Coconut is not a dessert ingredient, and these 28 coconut recipes are the argument. The savory half opens with Thai coconut curry soup, slow cooker coconut ginger chicken, baked coconut onion rings, gluten free coconut shrimp and a coconut lime salmon that bakes in a foil packet in about twelve minutes. Then the sweet half turns up: an old-fashioned coconut cream pie with a from-scratch crust, a lemon coconut cake layered with curd, macaroons, truffles, date balls and pastel meringue nests. One warning worth reading before you shop, because coconut turns up here in four different forms. Shredded sweetened coconut, unsweetened flakes, canned coconut milk and coconut oil are not interchangeable, and swapping one for another is how a recipe goes wrong. If you think you dislike coconut, start with something savory. It is usually the sugar you object to.
Easy Coconut Recipes
1. Vegan Coconut Curry Soup
Thirty five minutes for a noodle soup that tastes like it came from a restaurant. Two tablespoons of red curry paste and grated ginger fry in sesame oil for a minute before the onion and garlic go in, which is the step that stops curry paste tasting raw. Then coconut sugar, liquid aminos, a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk and three cups of vegetable broth. Thai basil, spinach and lime go in at the end. Cook the noodles separately if you plan on leftovers.
Get the full tutorial at Jessica In The Kitchen.
2. Coconut Potato Curry
Cashews get gently roasted in the oil with cumin seeds before anything else goes near the pan, and that one step is why this tastes richer than the ingredient list suggests. Steamed whole baby potatoes get tossed to coat, then tomato paste loosened with half a cup of water and cherry tomatoes simmer five to eight minutes. Mash any tomato that has gone soft. Coconut milk and peas go in last and simmer until the sauce thickens, then a handful of chopped basil.
Get the full tutorial at Joanne Eats Well With Others.
3. Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables
Do not shake the cans of coconut milk. The milk itself gets poured over the chicken early on, while the cup or so of thick cream spooned off the top is held back, whisked with cornstarch and stirred in near the end as the thickener. Garlic, a two inch cube of ginger and a sweet onion get pulsed into a paste in a mini food processor and cooked in butter and oil before the 2.5 pounds of chicken thighs go in. Cumin, coriander and a teaspoon and a half of turmeric season it. Serves eight.
Get the full tutorial at Simple Bites.
4. Coconut Baked Onion Rings
Baked, not fried, and a whole batch uses half an onion. The coating is two dishes: almond meal with salt and pepper in one, half a cup of unsweetened coconut flakes mixed with two extra tablespoons of almond meal in the other, with egg whites in between. Each ring gets almond meal, then egg white, then coconut. Eight minutes at 400 degrees, a careful flip, then six to eight minutes more until golden. Serves two, and they are gluten free.
Get the full tutorial at Running To The Kitchen.
5. Coconut Cream Pie
Old fashioned and made from scratch, right down to the pastry. A cup of very cold butter gets cut into two and a half cups of flour until small pieces are still visible, and the dough rests at least twenty minutes before it gets rolled into a twelve inch round for a ten inch plate. The filling is three cups of whole milk thickened with flour and three egg yolks, with a full cup of unsweetened fine coconut. A quarter teaspoon of almond extract is the secret. Serves twelve.
Get the full tutorial at Rock Recipes.
6. Gluten Free Coconut Shrimp
Four ingredients: a pound of large shrimp, a cup of gluten free all purpose flour, a 13.33 ounce can of full fat coconut milk and eight ounces of sweetened coconut shreds. The coconut milk replaces the egg wash entirely, which is what makes it work. The step people skip is the one that matters, though, so do not skip it: the coated shrimp go in the fridge for one to two hours before they are cooked, or the coating slides off. Leave the tails on the large ones.
Get the full tutorial at Delicious Little Bites.
7. Coconut Cake
A quarter cup of dry coconut or vanilla pudding mix goes into the dry ingredients, which is the bakery trick that keeps a white cake from drying out. The butter is beaten into the flour a cube at a time until it looks like coarse crumbs, then a full cup of canned coconut milk, buttermilk, four egg whites and one whole egg. Bake eighteen to twenty two minutes depending on your pan depth. Cream cheese buttercream and a cup and a half of coconut on the outside. Sixteen servings.
Get the full tutorial at Modern Honey.
8. Rava Coconut Laddu
Semolina and coconut get toasted together in ghee over a medium low flame for eight to ten minutes, and you stop when the nutty smell arrives rather than when a timer goes. A cup of fine sugar and cardamom powder get mixed in for twenty to thirty seconds, and then the heat goes off. Boiling water follows, a quarter cup first and then a tablespoon at a time. Cover the pan for three to five minutes before rolling. Almonds or cashews and raisins go in at the start. Makes eighteen.
Get the full tutorial at Cook With Kushi.
