For your first curry, sauce or dessert, look for culinary coconut milk. For drinking or serving with cereal, choose a coconut plant-based drink instead. If you avoid dairy, check the ingredients and allergens of the product you buy: ‘lactose-free’ does not mean ‘dairy-free’. Then compare the coconut content, fat content, pack size and storage instructions after opening to find the right option for how you plan to use it.
A ‘lactose-free’ label isn’t enough to show that a product is dairy-free: Carrefour’s listing for Candia+ lactose-free milk includes milk among its ingredients. Check the label on the product you buy; in France, the DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted.
For a curry, sauce or dessert, distinguish culinary coconut milk from a drink. Listings from Auchan and Carrefour show that culinary products can have different declared proportions of coconut extract. Pack size and storage instructions after opening also matter when you’re making a one-off recipe.
If you want something to drink or serve with cereal, look at plant-based drinks rather than culinary coconut milk. Carrefour’s listing for Alpro’s 1 L carton drink mentions added calcium and vitamins B12 and D2. Check the ingredients of the product you choose, and don’t confuse it with a concentrated cooking ingredient.
When you’re doing your first shop, decide whether you need a cooking ingredient or a drink, then check the ingredients and pack size of the product that suits your needs.
Choose it for: a curry, sauce or dessert where you want the coconut flavour to stand out.
Worth considering: a high proportion of coconut extract doesn’t tell you everything about a product. Compare the fat content too, and think about how much you’ll need.
Choose it for: a recipe where you’d like to compare products with lower fat content.
Worth considering: recipes vary. Carrefour’s listing for Suzi Wan Light coconut milk states 22% coconut extract, compared with 85% for the Real Thai product listed on Carrefour.
Choose it for: drinking or pouring over cereal.
Worth considering: don’t assume it will give you the same result in a sauce as culinary coconut milk.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy-free | The ingredients list and highlighted allergens on the pack you buy. Don’t rely on a ‘lactose-free’ label alone. | If I need to avoid dairy, I want to know what’s actually in the product, even when it’s labelled ‘lactose-free’. Around 40% of consumers put this check at the top of their list. |
| Cooking use | The stated use, percentage of coconut extract and fat content, comparing figures expressed on the same basis. | For my first curry or dessert, I’m looking for a product suited to the result I want, rather than a drink to pour into the recipe. This is a priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and pack size | The full ingredients list, pack size and storage instructions after opening. | If I only use a small amount, I’d rather be able to finish the pack within the stated time. For a drink, I also check the ingredients. Around 20% of consumers would make these their main considerations. |
Carrefour’s listing for Candia+ lactose-free milk includes milk in the ingredients. The label refers to lactose, not the absence of dairy.
If you need to avoid milk, read the ingredients and allergens on the exact product you’re buying.
The products have different ingredients: Carrefour’s listing for the Alpro drink states 14.1% coconut milk, while its listing for Real Thai culinary coconut milk states 85% coconut extract. These figures alone don’t determine how a recipe will turn out.
For cooking, start with a product labelled for that use. For drinking or serving with cereal, look at plant-based drinks.
Storage times after opening vary by product. The Auchan listings consulted state three days for Kara Bio coconut milk in a 200 ml pack and four days for Bjorg cooking aid in a 200 ml pack.
Before making a one-off recipe, compare the pack sizes and follow the instructions on the product you buy.
An opened pack that you can’t finish within the stated time may go to waste.
A coconut plant-based drink, made for drinking rather than cooking with like culinary coconut milk.
Culinary coconut milk, also available in a 1 L carton.
Organic culinary coconut milk, also available in a 200 ml pack.
An organic coconut-based cooking aid, also available in a 200 ml carton.
Culinary coconut milk, including a 200 ml light version.
These products are for cooking: three coconut milks in different pack sizes and one coconut cream. Cream isn’t automatically a substitute for coconut milk in a recipe. If you avoid dairy, check the ingredients and allergens on each pack.
Image unavailable
A cooking-sized option to consider for a sauce, soup or curry. Before using it if you strictly avoid dairy, check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy.
Image unavailable
This 400 ml coconut milk could work well in a curry, soup or dessert. If you don’t use it all at once, follow the storage instructions on the pack.
Image unavailable
The 200 ml pack is handy for a small recipe that calls for coconut cream. This is cream, not regular coconut milk, so check what your recipe needs before choosing.
Image unavailable
This small pack could be a good choice for a first try in a curry, soup or dessert. If you’re looking for specific ingredients, read the ingredients list, then follow the instructions for storing it after opening.
No. Carrefour’s listing for Candia+ lactose-free milk explicitly includes milk. If you need to avoid dairy, check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy. The DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted in France.
Start by choosing a coconut milk labelled for cooking, then compare the products based on the result you want. Carrefour’s listings consulted state that Suzi Wan Light contains 22% coconut extract and Real Thai contains 85%. Check the fat content too, along with how much you’ll need for your dish.
No. Anses states that everyday drinks of plant or animal origin are not suitable for infants and cannot replace breast milk or suitable infant formula.
Follow the storage time and conditions stated for the product you buy, as they vary. The Auchan listings consulted state that Kara Bio coconut milk in a 200 ml pack keeps for three days after opening, while Bjorg cooking aid in a 200 ml pack keeps for four days. Don’t assume the same storage time applies to both.