How to Make Your Own Coconut Cream for Fresh Desserts

Coconuts are the classic tropical ingredients that can be used in a wide range of forms to simply give you a feel of the calm waves of the ocean. If you can’t travel to the beach every time you have an urge to get the tropical flavors, this article has a quick fix. There’s a simple solution to your get the beachy vibes – fresh coconut cream.

Freshly made coconut cream is also a versatile ingredient that can be used to make your desserts richer and creamier. While adding coconut cream to fresh desserts can be time-consuming, it is totally worth it. For making a healthier and fresh batch of coconut cream, here’s an easy recipe followed by the tips to follow before adding to your desserts.

Steps To Make Coconut Cream From Scratch

To make fresh coconut cream at home, you can use either packed shredded coconut or grate a fresh coconut.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup shredded coconut
2. 1 cup hot water

Instructions:

1. Take unsweetened coconut shreds and soak them in a bowl of hot water.
2. Let the coconut soften and then blend till you get a smooth and creamy consistency.
3. Sieve the mixture to get rid of excess water.
4. Once the liquid is drained, you’ll get thick coconut milk. Refrigerate it overnight.
5. Next day, you’ll spot a thick layer of cream skin on the top of coconut milk. Skim off the layer and you’ll get homemade coconut cream.

Tips To Make The Best Coconut Cream For Fresh Desserts

1. Choice Of Coconut

Choosing the right coconut is the most essential step to making the perfect batch of coconut cream. Freshly matured coconuts will give you a thicker cream than young coconuts. As a pro tip, you must pick coconuts that are heavy and have a dark brown shell. If you live in a part of the country where fresh coconuts are not available, you can use unsweetened coconut shreds. But make sure that there are no added preservatives, as they can hamper the quality of the homemade coconut cream.

2. Add Hot Water

Whether you are using fresh coconut or packed shreds of the fruit, it is important that you soak shredded coconut in hot water. This will help to break the coconut’s oil and fibers, making the cream quicker and richer. As a thumb rule, you can remember to add hot but not boiling water. Also, for the best results, if you are using 2 cups of coconut shreds, add 1 cup of hot water to get a thicker consistency.

3. Blending And Straining Techniques

Once the coconut is soft, you can mindfully blend it, but in small batches. It’s always better to pulse rather than blend everything in one go to ensure that all the contents are uniformly mixed. After you get a smooth consistency, you need to strain for a lump-free coconut cream. As per your convenience, you can use a fine strainer, sieve, or even a cheesecloth to get rid of the extra water. If you want to use coconut cream for desserts with a flowy consistency, like panna cotta or mousse, you can also strain twice and make sure there are no big residues.

4. Secrets For A Thick Layer Of Cream

To get a thick layer of homemade coconut cream, you must refrigerate the coconut milk after blending and straining. Just like the regular dairy-based milk, you’ll see a layer of thick cream depositing on the top of the container without any manual processing. But if you need to speed up the process, there are a few hacks as well. People who need coconut cream urgently can freeze for sometime instead of overnight refrigeration.

5. Storing Properly

If you want to store homemade coconut cream for a long time, you need to maintain its stability. While you do not want to add synthetic preservatives, you can always go for natural thickeners like agar-agar or guar gum. The plant-based ingredients will emulsify the mixture and keep the cream together for a longer duration. However, even after you achieve a thicker consistency, you need to store the homemade coconut cream in an airtight container at all times. If you want to store the cream for more than a week, it’s better to freeze and thaw before using it in fresh desserts.