9. Best Coconut Macaroons
The difference between these and the three ingredient kind is a cooked sugar syrup. Three tablespoons of water, two thirds of a cup of sugar, a tablespoon of light corn syrup and half a teaspoon of salt get boiled and stirred into fourteen ounces of sweetened shredded coconut, then the mixture cools twenty minutes before whipped egg whites and vanilla get folded through. Fourteen to eighteen minutes at 350 degrees. Makes twenty four, chewy inside and properly crisp at the edges.
Get the full tutorial at Mom On Timeout.
10. Lemon Coconut Cake
Two cups of lemon curd between the layers and two cups of shredded coconut pressed onto the outside, so it reads as a coconut cake and then surprises everyone. The batter takes five egg whites, cake flour and a cup of shredded sweetened coconut, plus half a teaspoon of almond extract alongside the vanilla. Bake twenty six minutes. The frosting is two full packages of cream cheese and six cups of powdered sugar, beaten four to five minutes. Sixteen servings.
Get the full tutorial at Shugary Sweets.
11. Thai Butternut Squash Curry with Coconut Milk
Twenty five minutes for a curry, which is the reason to bookmark it. Coconut oil, two tablespoons of Thai red curry paste, grated garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric fry for one minute until fragrant, then a 400ml can of coconut milk, canned diced tomatoes and half a cup of water go in. A pound of cubed butternut simmers about fifteen minutes until tender, then four or five sliced chard leaves wilt in at the end. Serves four over rice, regular or cauliflower.
Get the full tutorial at Gourmande In The Kitchen.
12. Coconut Chicken Tenders
The coating is where the thinking went: panko breadcrumbs mixed with a cup of chopped sweetened coconut and a teaspoon of smoked paprika, with flour and beaten egg as the two stages before it. Chopping the coconut rather than leaving it in long shreds is what stops it burning in the oil. Fry in half an inch of oil at 350 degrees. The dip is half a cup of mayonnaise, half a cup of sweet chili sauce and a tablespoon of sriracha. Serves six.
Get the full tutorial at Taste and Tell.
13. Easy Coconut Dream Loaf
Enriched bread rather than cake, which makes it the only loaf on this list you could reasonably eat for breakfast. The dough takes half a cup of coconut cream, a quarter cup of water, sugar, an egg, instant yeast and two and a half cups of bread flour, kneaded until the butter or coconut oil is fully absorbed and the dough is smooth. The filling is a cup of desiccated coconut with sugar, butter, a beaten egg and vanilla. An egg wash of one egg and a tablespoon of milk goes on before baking.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
14. 3-Ingredient Coconut Lime Salmon
Three ingredients and fifteen minutes, which is about as close to nothing as dinner gets. A pound and a half of salmon sits on a sheet of foil with the sides turned up, canned coconut milk gets poured over, then the juice of a lime, the zest and a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt. Fold the foil closed, pinch the ends, and bake at 400 degrees for ten to twelve minutes until it flakes. Open the packet carefully, because the steam comes out fast.
Get the full tutorial at My Kitchen Love.
15. 3 Ingredient Coconut Truffles
Three cups of coconut flakes and half a cup of condensed milk, mixed and scooped with a one tablespoon cookie scoop, then chilled thirty minutes so they hold. Twelve ounces of melted semi sweet chocolate chips do the dipping, and a sprinkle of extra shredded coconut on top goes on before the chocolate sets. Back in the fridge for another thirty minutes. Makes eighteen. Sweetened or unsweetened flakes both work, and unsweetened makes them considerably less sweet.
Get the full tutorial at Veronika's Kitchen.
16. Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes
Three separate components, and the middle one is the reason to bother. After the chocolate cupcakes cool, a small hole gets cut in the center of each and filled with a cooked coconut filling made from heavy cream, sugar, butter, cornstarch and four ounces of sweetened shredded coconut. Vanilla buttercream and toasted coconut go on top. The batter itself uses half a cup of hot coffee and half a cup of sour cream, which is why it stays so dark and damp. Makes twelve.
Get the full tutorial at Baker By Nature.
17. Thumbprint Cookies
The coconut is optional in the original recipe and it is the reason this one is here, so do not skip it. After the dough chills thirty minutes, each one inch ball gets rolled in lightly beaten egg white and then in a cup of coconut flakes before the thumbprint goes in and raspberry jam fills it. Ten minutes at 350 degrees. Makes thirty six, and the dough keeps in the fridge up to two days if you want to spread the work.
Get the full tutorial at Unicorns In The Kitchen.
18. Blueberry Coconut Crisp
Four cups of fresh blueberries with two thirds of a cup of sugar, two tablespoons of cornstarch and a teaspoon of lime juice, which is the ingredient that stops the fruit tasting flat. The topping is flour, old fashioned oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and a full cup of sweetened shredded coconut, with six tablespoons of softened salted butter worked in until crumbly. Thirty to thirty five minutes at 350 degrees in a nine inch dish. Serves six, and ice cream is not optional.
