For a curry, sauce or Christmas dessert, choose a cooking coconut milk and compare its coconut extract content with the texture you want. For coffee or cereal, look for a coconut plant-based drink instead. If you need to avoid dairy, check the ingredients and allergens of the product you buy: ‘lactose-free’ does not mean ‘dairy-free’.
For a curry, sauce or Christmas dessert, start with a cooking coconut milk, then check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you buy. The texture you want will help you decide how concentrated it should be.
If you want a sauce or topping that holds its shape, compare the coconut extract content rather than relying on the product name alone. Joybuy France and E.Leclerc list cooking products with 85% and 81% coconut extract respectively; these figures apply to those specific products.
For coffee or cereal, a coconut plant-based drink is intended for a different use from cooking coconut milk. Check its ingredients before using it in a recipe that calls for a thick base.
For your Christmas shopping, first distinguish between products for cooking and those for drinking. Then choose the concentration that suits your recipe, and don’t let a ‘lactose-free’ label take the place of checking the ingredients.
| What matters | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy-free ingredients | Ingredients and highlighted allergens; check for ‘may contain’ warnings if necessary for your dietary requirements. The DGCCRF states that allergens must be identified in the ingredients list. | If I’m preparing a dairy-free menu, a coconut flavour alone doesn’t mean a product is free from milk; around 34% of consumers make this check a priority. |
| Recipe texture | Coconut extract content and nutritional values per 100 ml, comparing products intended for the same use. | For a sauce or dessert that needs a thick texture, I prioritise choosing a cooking coconut milk that suits the recipe; around 33% of consumers put texture first. |
| Less concentrated formula | Coconut content and fat per 100 ml; also check whether a thinner consistency will work in your recipe. | For a soup or dish where a lighter texture works for me, I want to be able to adjust how rich the dish is; around 20% of consumers make this their top criterion. |
| Use as a drink | The ‘plant-based drink’ description, coconut content and any other ingredients listed on the pack. | For coffee or cereal, I’m looking for a drink rather than a sauce base; around 13% of consumers prioritise this use. |
Lactose-free milk still contains milk. For example, Carrefour France lists 99% lactose-free milk in the ingredients of Lactel Sans lactose Note de Coco.
If you need to avoid dairy, read the ingredients list and allergen information for the product you buy, even if its name mentions coconut.
The two products have different ingredients: the Alpro coconut drink featured by Carrefour France contains 8.6% coconut milk. It is therefore not a direct substitute in a sauce or topping that needs a thick base.
For this type of recipe, start with a cooking coconut milk and compare the coconut extract content shown on the packs.
Carrefour France lists 22% coconut extract for Suzi Wan Light coconut milk, compared with 56% for the brand’s standard product. This could change the texture you expect from a dessert or sauce.
Save the less concentrated version for recipes where a thinner texture will work for you.
How long a product keeps after opening depends on the product. For example, Auchan France advises keeping Kara’s 500 ml fluid coconut milk in the fridge for three days after opening.
Plan when to open it around your cooking schedule and follow the instructions on the pack you choose.
If you open a pack too early, you may be left with some that you can’t use for the recipe you planned.
Two 200 ml cartons of cooking coconut milk, with different concentrations to suit the texture you’re after.
Cooking coconut milks, including a 20 cl organic carton and a 500 ml fluid version.
A 400 ml tin of cooking coconut milk to consider for recipes where coconut content matters.
A 200 ml carton of coconut milk to consider if the pack size matches the amount your recipe needs.
A coconut plant-based drink, distinct from coconut milks intended for sauces and thick desserts.
These Joybuy products let you compare coconut milks for Christmas dishes and desserts, as well as a coconut drink for coffee. If you need to avoid dairy, always check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you receive.
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Worth considering for a curry, sauce or dessert when you’re looking for a cooking coconut milk. Think about how the 1 L pack size compares with the amount you need and the storage instructions after opening.
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Worth considering for a sauce or curry if 500 ml is the right amount for your recipe. Read the ingredients list if the presence of stabilisers or emulsifiers matters to you.
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Consider this for a recipe where a formula labelled 6% gives you the texture you want. To compare it with other coconut milks, check the pack to see what the percentage refers to and what the nutritional values are based on.
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An option to compare for a dish or dessert if a Light formula suits your recipe. Before swapping it for your usual coconut milk, check what the 9% refers to, along with the ingredients and storage instructions after opening.
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This Barista drink is intended for coffee or other hot drinks, rather than recipes that call for cooking coconut milk. Check the allergens on the pack, especially if you also need to avoid soya.
No. ‘Lactose-free’ doesn’t mean milk-free. Carrefour France states that Lactel Sans lactose Note de Coco contains 99% lactose-free milk. For a dairy-free menu, check the ingredients and allergens of the product you choose.
Choose a cooking coconut milk and compare the coconut extract content to find the texture your sauce needs. As examples specific to each product, E.Leclerc lists 81% for its 400 ml tin of Tables du Monde coconut milk, while Carrefour France lists 22% for the 200 ml Suzi Wan Light.
Not directly if your curry needs a thick base: choose a cooking coconut milk instead. The Alpro coconut drink described by Carrefour France contains 8.6% coconut milk; check the recipe and ingredients before making a substitution.
Open it according to the instructions for the product you buy and the day you plan to cook. For Kara’s 500 ml fluid coconut milk, Auchan France advises keeping it in the fridge and using it within three days of opening. Don’t automatically apply this timeframe to another product.