Make Your Own Plant Milk: Homemade Coconut Milk

Making homemade plant milk is easy. Coconut milk is my favorite to cook with. It is creamy and rich. Making it from scratch is simple and fast.

The only issue to note is that it does have the distinctively delicious, sweet, coconut flavor. The unsweetened store-bought variety carries better in things like mashed potatoes and homemade vegan butter. But any recipe where the mild coconut flavor simply accentuates the intricate undertones, perfect for an Indian dish such as black rice lentil curry or desserts such as pumpkin pie with whipped cream, it is the ideal way to go back to basics. Oh, and it’s way cheaper.

How to make coconut milk: Since most of us don’t live in tropical locations where coconuts grow on trees, use raw organic shredded coconut.

I use an 8 ounce package. Place in a bowl, and cover with an equivalent amount of water. Allow it to hydrate for at least an hour.

Put hydrated coconut into Vitamix or high speed food processor. Add water that is double the coconut. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just eyeball it.

Blend for 3 minutes. Strain through a nut bag or ditch the nut bag and try a nylon alternative.

Add a tsp of vanilla and a tbsp of sugar. Or not.  Shake well before use, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.