Get the full tutorial at Spicy Southern Kitchen.
19. Coconut Oil Crepes
The milk goes in lukewarm, microwaved a minute on high, and that is what keeps the batter from seizing when the coconut oil hits it. Two eggs, two and a half cups of that warm milk, a third of a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of baking soda and two tablespoons of honey come first, then a cup of flour whisked in gradually, then the liquid coconut oil and vanilla last. A quarter cup of batter in a ten inch skillet, about a minute a side. Serves four to six.
Get the full tutorial at Little Broken.
20. Coconut Date Balls
Five ingredients, ten minutes, no oven. Seven ounces of pitted dates, a third of a cup of whole natural almonds, half of a quarter cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of coarse sea salt go in a food processor until finely processed. The other two tablespoons of coconut wait on a plate for rolling. Makes twelve and they keep a week in an airtight container. Nothing sweetens them but the dates.
Get the full tutorial at A Classic Twist.
21. Coconut Knots
Two sheets of shop-bought puff pastry, cut into strips and tied into loose knots, which takes about ten minutes and looks like a bakery bought them. The egg wash gets two teaspoons of coconut extract stirred in, so the coconut flavor is in the pastry as well as the glaze. Twenty minutes at 400 degrees until golden, then a glaze of powdered sugar, more coconut extract and enough milk to loosen it, and a third of a cup of shredded coconut over the top. Makes six.
Get the full tutorial at Dash of Sanity.
22. Chinese Coconut Pudding
Five ingredients and about five minutes of actual cooking. A quarter cup of gelatin softens in one and three quarter cups of whole milk while a can of coconut milk, a cup of honey and a pinch of salt heat together for about three minutes, whisking constantly. The gelatin mixture goes in, then the whole lot pours into an eight by eight pan to set in the fridge. Cut it into squares to serve. Honey is the only sweetener and it makes sixteen servings.
Get the full tutorial at The Honest Spoonful.
23. Coconut Wrap With Grilled Shrimp
Two pounds of large shrimp, about thirty of them, marinate thirty minutes in garlic, grated ginger, three tablespoons each of tamari, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar plus toasted sesame oil. They come back to room temperature for fifteen minutes before they hit the pan, which is why they cook in five. Six coconut wraps get warmed in a skillet, then filled with the shrimp, a spicy mayo of sriracha and lime, sliced scallions and cilantro.
Get the full tutorial at Rue Magazine.
24. 5-Minute Cinnamon Toasted Coconut Chips
Two ingredients. A cup and a half of thick coconut flakes and a teaspoon of cinnamon, spread on a cookie sheet and toasted at 325 degrees for about five minutes, stirred halfway so they brown evenly. Stand there while they do it, because coconut goes from golden to burnt faster than almost anything. Let them cool completely before eating or the texture is wrong. Coconut sugar sprinkled over makes them sweet if you want that. Three servings.
Get the full tutorial at Healy Eats Real.
25. Banana Granola with Coconut
A whole pureed ripe banana goes into the wet mix alongside a third of a cup of maple syrup, melted peanut butter and melted coconut oil, which means far less sugar than most granola. Three cups of rolled oats, chopped walnuts, half a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, salt and cinnamon make up the dry side. Twenty five to thirty minutes at 350 degrees, stirred once, then three quarters of a cup of banana chips go in after it cools. Makes five cups.
Get the full tutorial at Our Happy Mess.
26. Coconut Pecan Snowballs
Six ingredients and no eggs. A cup of shortening, half a cup of powdered sugar, two cups of flour, three quarters of a cup of shredded coconut, three quarters of a cup of finely chopped toasted pecans and vanilla get beaten together and rolled into scant one inch balls. Twenty to twenty two minutes at 325 degrees, just until set. Roll them in the remaining powdered sugar straight out of the oven, and be gentle, because they break easily while hot. Makes thirty six.
Get the full tutorial at The Gold Lining Girl.
27. No Bake Mango Coconut Chia Pudding
A quarter cup of chia seeds whisked vigorously into a cup of toasted coconut and cashew nut milk with a teaspoon and a half of maple syrup, then left in the fridge to set. Whisking hard matters here, because chia clumps the second you stop. Once it is set, a mango gets pureed smooth and spooned over the top, then coconut flakes, a squeeze of lime and slices of kiwi and strawberry. Serves two and there is no cooking at all.
Get the full tutorial at Jessica In The Kitchen.
28. Coconut Meringue Nests
Four egg whites, a quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar and three quarters of a cup of superfine sugar, flavored with coconut and lemon extract and tinted with a drop of pastel gel coloring. They bake at 200 degrees for ninety minutes and then stay in the switched-off oven until completely cool, which is the step that keeps them from cracking. Filled with whipped cream folded through two tablespoons of coconut cream and lemon curd. Makes eight.
Get the full tutorial at A Classic Twist.
