Cream of coconut

Cream of coconut is a thick, heavily sweetened form of coconut milk which is used for making drinks (like Pina Colada) as well as desserts. See the ingredients below for these two popular brands include Coco Lopez and Cocoa Casa. Don't confuse this with coconut milk or coconut cream which are used in cooking many Asian savory and sweet dishes.

Do not use cream of coconut as a substitute for coconut cream or coconut milk.

Coconut Milk, Coconut Cream, Cream of Coconut Compared

Here is a quick comparison of these three common ingredients.

• Coconut Milk = Made from coconut extract, water, citric acid, assorted preservatives.
• Coconut Cream = Made from coconut, water and a thickener (like guar gum). No added sugar.
• Cream of coconut = Some are made from coconut (Cocoa Lopez) and Cocoa Casa is made from coconut water.  Both have added sugar and both have added thickeners and preservatives.

If you don't have cream of coconut you can substitute:

• Equal parts of coconut syrup (like Torani syrup)
• OR> Sweetened condensed milk with coconut extract to taste
• OR> Coconut Liqueur (Kalani is a good brand) plus a drop of coconut extract.  Use this for drinks but not for baking.