Five Minutes to Dessert!
Before I begin, I know what song’s playing in your head… and yes, the video is at the end of this post. Get out those plastic hats and pull your turtleneck up to your nose… and Whip It. Whip it Good.
Coconut: You have probably heard a lot of talk about “Coconut this” or “Coconut that” lately. Hey, it’s your lucky day! More coconut! But today I’ll be showing you a few different ways to use that can of Coconut Milk you’ve seen at the market, but have never bothered to buy. Trust me. You’ll want to get a few cans on your next outing.
Of course, you can use it in soups and sauces… but today I’m concentrating on Two Desserts, and Two Ideas. The best part is that each of these can be easily made in FIVE MINUTES. There’s also no cooking involved!
There’s a Difference.
All Coconut milks are NOT created equally! As a matter of fact they are very different.
So far, in my testing, the best one I have found is from Sprouts, and the ingredients are: Organic Coconut, Water, Organic Guar Gum. This particular brand gave me the best, thickest, and creamiest results.
The First Step…
It is imperative that you chill your can in the refrigerator overnight. This will give the solids a chance to stiffen up. Once you’re ready to use the product, carefully open up the tin, and scoop out the hardened solid on top. There should be a bit more than ½ of the can that is usable. Set the liquid aside for another use.
Scoop the hardened coconut milk into a tall bowl and whip for about 30 seconds. I use a stick blender wth a whisk attachment, but it works just as well with a hand mixer. 
Once it’s mixed, the most difficult part is deciding what you’ll do with the whip.
As a rule, 1 Tbsp. of sugar is a good amount for a sweet-but-not-too-sweet taste. Adding a bit of vanilla or almond extract is also a nice way to change up the flavor.
The First Dessert: Chocolate Mousse
To the whipped coconut, add 2 Tbsp. unsweetened Cocoa and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Whip for 10 seconds and spoon into your glass. Top with a cherry and you’re done!
This is a wonderful alternative for your friends or family members who don’t eat milk products, because they’re not missing any of the creaminess. Honestly.
The Second Dessert: Coconut Cream Over Raspberries
Whip the Coconut Milk and add 1 Tbsp. Sugar. Whip again. Place raspberries in bowl, spoon Coconut Cream over berries. Top with dark chocolate chocolate chips.
Dessert Idea: Coconut Cream As A Topping
Last night I made Martha Stewart’s Pumpkin Bread, with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and a lot of Ginger. So, to complement the flavor, I used unsweetened Coconut Cream and sprinkled Cinnamon Sugar over the top of it. I think this would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving dinner!
Of Course You Can Drink The Milk
If you whip the entire contents of the tin when it’s room temp, you’ll end up with a beautifully frothy glass of rich Coconut Milk. YUM!
It’s so delicious you don’t need to add any sugar, but it’s a nice change to add a few drops of almond extract.
So What Do You Think?
Have I sparked your interest?
Do you use Coconut Milk? What have you made before?
Now that you’ve read through these ideas, what will YOU do with Coconut Milk?
I’d love to hear your ideas!
And for those of you who grew up in the 80’s like me, a little nostalgia…
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Sockmonkey's Kitchen 
This makes me so happy. Being dairy-free has been challenging, and this fits the bill beautifully! Yay for chocolate mousse! 🙂
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So glad I had the answer to that challenge 🙂 The chocolate makes it SO tasty! I bet chocolate curls on top would be pretty too!
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Heat it up, melt 60-70% cacao (good) dark chocolate into the coconut milk, and stir until it is mixed well. Chill the chocolate mix for a few hours (or overnight), and you can eat it like pudding OR make coconut milk whipped cream and fold it into the pudding mixture for a mousse like texture. So good! Also works well as chocolate cream pie when poured into an almond flour crust (topped with more coconut milk whipped cream sweetened with honey or maple syrup, or coconut palm sugar for a caramel like flavor). I also just mix toasted, salted cashews and sliced bananas into the pudding to cut the sweetness and eat it out of the bowl.
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Holy Cow, Jen – you’re amazing!
Those are fantastic ideas! I especially love the idea of the cashews & bananas. You’re awesome! =0)
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Coconut and I are becoming well acquainted friends 🙂
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I have so wanted to find other uses for coconut milk, and you’ve inspired me. Can’t wait to taste what happens when next I open a can of coconut milk. Thank you!
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Of course! I will warn you… it is very addictive 😉
I’m also thinking it would be a fun topping for Cocoa, since it holds its shape for a very long time.
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Cocoa…ooh, yes!
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I love this! What a fantastic post. Definitely want to try the coconut milk — I’ve only ever had it in Thai food, I think. It’ll be fun to whip it, and I’m so glad you included that classic Devo song at the end. What a blast.
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So glad to help 😉
Yep, if I’d called it Whip It and not put in the DEVO…. well, that woud be wrong LOL
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Yum, whipped coconut milk sounds wonderful. Especially love the idea of pairing it with fresh fruit.
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Thanks! I bet it would be perfect with grilled peaches… now you’ve got me thinking!
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Funny you would write about coconut milk this week, when I just discovered it 3 weeks ago, to cook with it! Here’s my new favorite!
Coconut Applesauce
6 Granny Smith apples, sectioned
2 Fuji or Honeycrist apples, sectioned
1T Pumpkin Pie spice
Coconut milk to desired consistency.
Bake Pumpkin Pie spice coated apples spread out on a baking sheet for 50-60 minutes, til soft. Place half the baked apples at a time in the blender, adding coconut milk to puree to desired consistency.
MMMMMMMMMM!
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WOW that sounds fantastically delicious! I will absolutely be trying that! And, those are my two favorite apples =0)
Thanks!!!
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That mousse looks absolutely awesome! Bookmarking this page. 😀
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Thank you so much Valerie! I must tell you – I made the Chocolate Mousse last night for my gluten-free dairy-free friend who had come to visit me this weekend. It literally took 4 minutes from start to finish and I do believe she has a new favorite dessert =0)
I also sent her a “to go” cup of coffee for her trip with a large spoonful of the Chocolate mousse stirred in. She said it was fabulous! yay!
(PS: thanks for following the blog!)
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