40 fabulous recipes with coconut milk

QUESTION: What's convenient to stash in the pantry, white and creamy and dairy-free, and as thick as house paint? Of course, it's coconut milk. Every cuisine incorporates coconut milk; think of curries, soups, sauces, smoothies, and even ice cream. For vegans and folks on a dairy-free food plan, coconut milk stands in perfectly for heavy cream in many recipes, including baked goods like brownies. If you have a few cans of coconut milk in your pantry -- and you should, always -- try some of these ideas for new ways to cook with it, from some of my favorite food blogs. Most of these recipes are dairy-free. All are super tasty.

Appetizers

Chicken satay, from The Perfect Pantry
Roasted shrimp appetizer with spicy peanut sauce, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut curry mussels, from Lemons and Anchovies
Hawaiian coconut shrimp appetizer, from Worth the Whisk
Chile basil coconut ceviche, from Aida Mollenkamp

Soups

Creamy Indian spiced vegan sweet potato soup, from The Perfect Pantry
Quick and easy Thai curry coconut soup with tofu and vegetables, from The Perfect Pantry
Ginger coconut milk soup, from 101 Recipes
Tomato chickpea and coconut soup, from Love and Lemons
Sweet potato soup with quinoa and coconut milk, from A Veggie Venture
Creamy curried cauliflower soup, from The Kitchn
Tom kha gai, from Rasa Malaysia
Coconut shrimp soup, from Gimme Some Oven
Smoky sweet corn soup, from Nutmeg Nanny

Stews and curries

Caribbean chicken curry with butternut squash and red bell pepper, from The Perfect Pantry
Moqueca/Brazilian fish stew, from The Perfect Pantry
Jamaican run down, from The Perfect Pantry
Slow cooker Caribbean pepper pot, from The Perfect Pantry
Crockpot sweet and spicy ground turkey and sweet potato stew with coconut milk, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Vegetarian stew with quinoa, butternut squash, and coconut milk, from Cookin' Canuck
Curried vegetable and chickpea stew, from The Kitchn
Sudado de pescado al coco (fish stew with coconut), from My Colombian Recipes
Vegetable and paneer stew in spiced coconut milk, from eCurry
Aloo gobi: potato and cauliflower curry with coconut milk, from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Main dishes

Green curry fish with asparagus and peas, from The Perfect Pantry
Slow cooker Thai red curry turkey, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut peanut rice bowl with turkey, broccoli and mushrooms, from The Perfect Pantry
Chicken breasts with cilantro and Thai red curry peanut sauce, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass, from The Kitchn
Thai pork chops in ginger coconut sauce, from Steamy Kitchen
Grilled salmon with Thai coconut curry sauce, from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Garlic shrimp in coconut milk, tomatoes and cilantro, from Skinnytaste

Sweets and smoothies

Avocado coconut milk ice cream, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting, from Simply Recipes
Clean eating coconut milk smoothie, from The Gracious Pantry
Coconut tres leches cupcakes, from How Sweet Eats
Roast banana-pumpkin breakfast bread, from 101 Cookbooks
Paleo peach coconut smoothie, from Cook Eat Paleo
Skinny green tropical smoothie, from Skinnytaste
Salted coconut caramel brownies, from The First Mess

So many great recipe ideas. Which will you try first?

Appetizers

Chicken satay, from The Perfect Pantry
Roasted shrimp appetizer with spicy peanut sauce, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut curry mussels, from Lemons and Anchovies
Hawaiian coconut shrimp appetizer, from Worth the Whisk
Chile basil coconut ceviche, from Aida Mollenkamp

Soups

Creamy Indian spiced vegan sweet potato soup, from The Perfect Pantry
Quick and easy Thai curry coconut soup with tofu and vegetables, from The Perfect Pantry
Ginger coconut milk soup, from 101 Recipes
Tomato chickpea and coconut soup, from Love and Lemons
Sweet potato soup with quinoa and coconut milk, from A Veggie Venture
Creamy curried cauliflower soup, from The Kitchn
Tom kha gai, from Rasa Malaysia
Coconut shrimp soup, from Gimme Some Oven
Smoky sweet corn soup, from Nutmeg Nanny

Stews and curries

Caribbean chicken curry with butternut squash and red bell pepper, from The Perfect Pantry
Moqueca/Brazilian fish stew, from The Perfect Pantry
Jamaican run down, from The Perfect Pantry
Slow cooker Caribbean pepper pot, from The Perfect Pantry
Crockpot sweet and spicy ground turkey and sweet potato stew with coconut milk, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Vegetarian stew with quinoa, butternut squash, and coconut milk, from Cookin' Canuck
Curried vegetable and chickpea stew, from The Kitchn
Sudado de pescado al coco (fish stew with coconut), from My Colombian Recipes
Vegetable and paneer stew in spiced coconut milk, from eCurry
Aloo gobi: potato and cauliflower curry with coconut milk, from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Main dishes

Green curry fish with asparagus and peas, from The Perfect Pantry
Slow cooker Thai red curry turkey, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut peanut rice bowl with turkey, broccoli and mushrooms, from The Perfect Pantry
Chicken breasts with cilantro and Thai red curry peanut sauce, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass, from The Kitchn
Thai pork chops in ginger coconut sauce, from Steamy Kitchen
Grilled salmon with Thai coconut curry sauce, from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Garlic shrimp in coconut milk, tomatoes and cilantro, from Skinnytaste

Sweets and smoothies

Avocado coconut milk ice cream, from The Perfect Pantry
Coconut cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting, from Simply Recipes
Clean eating coconut milk smoothie, from The Gracious Pantry
Coconut tres leches cupcakes, from How Sweet Eats
Roast banana-pumpkin breakfast bread, from 101 Cookbooks
Paleo peach coconut smoothie, from Cook Eat Paleo
Skinny green tropical smoothie, from Skinnytaste
Salted coconut caramel brownies, from The First Mess

So many great recipe ideas. Which will you try first?

Comments

What a great collection. I'm a huge fan of coconut milk and so many of these ideas sounds good!

Kalyn, I can't imagine my pantry without a few cans of coconut milk stored there at all times.

I'm a coconut lover & happy to see your new collection. I've never used it in a stew before. The salted coconut caramel brownie recipe - Oh MY. My daughter studied abroad in Thailand years back and turned us into Coconut Mango Sticky Rice fanatics (sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. A divine breakfast! Thanks Lydia.

Donna, sticky rice for breakfast sounds fantastic! Hope you find some new recipes to try here.

Didn't know one could do so many things with that one ingredient. Love it! ;-) Also love the new look/new header. Awesome!

Thank you soo much I was looking for ways to use coconut milk

Kim, so many good ideas here. Have fun!