creamy Coconut Milk 17 %, 1 L
This 1 L pack is worth considering when several recipes call for coconut milk for cooking. The product name states that it contains 17 % fat. Once opened, refrigerate and use within three days, according to the instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use a coconut drink instead of coconut milk in a curry?
It depends on the result you’re looking for: a plant-based coconut drink may make the sauce thinner than coconut milk for cooking. If the recipe needs a creamy texture, compare the product names and ingredients before swapping one for the other.
How can you tell if the product will keep until New Year’s Eve?
Check the best-before date and storage instructions before opening on the packaging, including whether it says UHT or sterilised, if that information is given for the product you’ve chosen. Also make sure the packaging is intact and follow the storage instructions.
How long can you keep coconut milk after opening?
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve opened; don’t assume they’re the same as for another product. The Joybuy product listings for Kara’s 1 L coconut milk and Vietcoco’s 400 ml milk say to refrigerate them after opening and use them within three to four days and 24 hours respectively.
Does a ‘sugar-free’ claim mean the product has a creamy texture?
No. On its own, it tells you nothing about whether the texture is right for your recipe. The unsweetened Alpro coconut version sold by Auchan is a plant-based drink. For a creamy sauce or dessert, check the product name, coconut content and fat content separately.