Whether you are hopping on the keto bandwagon to shed a few pounds at the beginning of this year and are seeing plenty of recipes involving coconut, or perhaps you just simply get confused when you read a recipe with some sort of liquid coconut something or other, let’s clear up the confusion! Here are the differences between coconut milk, water, cream, and “cream of” so you can make all the delicious curry soups or coladas of your dreams!

Coconut Cream

Coconut cream and coconut milk are very similar, in that they both are made by combining the meat of the coconut and water. However, coconut cream has a higher fat content and has a higher ratio of coconut flesh. Coconut cream is most commonly used in dessert recipes, but you can also sub in coconut cream instead coconut milk for recipes like curry sauce, just know that it will be extra thick and decadent.

Did you know you can actually make a dairy-free version of whipped cream using coconut cream? It’s very easy! And just think--if you are dairy-free, that opens up a lot more desserts like chocolate mousse, chocolate silk pie, etc.! How exciting is that?!

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is thinner than coconut cream and is what you will usually find in a recipe for soup or curry. Just make sure you remember that the cream rises to the top, so you will want to shake the can before using for most cases. You shouldn’t sub coconut milk for coconut recipes or your results will most likely be watery and undesirable.

It is actually quite easy to make your own coconut milk. You can take a package of unsweetened coconut flakes and blend with water in a high powered blender and after it is strained you are left with coconut milk and pulp. The coconut milk can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. 

Cream of Coconut

Cream of coconut is the most different of all of them because it has added sugar. It is primarily used for cocktails (think pina coladas), but is also used in desserts sometimes as well. You can find this on the shelves of your grocery stores near the drink mixers.

Coconut Water

And finally, we have coconut water, which is simply the liquid that is inside a young green coconut. By itself, it isn’t very sweet to drink, but it has many health benefits since it is high in potassium and electrolytes, as well as being very hydrating without any extra sugars or flavors. A lot of people use this as a natural post workout drink, or even just using that as the liquid for smoothies post workout, or any time!

I think the moral of the story here is that these liquid coconut forms are not exactly interchangeable so make sure you pay close attention to your recipe and to the label on the can you are purchasing to make sure you are getting the right thing or you might not get the results you are hoping for! What are your favorite ways to use coconut cream, milk, or water? Please share in the comments below.