Coconut cream can work well for drizzling over grilled food if you’re looking for a thick sauce. For a marinade to coat kebabs, start by looking at coconut milk described as runny. The coconut percentage alone won’t tell you how it will work in your recipe: check the product name, ingredients, fat content and storage instructions after opening, rather than choosing solely on the word “mature” or “aged”.
If you mix coconut with lemon, garlic or spices before cooking, how easily the marinade coats the food matters just as much as the coconut content. A pork kebab recipe published by Journal des Femmes Cuisiner, for example, combines coconut milk, lemon and garlic.
If you want to drizzle it over grilled food or serve it with vegetables, think about the consistency you’re after. Auchan describes its 400 ml Vietcoco coconut cream as thicker than coconut milk. This description applies to that specific product, not to all coconut creams.
If you’re only using part of the pack, its size and the storage instructions after opening become key. Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the exact product too, rather than relying on the brand name alone.
For a barbecue, first decide whether you want the coconut to coat the food before cooking or form a sauce to serve afterwards. Then check the texture, how much you need and the label on the specific product.
Consider it: as a base for a marinade mixed with herbs and spices, checking that it’s the right consistency to coat the food.
Bear in mind: not all coconut milks are equally runny, so the product name alone doesn’t tell you everything about the one you choose.
Consider it: for a thick finishing sauce, such as the Vietcoco cream described this way on its Auchan product page.
Bear in mind: you may need to adapt a marinade recipe to account for this consistency, rather than replacing coconut milk with the same volume of cream.
| Factor | What to check | What matters to shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Sauce texture | Whether it’s called milk or cream and how its consistency is described; the coconut content, if it’s shown on the pack. | I want to drizzle it over grilled food without the sauce being too runny. Around 33% of shoppers prioritise this texture and the coconut flavour. |
| Marinade consistency | The stated consistency and how easy it is to measure out the amount your recipe calls for. | To coat my kebabs, I’m looking for a base that’s easy to mix and spread; around 25% of shoppers prioritise this consistency. |
| Pack size and storage | The pack size and storage instructions after opening for the product you choose. | If I only use part of the product, I want to be able to use the rest within the stated time. Managing quantities is a priority for around 25% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients | Ingredients, thickeners, declared allergens and nutritional information per 100 g or 100 ml. | Before choosing a texture, I want to make sure the ingredients list matches what I’m looking for. Around 17% of shoppers prioritise this check. |
On their own, these words don’t tell you about the texture or ingredients of the coconut milk you’re buying for your barbecue.
To compare two packs, check whether they contain coconut milk or cream, then compare the ingredients, the stated coconut content and the nutritional information.
Auchan describes its 400 ml Vietcoco cream as thicker than coconut milk. So, if a recipe calls for a marinade that’s easy to spread over kebabs, you may need to adjust it.
Choose cream when you want the thickness it offers, or gradually adjust your marinade’s consistency to suit the recipe.
The Grace product pages published by Auchan and Carrefour show different ingredients. Information for one tin won’t necessarily describe the one you’re buying.
Check the ingredients list, declared allergens and nutritional information on the exact product.
Storage times vary by product: Auchan’s Vietcoco cream page says to use it within 24 hours of opening, while the Kara and Grace products checked state 3 days.
Work out how much you need for the marinade and sauce, then follow the instructions on the pack you’ve bought.
The details below relate to specific coconut milk and cream products. Compare their labels with the product you’re thinking of using.
Carrefour lists a 400 ml sterilised coconut milk for cooking, containing 85% coconut extract.
Carrefour’s product page for 400 ml Aroy-D coconut milk for cooking states that it contains 87% coconut extract.
The 400 ml Vietcoco coconut cream listed by Auchan contains 95% coconut extract and is described as thicker than coconut milk.
Auchan lists runny Kara coconut milk in a 500 ml carton, containing 64% fresh coconut extract.
400 ml Grace coconut milks are listed on Auchan and Carrefour product pages.
These coconut milks and creams give you a range of pack sizes to consider for a barbecue marinade or sauce. For each product, check the consistency and adjust the quantities to suit your recipe. The words “cream” and “milk” alone don’t tell you exactly how it will turn out once prepared.
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Worth considering for a small amount of finishing sauce; adjust its consistency to suit your recipe.
UHT coconut cream in a 200 ml pack. The product name states 24% fat.
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The 200 ml pack may suit a small recipe; check that its consistency is right before using it in a marinade.
UHT coconut milk; the product name states 17% fat.
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Consider this if your sauce recipe calls for a 400 ml pack; for a marinade, adjust the recipe to suit the resulting consistency.
The product name includes 20–22%. Check the pack to see what this figure refers to.
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The individual bottles may suit you if you’re making several recipes and want to open one portion at a time.
Pack of six 250 ml bottles; the product name includes 18%. Check the pack to see what this figure refers to.
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The 400 ml pack may suit a sauce or marinade that calls for this amount; check the texture before measuring out the other ingredients.
Coconut milk in a 400 ml pack.
No. These terms aren’t enough to help you choose a product for a marinade or sauce. Instead, compare whether it’s coconut milk or cream, its described texture, the ingredients and the coconut content if stated. Don’t assume that the coconut has been aged based on that percentage.
Compare their consistency and ingredients before adjusting the quantity in your recipe. For prepacked food, the DGCCRF states that nutritional information is given per 100 g or 100 ml. Use the same unit when comparing details such as fat and saturated fatty acids.
Yes, if you adapt the recipe to achieve the consistency you want, but don’t expect the same result when using the same amount. Auchan describes its Vietcoco cream as thicker than coconut milk. This difference matters more for a marinade that needs to coat food than for a thick finishing sauce.
Follow the storage conditions and time limit on the exact pack. The Auchan product pages checked say to refrigerate the Vietcoco cream and use it within 24 hours, compared with 3 days for the Kara and Grace coconut milks covered here. These time limits don’t apply to every product.