Hosts preparing a sauce or dessert
You want a creamy texture without using dairy cream or milk. For your recipe, distinguish culinary coconut milk from a coconut drink and compare their ingredients.
Who is this guide for?
People checking ingredients
If a guest needs to avoid milk, the word ‘coconut’ isn’t enough: check the ingredients list and allergen information on the product you buy.
Careful cooks who want to buy the right amount
Whether you’re making one dish or several, compare the amount your recipes call for with the pack sizes available, and plan how to use any leftovers.
What should you look for?
First, work out whether your recipe calls for culinary coconut milk or simply a coconut drink. Then check the ingredients and the amount you’ll need, especially if the meal must be dairy-free.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe texture | Distinguish culinary coconut milk from a coconut drink; compare the coconut extract and fat content per 100 ml. | For a creamy sauce or dessert, I want to choose a base that gives me the texture I’m looking for. Around 36 % of consumers would put this need first. |
| Dairy ingredients | Read the ingredients list and check the milk allergen information on the pack you buy. | When I’m cooking for someone who avoids milk, I need to check the exact product before serving it. This would be the top priority for around 29 % of consumers. |
| Amount needed | Compare the amount your recipe calls for with the pack sizes available, then check the storage instructions after opening. | If I’m making a small amount, I’d rather not open a pack if I don’t have a plan for using the rest. Around 21 % of consumers would prioritise pack size. |
| Ingredients | Compare the coconut extract, water and any thickeners in the ingredients list. | If I want to limit added ingredients, I compare the recipes without assuming that a shorter list will suit every dish better. Around 14 % of consumers would put this preference first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming ‘coconut’ means ‘dairy-free’
The coconut Greek-style yoghurt featured by E.Leclerc contains milk, cream and milk proteins, among other ingredients. So you can’t judge what’s in it by its flavour.
Before cooking for a guest who avoids milk, check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack.
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Swapping culinary coconut milk for a coconut drink without adjusting the recipe
The Alpro drink featured by Carrefour contains 5,3 % coconut milk and 0,9 g of fat per 100 ml. Its ingredients differ from those of the culinary coconut milks compared here, so it may not give a sauce the texture you expect.
If your recipe needs a creamy base, compare culinary coconut milks first. Use a coconut drink for recipes that can work with a different texture.
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Opening a large pack without planning how to use the rest
A small batch of sauce could leave a substantial amount in a 400 or 500 ml pack to use after the meal.
Work out how much you need and follow the storage instructions for the product you buy once it’s open.
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Judging a product by the length of its ingredients list alone
The products featured by Auchan, Carrefour and E.Leclerc include recipes with and without a declared thickener. This alone won’t tell you how your recipe will turn out.
If the ingredients matter to you, also compare the proportion of coconut extract and the amount you need.
Coconut milk brands to compare
Kara
The Auchan listing includes organic culinary coconut milk in a 200 ml carton.
- This product contains 64 % organic coconut extract, with water listed as the other ingredient.
- Check how much your recipe needs and follow the instructions on the pack you buy.
Carrefour Bio
Carrefour offers organic culinary coconut milk in a 330 ml carton.
- Its listing states that it contains 76 % organic coconut extract, water and guar gum.
- The organic label doesn’t mean you can skip checking the ingredients and allergen information on the pack if a guest needs to avoid milk.
Tables du Monde
E.Leclerc offers culinary coconut milk in a 400 ml tin.
- The listing states that it contains 81 % coconut extract, water and guar gum.
- Compare the 400 ml pack with the amount your recipe calls for so you can plan how to use any leftovers.
Alpro
The product featured by Carrefour is a plant-based coconut drink, which is different from culinary coconut milk.
- Its listing states that it contains 5,3 % coconut milk and 0,9 g of fat per 100 ml: useful details when choosing a drink.
- Don’t swap it for culinary coconut milk without adjusting the recipe if you need a creamy texture.
Auchan
The own-brand range includes a UHT Coco Cuisine cooking preparation, sold in a pack of three 20 cl cartons.
- The listing for this product states that it contains 57 % coconut extract, water and xanthan gum; the cartons let you open one portion at a time.
- Check the ingredients of the exact product you choose: the pack size alone doesn’t tell you what’s in it.
Joybuy products for cooking with coconut
These products are suited to Easter cooking, with coconut milk in small and large pack sizes, as well as coconut cream. Choose according to the amount and type your recipe calls for; coconut cream isn’t the same as coconut milk.
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Kara, organic UHT coconut milk, 200 ml
The 200 ml pack is worth considering for a recipe that needs a small amount of culinary coconut milk.
The product title states 17 % fat. If this matters for your recipe, check the nutritional information on the pack. Also check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy.
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Chaokoh PK, coconut milk, 150 ml
The 150 ml pack could be a good choice when your recipe needs only a little coconut milk.
The product title states 18 % fat. Before cooking dairy-free, check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy.
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Valcom, organic coconut milk, 400 ml
Consider the 400 ml pack if you’re making several dishes that need culinary coconut milk.
Compare this amount with what your recipes call for and check the storage instructions after opening. For a dairy-free meal, check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack.
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Wind Mill, coconut milk in a tin, 165 ml
Compare this 165 ml tin with the amount needed for a small dish.
Before choosing it for a dairy-free meal, read the ingredients and allergen information on the tin you buy.
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Chaokoh, coconut cream for desserts, 400 ml
Choose this coconut cream if your recipe calls for cream rather than coconut milk; the difference matters, particularly for the texture you want.
The product title states 22 % fat and a 400 ml pack size. Check how much you need, and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Are coconut products always dairy-free?
No. The coconut Greek-style yoghurt featured by E.Leclerc contains whole milk, cream and milk proteins. Check the ingredients of the exact product rather than relying on its flavour.
What size should I choose for one Easter sauce?
Start with the amount specified in your recipe. The products featured by E.Leclerc and Auchan include 200 ml cartons; compare their ingredients too, so you can choose a pack size that helps minimise leftovers.
Can a coconut drink replace culinary coconut milk?
Only if your recipe can work with a different texture. The Alpro drink featured by Carrefour contains 5,3 % coconut milk and 0,9 g of fat per 100 ml; the Kara, Carrefour Bio and Tables du Monde culinary coconut milks compared here have different ingredients. For a creamy sauce, check what your recipe calls for before making a substitution.
How long can you keep coconut milk after opening?
Follow the instructions on the product you buy, rather than assuming there’s one storage time for every brand. The Kara listings featured by Auchan say to refrigerate the product and use it within three days of opening.
What should you check if a guest is allergic to milk?
Before preparing the meal, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the batch you buy. France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted. The words ‘plant-based’ or ‘coconut’ alone don’t confirm that a product is suitable for your guest.