What is Cream of Coconut?
Cream of coconut is a thick, heavily sweetened coconut mixture, and it's not the same thing as plain coconut cream or coconut milk, so don't grab the wrong tin. It's coconut milk cooked down with sugar until it's rich, glossy and properly indulgent. It's what gives our Piña Colada its body, rather than leaving it thin and watery.
Why should I make Cream of Coconut?
Yes you can buy a tin of it, our recommendation though is to make it yourself. Shop bought cream of coconut is often thinner than it should be and padded out with stabilisers and preservatives so it survives months on a shelf.
This version is three ingredients: coconut milk, sugar and a pinch of salt. You know exactly what's in it, it costs noticeably less than a name-brand tin, and the salt rounds out the sweetness so the coconut actually tastes like coconut instead of just sugar. Cheaper and better, which is the usual story with these things.
Ingredients
- 400ml (13.5oz) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, one tin
- 420ml (1.75 cups) white sugar
- A pinch of salt
How to make it
- Prep time
- 1 minute
- Cooking time
- 4-5 minutes
- Total time
- 5-6 minutes
- 1Preheat a saucepan on a low heat.
- 2Combine the coconut milk, sugar and salt in the pan.
- 3Stir constantly over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- 4That's it. Take it off the heat once it's smooth and fully combined.
Storing your Cream of Coconut
This one's more delicate than a pure sugar syrup because of the coconut milk in it. Keep it in the fridge in a sterilised, airtight bottle and use it within one to two weeks, rather than the month or so you'd get from a straight syrup.
It freezes well though, so if you've made more than you'll get through in a fortnight, freeze the rest and defrost as you need it.
