Coconut milk
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Pressed from coconut flesh.
Unsweetened coconut milk is almost all fat and very low in carbohydrate.
Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.
Rules by country
Coconut milk is a food and carries no E-number. It is covered by the coconut allergen declaration rules in the US, the EU, Canada and Australia, and by the food standards that fix what the product must contain.
What is it?
A tin of full-fat coconut milk is about 80% water and 20% fat, and the fat is roughly 90% saturated, mostly lauric acid. Light coconut milk has about half the fat, and coconut cream is the thicker version pressed from the same flesh. As a drink, the unsweetened versions are low in carbohydrate, around 2 grams per cup, and a small amount of sugar is added to most of the cartons sold as plant milk.
Where it comes from: Pressed from the white flesh of the coconut. The difference between coconut milk and coconut cream is mostly fat and thickness: the milk is thinner and lighter, the cream is the heavier version pressed a second time.
Why it’s in food
- Curries
- Coconut milk drinks
- Desserts
- Baking
- Vegan yogurt
Often found in
Also listed as: Coconut milk, Coconut cream, Canned coconut milk, Coconut milk, light, Coco milk
Health & gut impact
Coconut milk is the most saturated-fat-rich everyday food after butter and ghee. A 100 ml serving of full-fat coconut milk has about 18 grams of fat, and most of it is saturated.
Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
Most of the saturated fat is lauric acid, which raises HDL cholesterol more than it raises LDL. That is one reason the evidence on coconut oil is less negative than the evidence on butter, and one reason it is still not a neutral fat.
Mensink, Zock and Katan, dietary fatty acids and serum lipids (2003)
Coconut was added to the list of allergens the US has required on labels since 2021, and it is on the EU list as well. It is a tree nut in the labelling rules even though it is botanically a fruit.
US FASTER Act (2021) and EU Regulation 1169/2011 allergen list
What can I use instead?
Related
More plant milks:
Common questions
Is coconut milk healthy?
It is a plant food with no cholesterol and no lactose, which matters for some people, but it is also very high in saturated fat. Using the light version, or a small amount of the full-fat one in a curry that serves four, keeps it in a reasonable place.
Is coconut milk vegan?
Yes, it is pressed from coconut flesh. Nothing in it comes from an animal, which is why it is the most common plant substitute for cream.
What is the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream?
Coconut milk is the first pressing and is thinner and lighter. Coconut cream is what comes from pressing the same flesh again, and it is roughly twice as fatty and much thicker.
Is Coconut milk safe?
Use in moderation (70/100). Coconut milk is a food and carries no E-number. It is covered by the coconut allergen declaration rules in the US, the EU, Canada and Australia, and by the food standards that fix what the product must contain.
Is Coconut milk vegan?
Yes. Pressed from coconut flesh.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
- Mensink, Zock and Katan, dietary fatty acids and serum lipids (2003)
- US FASTER Act (2021) and EU Regulation 1169/2011 allergen list