For a New Year’s Eve sauce or dessert, choose coconut milk for cooking, or coconut cream if the recipe calls for a thicker texture. Coconut drinks are better suited to drinking. When preparing a mildly spiced dish for children, check the product name, ingredients and pack size, then add the coconut and seasoning gradually: the word “mild” alone doesn’t determine how the finished dish will taste.
For a small sauce or New Year’s Eve dessert, a small pack of coconut milk for cooking lets you open just the amount you need for the recipe. Check the seasoning separately: pack size doesn’t determine how mild the dish will taste.
If texture matters for several guests, compare whether the product is labelled “coconut milk” or “coconut cream”, as well as its coconut extract and fat content. This information can help you choose for your recipe, but it won’t guarantee the result on its own.
If you’re serving a cold drink, check the nutritional information for the product you choose. A coconut-based plant drink isn’t necessarily a substitute for coconut milk in a recipe that needs a creamy texture.
When shopping for a New Year’s Eve meal with children, start with how you plan to use it — in a main course, dessert or drink — then choose a pack size that suits the quantity you need.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Mildly spiced recipe | Product name and pack size; recipe ingredients and seasoning. | If I’m making a small sauce for children, I want to be able to add the coconut and spices gradually. Around 42% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Texture of the dish or dessert | Coconut milk or cream; coconut extract and fat per 100 ml. | For a festive dessert or sauce, I’m looking for a texture that suits the recipe, while taking the other ingredients into account. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise texture. |
| Cold drink | Product name “coconut drink”; sugars and fat per 100 ml. | If I’m serving coconut in a glass rather than using it in a recipe, I choose based on the drink’s ingredients. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this use. |
The two products have different compositions. The Auchan product pages consulted list 1.2 g of fat per 100 ml for the Alpro drink, compared with 16 g per 100 ml for the KARA coconut milk for cooking. Substituting one for the other can change the expected texture.
For a sauce or dessert, check the product name and ingredients called for in the recipe before substituting one for the other.
On its own, this label doesn’t tell you how the finished dish will taste. A more concentrated coconut cream won’t automatically be better accepted by every child.
Start with a mildly spiced base, add the seasoning gradually and check the product’s ingredient list.
The Carrefour product pages consulted list 21 g of fat per 100 ml for Carrefour Bio coconut cream and 19 g for Real Thai coconut milk. These values are worth bearing in mind if the recipe already contains other high-fat ingredients.
Choose the amount of coconut cream or milk according to the texture you want and the rest of the ingredients.
Storage times vary between products: the Auchan product pages consulted give three days after opening for KARA and four days for Jardin BiO étic.
Before buying, match the pack size to the amount you need and follow the storage instructions on the product you choose.
A large pack that’s been opened but is too big for your planned recipes can lead to waste.
The KARA organic coconut milk for cooking featured by Auchan comes in a 20 cl carton, suitable for small quantities of sweet or savoury dishes.
The 40 cl organic coconut milk featured by Auchan is intended for dishes and baking, among other uses.
The concentrated coconut milk for cooking featured by Carrefour may be worth considering when a recipe calls for a larger quantity.
Carrefour Bio coconut cream is worth considering when your recipe calls for cream rather than coconut milk.
The Alpro product featured by Auchan is a 1 L coconut-based plant drink, which is different from coconut milk for cooking.
These coconut milk options are for preparing a New Year’s Eve dish or dessert. Their pack sizes let you choose according to the quantity you need; their name or fat content doesn’t guarantee a mild taste for children.
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The 200 ml pack is a good option if you want to open a small amount for a sauce or dessert. Check the ingredients and storage instructions on the packaging, then adjust the seasoning in your recipe.
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The 165 ml tin may suit a recipe that needs only a small amount of coconut milk. Check the packaging for ingredients and instructions on storage after opening.
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Match the 400 ml pack size to the amount you need for your dish or dessert. Compare its nutritional information and ingredients with those of other coconut milk options you’re considering; the word “Light” doesn’t tell you how the finished dish will taste.
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This 400 ml coconut milk may suit a recipe that calls for this quantity. Read the ingredients, nutritional information and storage instructions before deciding whether it’s right for your recipe.
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The 200 ml pack lets you plan a limited amount for cooking. Check the ingredients and instructions for storage after opening on the packaging; “Creamy” doesn’t guarantee a specific texture in every recipe.
No. It isn’t enough to determine how a recipe will taste. To choose a product, check its name and ingredients. For the dish, start with mild seasoning and adjust it gradually.
Not without considering the texture you want. The Auchan product pages consulted list 14.1% coconut milk and 1.2 g of fat per 100 ml for the Alpro drink, while the KARA coconut milk for cooking contains 64% coconut extract and 16 g of fat per 100 ml. Check the product name and ingredients before changing a sauce or dessert recipe.
No. For children from birth to one year, Anses warns against replacing breast milk or infant formula with a drink that isn’t designed for this purpose.
Follow the storage time and conditions on the packaging of the product you buy. For comparison between specific products, the Auchan product pages consulted say to keep KARA organic coconut milk in the fridge for three days and Jardin BiO étic coconut milk for four days.
To tell the difference between coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut drinks, start with the product name and ingredient list, then compare the net quantity and nutritional information. The DGCCRF notes that prepacked food labels include this information, a date applicable to the product and highlighted allergens in the ingredient list.