For a vegan garden party, choose culinary coconut milk if you’re making a recipe, a coconut drink to serve as a beverage, or a plant-based dessert for ready-to-serve portions. If vegan certification is essential, check the label on the exact product you’re buying: a ‘vegan’ claim on a retailer’s product page isn’t enough to prove certification. Make sure you can keep chilled desserts cold, too, and follow the storage instructions for each product after opening.
If you need to confirm that a product is certified to your guests, look for a label on the exact product rather than relying on its name. The Association Végétarienne de France explains what the V-Label vegan certifies.
For a sauce, curry, marinade or dessert, choose culinary coconut milk in a size that suits your recipe and the number of guests. The products listed by E.Leclerc and ALDI are examples of 200 ml and 400 ml sizes.
Individual pots save you from having to prepare dessert on the day, as long as you can keep them chilled before and during serving. Carrefour, for example, offers a plant-based coconut milk dessert in four 100 g pots.
Choose it: for making a sauce, dish or home-made dessert.
Keep in mind: it isn’t necessarily a drink to serve as it is, and a ‘vegan’ claim alone doesn’t prove certification.
Choose it: to serve as a drink or for a recipe that calls for this type of product.
Keep in mind: don’t automatically use it instead of the culinary coconut milk called for in a recipe.
Choose it: when you want ready-to-serve portions.
Keep in mind: you’ll need to keep it chilled; it isn’t a substitute ingredient for a recipe that calls for coconut milk.
| What to consider | What to check before you buy | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan certification | The label on the exact product and its ingredients list. The Association Végétarienne de France describes the V-Label vegan as certifying that ingredients are plant-based. | I’m hosting guests who require a certified product, so I need to be able to confirm that the one I’m serving meets this requirement. Around 40% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Use and size | The product description and the quantity needed for your recipe; compare the proportion of coconut extract if it’s listed. | I’m making a recipe for several guests and want to buy the right type and quantity of product. Around 30% of consumers would make size their top priority. |
| Serving and storage | Storage instructions, particularly after opening, and whether you can keep a chilled dessert cold during the party. | If I’m serving chilled desserts outdoors, I need to be able to store them properly until serving. Almost 30% of consumers would put this preparation first. |
A claim on a retailer’s product page doesn’t, on its own, show that an independent organisation has certified the product. The Association Végétarienne de France explains that the V-Label vegan covers ingredients and processing aids.
If certification is essential for your guests, check that the label appears on the exact product before you buy it.
These product descriptions refer to items intended for different uses. E.Leclerc lists 63% coconut extract in its 200 ml Tables du Monde coconut milk, while Alpro features its coconut drink in a recipe.
Start with the product your recipe calls for, then compare the description, ingredients and quantity on the pack you choose.
For foods that need careful handling, Anses recommends limiting the time they spend at room temperature and returning them to the fridge after use.
Transport chilled desserts in a suitable container that will keep them cold, and put them out in small batches.
Auchan’s listing for Jardin Bio Étic coconut milk in a 22.5 cl pack says to keep it chilled and consume it within 4 days of opening. This instruction applies to this specific product.
Check the storage instructions and date on every pack, and keep it handy until the party is over.
Auchan offers Jardin Bio Étic culinary coconut milk in a 22.5 cl pack, suitable for dishes and baking.
E.Leclerc offers culinary coconut milk in a 200 ml carton, a size to compare with the amount your recipe calls for.
Carrefour offers a chilled plant-based coconut milk dessert in four 100 g pots. Serve it as a dessert rather than using it as culinary coconut milk.
Alpro features a coconut drink in a vegan recipe. It’s a drink, not concentrated culinary coconut milk.
ALDI offers Asia Green Garden coconut milk in a 400 ml pack. Compare this size with the quantity you’ll need for a recipe for a group.
No, the claim alone doesn’t prove that an independent organisation has certified it. If you need certification for your buffet, look for a label on the exact product; the Association Végétarienne de France explains what the V-Label vegan certifies.
Read the label on the product you’re buying rather than relying solely on its online description. The DGCCRF states that allergens in pre-packed foods must be highlighted in the labelling information.
Don’t plan to leave it out for the whole party: follow its storage instructions. Anses recommends limiting the time foods that need careful handling spend at room temperature and returning them to the fridge after use. Serve chilled pots in batches.
It depends on the instructions for the exact product. Auchan’s listing for Jardin Bio Étic coconut milk in a 22.5 cl pack says to keep it chilled and consume it within 4 days of opening; don’t apply this guidance to another product.