If you’re looking for a lower-fat coconut milk for cooking, compare the fat content on a like-for-like basis, then read the full ingredients list rather than relying on the word ‘light’ alone. Your choice also depends on the texture you want and the amount your recipe calls for. If you need to avoid coconut, no coconut milk, light or otherwise, is suitable.
If you want to lighten a recipe without switching to a coconut plant-based drink, compare the nutritional values on a like-for-like basis. Also consider the texture you’re after: culinary coconut milks can have different compositions.
Read the full ingredients list on the pack you receive, including any thickeners and information relevant to the ingredient you need to avoid. If you need to avoid coconut, its presence is enough to rule out coconut milk, even when it’s labelled light.
Choose a pack size that suits your recipe and leaves you with a manageable amount to use up. Storage instructions after opening vary by product: Auchan’s product page for Kara Light, in a 200 ml pack, says to refrigerate it and use it within three days.
When choosing culinary coconut milk, first check that its ingredients suit your household’s dietary requirements. Then compare the fat content, the result you want in your recipe and the amount you’ll use.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare the fat content per 100 ml when products use the same basis, rather than relying on the word ‘light’. | I want to reduce the fat in my recipe without confusing a per-serving figure with a per-100 ml figure; around 34% of consumers prioritise this comparison. |
| Ingredients to avoid | Read the full ingredients list on the pack you receive and check the information relevant to the ingredient you need to avoid. Rule out coconut milk if you need to avoid coconut. | Someone in my household needs to avoid a specific ingredient: the product name or a general allergen statement isn’t enough. Around 33% of consumers put this check ahead of other criteria. |
| Culinary use | Check the product category and ingredients before replacing culinary coconut milk with a coconut plant-based drink. | For a sauce or dessert, I want to choose a base that’s suitable for the dish, without assuming that every coconut product will give the same result; around 20% of consumers prioritise this use. |
| Pack size and storage | Choose a volume that suits your recipe and follow the storage instructions for the product you buy once opened. | I only cook with coconut milk occasionally and prefer a pack size I can use up; this is a priority for around 13% of consumers. |
The label refers to the fat content, not to the absence of coconut. Coconut milk should still be avoided if coconut is one of the foods you need to avoid.
Check the full ingredients list and relevant information on the pack of the product you actually buy, rather than relying solely on a general statement online.
A figure per 50 ml and one per 100 ml don’t describe the same amount. Carrefour’s product page for Suzi Wan Light lists 4 g of fat per 50 ml, equivalent to 8 g per 100 ml.
Convert the figures to the same basis before comparing products. If one is listed per 100 g and the other per 100 ml, don’t treat the figures as directly equivalent.
Carrefour lists these as separate categories. Their ingredients and intended uses may differ, which matters in particular when a recipe calls for coconut milk in a sauce.
Check the product category, ingredients and nutritional information before changing the recipe.
Auchan’s product page describes Kara Light as a 200 ml culinary coconut milk with 13 g of fat per 100 ml.
Carrefour’s product page describes Suzi Wan Light as a 200 ml carton for cooking; its listed fat content is 8 g per 100 ml.
Carrefour’s product page for AYAM Light describes a 330 ml carton and lists 5 g of fat per 100 ml.
Joybuy’s product page describes GreenLife as a 400 ml tin of coconut milk with 5–7% fat.
These Light options, or products with a stated fat percentage, are intended for cooking with coconut milk. Compare their labels on a like-for-like basis and choose according to your recipe; none is suitable if you need to avoid coconut.
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If you’re looking for coconut milk labelled Light for cooking, compare the nutritional information for this 400 ml tin with your other options on the same basis. Don’t choose this product if you need to avoid coconut.
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If you’re comparing coconut milks for a recipe, check the basis used to give the fat content for this 400 ml pack before comparing it with a figure per 100 ml. Don’t choose this product if you need to avoid coconut.
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Before choosing this 400 ml Light option for your recipe, read the nutritional information and ingredients on the pack. Check the storage instructions after opening too; don’t choose this product if you need to avoid coconut.
No. ‘Light’ refers to the fat content and doesn’t mean ‘coconut-free’. The Kara, Suzi Wan, AYAM and GreenLife products described by Auchan, Carrefour and Joybuy contain coconut or coconut extract. Avoid this category if you need to avoid coconut.
No. Coconut isn’t included in the list of named tree nuts in the European Commission’s 2017 communication on allergens. That doesn’t mean coconut milk is suitable for someone who needs to avoid coconut: read the full ingredients list. EU food information rules include requirements for highlighting the allergenic ingredients covered by the regulatory list.
Use the same reference quantity and keep to the units shown. Carrefour’s product pages list 5 g per 100 ml for AYAM and the equivalent of 8 g per 100 ml for Suzi Wan Light, while Auchan’s page lists 13 g per 100 ml for Kara Light. A figure per 100 g can’t be compared directly with these figures per 100 ml.
Follow the instructions for the product you buy rather than assuming there’s one storage period for all coconut milks. Auchan’s product page for Kara Light says to refrigerate it and use it within three days; its page for semi-thick coconut milk says 48 hours.
Not necessarily: check that its ingredients and intended use suit your recipe. Carrefour lists coconut plant-based drinks separately from culinary coconut milks. For a sauce or curry, start with the type of product the recipe calls for, then check its ingredients and nutritional values.