5 Best Coconut Milk Replacements for Any Recipe

Coconut milk is a widely used dairy alternative, offering a plant-based option that’s free from both lactose and milk proteins. It’s a key ingredient in everything from beverages to baked goods, desserts, and more.

If you’ve run out of coconut milk while making your favorite curry or ceviche, take a look in your pantry and fridge to see if you have one of these five substitutes on hand.

What Exactly Is Coconut Milk?

Coconut milk is a thick, creamy liquid extracted from the flesh of coconuts. With a fat content of 21%, it’s a versatile ingredient that adds sweetness, richness, and an extra layer of flavor when incorporated into dishes.

Coconut milk is a staple in Southeast Asian, Polynesian, and Latin American cuisines. It’s commonly used in savory dishes like coconut rice, curries, and stews, as well as in desserts such as mango sticky rice, puddings, and cakes. If you ever run out of canned coconut milk for a recipe, don’t worry—there are other ingredients that can mimic its characteristics.

Top Coconut Milk Replacements

Coconut Cream

Coconut cream contains slightly more fat and similar amounts of protein and sugar compared to coconut milk. The key difference is in the water content; coconut cream has less water, which makes it a great substitute in most recipes that call for coconut milk.

Because of its lower water content, coconut cream is thicker and sweeter than coconut milk. You can dilute it with water to adjust the thickness and sweetness to your liking. A general guideline is to use ½ cup of water per 1 cup of coconut cream to achieve a consistency similar to coconut milk.

Get the recipe: Maja Blanca (Coconut Pudding)

Nut Butters

If your recipe calls for both coconut milk and nut butter, such as peanut or almond butter, you can replace all of the coconut milk with the nut butter. Since nut butters are low in water and contain more than twice the fat of coconut milk, you’ll need to thin them out with water to achieve a similar consistency.

To substitute one can (14 fluid ounces) of coconut milk, like in our Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce recipe, use ounces of peanut butter (either smooth or chunky) and 1¼ cups of water. Blend the peanut butter with some water to break it down, and gradually add more water to reach the desired fluid consistency.

Cream

If dairy isn't an issue for you, heavy cream or half-and-half can be excellent substitutes for coconut milk at a 1:1 ratio. Since coconut milk has a fat content between heavy cream and half-and-half, the texture of your dish may vary slightly—thicker or thinner—depending on which option you choose.

Despite their high-fat content, dairy products can curdle when exposed to heat. To prevent this, add heavy cream or half-and-half towards the end of cooking or use lower heat.

If you're vegan, using heavy cream or half-and-half isn't an option as both are animal-derived dairy products. They’re also unsuitable for those who are lactose intolerant, as consuming them can lead to digestive issues like cramps and diarrhea unless they’re lactose-free.

Yogurt

Like heavy cream and half-and-half, higher-fat plain yogurts can be a good substitute for coconut milk, offering a similar creamy texture and color. However, since yogurt has a lower fat content than coconut milk, the consistency may be slightly thinner when substituting 1:1.

Just like other high-fat dairy products, yogurt can curdle when heated. It’s best to add it towards the end of cooking or use low, gentle heat to prevent this.

Plant-based Beverages

For recipes where the fat content isn't crucial for texture, you can use plant-based beverages—like coconut milk beverage, almond, cashew, macadamia, oat, soy, or hemp milk—as alternatives to coconut milk.

These plant-based beverages work well in smoothies, coffees, and specialty drinks. However, they often have distinct flavors and are lower in fat, so they may not be the best substitute for coconut milk in cooking or baking where both flavor and texture are important.