Beneath the hard shell of the coconut lies a refreshing nectar and rich meat well worth the trouble of cracking it open. Skip the canned stuff and make your own coconut milk from freshly grated coconut meat. Pro tip: Use the tools you already have in your kitchen to make it infinitely easier.
Coconut is used extensively in traditional Southeast Asian recipes: from curries to coconut rice, fresh coconut milk adds subtle sweetness and silkiness to dishes like no other. And while savory coconut recipes are delicious, you can't beat coconut desserts made with coconut milk. Our favorites range from steamed coconut-pandan cakes to coconut ice cream—here's how to make them.
Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding with Coconut Cream
Get the recipe for Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding with Coconut Cream »
Thai Steamed Coconut-Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan)
Get the recipe for Thai Steamed Coconut-Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan) »
Brown Coconut Pie
The original recipe for this pie, adapted from Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook, was a mere few lines—devoid of even a dough recipe and intended for laid-back, confident bakers. Using fresh grated coconut is essential: It creates the ideal texture and keeps the sugary filling from skewing too sweet. Use the fine side of a box grater, or place small pieces of fresh coconut in a food processor. Get the recipe for Brown Coconut Pie »
Anna Watson Carl relies on sweetened condensed milk to add richness to this frozen dessert flavored with coconut milk, lime zest, and toasty pistachios. Simply macerated peaches provide a fresh, fruity counterpart. Get the recipe for Coconut and Pistachio Semifreddo with Fresh Peaches »
Top Pot Triple Coconut Donuts
Coconut milk gives these donuts from Seattle’s Top Pot donut shop a super-moist interior and a gratifying crust. Get the recipe for Top Pot Triple Coconut Donuts »
Omani Coconut Cookies
A simple combination of sugar syrup and unsweetened coconut cools and hardens into sweet, crunchy treats that are perfect served alongside tea or coffee. Get the recipe for Omani Coconut Cookies »
Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)
This sticky-sweet cake, made with semolina flour and coconut milk, is commonly served at holidays and special occasions in Myanmar. Get the recipe for Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin) »
Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)
This delightfully basic white sponge cake, encrusted with a coconut and brown sugar topping, is a dream to make and eat.
Smoked Coconut Cheesecake
This coconut cheesecake with a thick whipped cream topping looks typical enough, but it’s perfumed with musky, flowery aromas and flavored with notes of caramel and smoke. Get the recipe for Smoked Coconut Cheesecake »
Steep it for Killer Custard and Ice Cream
Often used in southeast Asian curries and Indian rice dishes, pandan leaf lends a subtly exotic savory note to this coconut ice cream.
Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)
A hint of rosewater adds sweet, floral aroma to this moist, dense semolina cake, packed with four types of coconut. Refrigerating overnight gives the semolina time to soak up the sweet coconut liquid, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb. Get the recipe for Goan Coconut Cake (Baath) »
Lane Cake
This recipe is based on one in Emma Rylander Lane’s Some Good Things to Eat (self-published, 1898). Get the recipe for Lane Cake »
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