Anybody use coconut milk?

[Peek-a-boo]

DD and DS are both intolerant of dairy. We normally use rice milk, but it really doesn't have much nutritional value and I'm trying to be more TF. I was thinking of trying coconut milk. I was just wondering if anyone here uses it as a milk substitute. If so . . .

--how does it taste?
--does it work well in baked goods, etc?
--does it have better nutritional value than rice milk (if you're familiar with rice milk)?

[Ruthla]

IT's very thick, more like cream than milk. I've used it in baking, but with added water if I want a "milk substitute" in the recipe, or plain if I'm substituting for cream (or evaporated milk.) It should work well in smoothies (although I don't personally drink smoothies and my kids can have dairy.) I use it in my coffee almost every day!

[Peek-a-boo]

This will sound dumb, lol, but does it taste like coconut?

[velcromom]

yep, it tastes of coconut and is soo yummy... well, if you like coconut! It works fine in baked goods, I tend to dilute it to a milk-like consistency since it's thicker than milk would be. It's not fortified with vitamins like some rice milks, but it has healthy fat.

It works great in smoothies and makes a good ice cream too.

[lindsayjean]

mmmm I'm a big coconut milk fan. I'm readying Eat Fat Loose Fat right now and she has a recipe in there for a milk substitute that has coconut milk as the base. We love us some raw milk though.

I love cooking with it. I make a lot of thai food and soups with coconut milk as a base and my mangoes and sticky rice with coconut cream on top is TDF!!! Oh my word. I am pregnant and seriously have been considering opening a can and just eating/drinking it straight (I'm weird haha).

[dogmom327]

I've used it (and coconut oil instead of butter) in cooking when preparing food for a lactose intolerant friend. The only thing I ran into was when I made biscuits, using both the milk and oil made the biscuits really taste like coconut and with that particular group, it wasn't a hit

[mamadelbosque]

I've never used it in baked goods or drank it straight (just licked my fingers after dumping it in other stuff)... it is VERY tasty, thick, creamy, coconutty stuff. I mostly use it in curries & dals & the like.

[Aletheia]

It makes extremely good yogurt!

[blueridgewoman]

I used it to sub for milk in a cornbread recipe and even my coconut hating partner said the cornbread tasted really good to her! Which was a huge compliment considering it was gluten, sugar, and dairy free.

[stilllearning85]

I love Coconut milk, but it definitley is coconutty! You can make really good kefir with it too! Great for making custards and such... MMMM... I want a custard...

[mntnmom]

Originally Posted by lindsayjean

mmmm I'm a big coconut milk fan. I'm readying Eat Fat Loose Fat right now and she has a recipe in there for a milk substitute that has coconut milk as the base. We love us some raw milk though.

I love cooking with it. I make a lot of thai food and soups with coconut milk as a base and my mangoes and sticky rice with coconut cream on top is TDF!!! Oh my word. I am pregnant and seriously have been considering opening a can and just eating/drinking it straight (I'm weird haha).

I ate a quarter can of coconut cream the other day without realizing it....and I'm not even preggers!! You don't sound weird to me at all!!!

[quietserena]

Makes pretty good cocoa, just make sure you add some water otherwise you gotta eat the cocoa with a spoon.

[kjbrown92]

The coconut milk yogurt isn't as "coconuty" in baked goods. The coconut milk yogurt can be made into savory dips for vegetables and sweet dips for fruits. I also use it to make frosting that tastes like cream cheese frosting (okay, frosting isn't TF) and to make a caramel coating for rice cereal (again, not TF but we have a treat once in a while).
I use it to make rice pudding.
I use it in smoothies.
I have a chicken dish that I use it in.
We go through a lot of it.
And if you use palm shortening (Spectrum) for the shortening in the biscuits, and add an herb or two, then the biscuits made with coconut milk aren't quite so coconuty.
Get your vitamins from food (you don't need enriched milk to get it).

[Ruthla]

I do purchase almond milk and/or hazelnut milk (the kids like it for baking with, and using in hot cocoa or coffee after we have a meat meal) but I make sure to get the kind WITHOUT synthetic vitamins or minerals added!

[Peek-a-boo]

Thanks ladies! Very helpful. I'm excited to experiment with it.

[kundemama]

We love to use it as a milk/cream substitute. It makes a great whipped topping for pie, hot cocoa beverages, etc. Put it in the fridge first and get the "cream" to float to the top, about 4 hours. Use the "cream" from the top as substitute in recipes.

[Peek-a-boo]

Originally Posted by Aletheia

It makes extremely good yogurt!

Do you make this from scratch? If so, how? I'd be excited about good non-dairy, non-soy yogurt! :

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I also use it to make frosting that tastes like cream cheese frosting (okay, frosting isn't TF)

Please share, because although frosting isn't TF, it sure is good sometimes.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by blueridgewoman

I used it to sub for milk in a cornbread recipe and even my coconut hating partner said the cornbread tasted really good to her! Which was a huge compliment considering it was gluten, sugar, and dairy free.

Ooo... recipe, please?

[vegmom]

I also love coconut milk. I find it to taste quite sweet. I could eat a half a can of it in one sitting. But then I am stuffed after. I could see how the cream can be used as frosting.