Coconut Milk vs Coconut Cream: Which One Should You Use

You grab a can of coconut milk for tonight's curry, and right next to it there's a can of coconut cream. Same brand, same picture of a coconut, different price. Does it actually matter which one you buy?

A little, yes. They're made from the same two things, coconut flesh and water, just in different proportions. Swap one for the other without adjusting and you get a watery curry or a dessert that's far too rich.

The short version: coconut cream is coconut milk with less water. It's thicker and higher in fat, so it works for desserts and rich sauces. Thin coconut milk works for soups, curries, and everyday cooking.

Coconut Milk vs Coconut Cream: What's Really Different?

It comes down to how much water is in the mix, and the fat content follows from that. More coconut and less water gives you a thicker, richer product. Here's how the usual labels line up:

Product	Minimum fat*	Texture	Good for
Light coconut milk	5%	Thin, almost watery	Soups, light sauces, drinks
Coconut milk	10%	Pourable and creamy	Curries, coconut rice, everyday cooking
Coconut cream	20%	Thick and rich	Desserts, whipped cream, rich sauces
Cream of coconut	Sweetened, a different product	Syrupy	Cocktails like the piña colada, some desserts

*Minimums from the Codex Alimentarius standard for coconut milk and cream. Brands don't have to follow these names, so the nutrition label is more reliable than the front of the can.

Where the Names Come From: Thick First Press, Thin Second Press

If you've ever made coconut milk from a fresh coconut, you already know this. Grate a mature coconut and squeeze it with little or no water, and what comes out is thick. That first squeeze is the cream. Soak the squeezed pulp in warm water and squeeze again, and you get thinner milk.

Indonesian kitchens use the same idea with different words. Santan kental is the first press, santan encer comes from the later, thinner presses, and plenty of recipes also call for santan sedang somewhere in between. Rendang and gulai want the thick kind. Opor, sayur lodeh, and soto usually do better with the medium or thin one.

Canned coconut milk is the same thing in a can. If you open one and find a thick white layer on top, that's the cream rising, and some cooks scoop it off to use as coconut cream.

Which One Should You Use?

Reach for thin coconut milk when you're making:

• Soups and curries, like soto or tom kha
• Rice cooked in coconut milk, such as nasi uduk
• Sauces that should stay loose
• Smoothies and drinks

Reach for coconut cream when you're making:

• Dairy-free whipped cream (chill it first)
• Frosting, puddings, and ice pops
• Dishes that cook down into a thick, dry sauce, like rendang. Our beef rendang recipe is a good example
• Any dessert where you want body instead of a runny sauce

Not sure which kind a recipe means? Look at what it's for. A light, brothy dish wants the thin one. Anything described as rich, thick, or creamy wants the cream.

Can You Swap One for the Other?

Usually, yes, with a small adjustment.

You only have coconut cream. Thin it with warm water. A common rule of thumb is one part cream to two parts water, so 1/4 cup of cream plus 1/2 cup of water gives you about 3/4 cup of coconut milk. Start there and adjust to taste.

You only have coconut milk. Two options. Simmer it gently until it reduces and thickens, or chill the can and scoop off the thick layer on top. The second trick only works with brands that don't add stabilizers, because those are made not to separate.

One swap that doesn't work: cream of coconut. It's sweetened, so using it in place of coconut cream will turn a savory dish into a sweet one.

Four Labels That Cause Confusion

• Cream of coconut. Heavily sweetened coconut cream, made for drinks like the piña colada. Not interchangeable with coconut cream.
• Creamed coconut. A semi-solid paste made from finely ground coconut flesh. Different again.
• Carton coconut milk. Usually a drinking product, diluted for pouring over cereal or into coffee. It's not meant for cooking and tends to make thin, bland sauces.
• Coconut water. The clear liquid inside the coconut. It has nothing to do with milk or cream. We cover it in our post on the benefits of coconut water.

Making Your Own at Home

With fresh coconut you control the thickness yourself. Grate the flesh of a mature coconut, add a little warm water, and squeeze it through a clean cloth. That first, thick squeeze is your cream. Repeat with more water for thinner milk. A common starting point is about 1 kg of grated coconut to 500 ml of water for the first press, then more water for the next ones.

Fresh coconut milk doesn't keep. At warm room temperature it can turn rancid within a few hours, with a soapy taste and a sharp smell. Use it the same day, or keep it cold and use it soon. Step by step instructions are in our guide on how to make coconut milk.

Why Coconut Milk Splits While Cooking (and How to Stop It)

Ever had coconut milk separate into oily curds and thin liquid? In Indonesia it's called santan pecah, and it's usually down to heat. A few habits help:

• Cook it over low to medium heat. A hard boil is the usual culprit.
• Stir often, especially right after you pour it in.
• Add acidic ingredients like lime juice at the end, once the dish is cooked, not at the start.
• Use fresh, mature coconut if you're squeezing your own. Older milk splits more easily.

Split milk that still smells and tastes fine is generally safe to eat. It just looks less appealing, and a vigorous stir off the heat sometimes brings it back together.

A Quick Word on Fat

Coconut milk is rich, and most of its fat is saturated. Many health organizations suggest limiting saturated fat, and coconut cream has more of it per spoonful than thin milk. If you're keeping an eye on it, use thin or light coconut milk and check the label on whatever brand you buy. If you have a specific health concern, ask your doctor or a dietitian.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is coconut cream the same as coconut milk?

Nearly. Both are coconut flesh and water. Coconut cream has less water, so it's thicker and higher in fat.

Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut cream?

Yes. Simmer it gently so it thickens, or chill the can and use the thick layer from the top. The result will be a bit lighter than real cream.

Is light coconut milk just diluted coconut milk?

In practice, yes. It has more water and less fat. Under the Codex standard, light coconut milk has at least 5% fat compared with at least 10% for regular coconut milk.

Why does my canned coconut milk look separated?

That's normal for many brands. Thick cream rises to the top and thinner liquid sits underneath. Stir or shake the can before you use it, or spoon the top layer off if you want the cream.

Can I use cream of coconut in place of coconut cream?

No. Cream of coconut is sweetened and much sweeter than coconut cream, so it changes the taste of a dish.

The Rule of Thumb

Thin coconut milk for anything with a lot of liquid. Coconut cream for anything that should be thick and rich. If a recipe calls for one and you've got the other, add water or cook it down, and taste as you go.

Fresh coconut milk is also a good base for traditional drinks and desserts. Try it in our recipe for green grass jelly with coconut milk and coconut sugar.

Related Reading

• Benefit of coconut milk
• 11 useful products you can make from every part of the coconut
• 15 useful products made from coconut husk and shell

Fat percentages and the traditional first-press and second-press method are based on the Codex Alimentarius and Asian and Pacific Coconut Community standards, as summarized on Wikipedia's Coconut milk article.