I’ve been making my own coconut cream for about a month now and let me tell you, folks. It’s a total game changer. Sure, you can buy cans of coconut cream but those have nothing on this homemade version, not to mention that you’ll pay for one tiny can of cream just as much as the cost to make 3 cups worth of this better tasting, better textured version. You can make this coconut cream sweetened or unsweetened(just leave out the dates and vanilla), but the sweetened version is incredible served with a bowl of berries, or on top of just about any dessert. It reminds me of vanilla ice cream. Its silky smooth, melts in your mouth, and has just the perfect amount of sweetness thanks to my favorite natural sweetener as of late, Medjool dates.
Are you convinced yet?
The process is simple, though it does require a high speed blender and a slightly unusual ingredient: Sunflower Lecithin. This secret ingredient keeps the fat from solidifying into a hard mass so that the cream is smooth and luscious. I keep a bottle in my pantry always as it is something I use for coconut milks and raw desserts. One bottle will last a good long time. This is the kind I have been using:
Update – Many of you have said the link to the sunflower lecithin is not working – The brand I use is Now Foods Sunflower Liquid Lecithin, 16 Ounce
You can use any kind of date to sweeten this cream, but I prefer medjool. Since they are usually softer and less tough than other dates, they blend into the cream more easily and don’t leave little pieces floating around.
You can use this cream like you would any whipped cream, but stay tuned because I have an amazing super clean dessert that uses it coming up soon!
ITEMS USED TO MAKE THIS CREAM:
- 8 cups Unsweetened Flaked Coconut, packed
- 7 Medjool Dates, pits removed
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla
- 2 teaspoons Sunflower Lecithin
- Hot Water
- Place the dates, vanilla, and sunflower lecithin in the base of a high speed blender. Add the coconut to the blender, patting down slightly to level.
- Pour hot water into the blender until it just covers the coconut.
- Cover with the lid and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Blend the coconut and water, slowly working your way up to high speed, for 2 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a nutmilk bag placed inside a large bowl.
- Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the bag and into the bowl. Discard the solids(or save for smoothies, cookies, breads, etc).
- Pour the liquid into a large glass container(I use to glass quart jars).. You should have about 6 cups of liquid, total. Cover the jars and set in the fridge.
- Let the jars sit in the refrigerator for 3 days, untouched. Over the course of those three days, the water is going to separate out of the coconut milk and the thick cream is going to collect on top. At the end of three days you will have jars that are half water(on the bottom), and half cream(on the top).
- Scoop the cream off the top and use as desired. Discard water.
- Keep cream refrigerated and use within a few days.
Oh my!! Can’t wait to try this incredible cream. Just hope I can find all these ingredients.
Hope you get to try it! xo
This looks so good! What is the weight of the 8 cups of coconut flakes you used? (I’m concerned that I might pack them too much or little. Weights are more definitive than volume.)
Thank you!
I wish I knew the weight! The scale I use recently broke and I haven’t replaced it yet. If it helps, I use a thick, flaked dried coconut and I lightly pack it in to the blender. Since the water will eventually separate out, I wouldn’t worry too much about having the coconut amount exact. It will still be the same consistency once the water separates from the fat. =)
This is incredible, Kayley! Definitely going to give this a go ASAP xo
Thanks Lady! Hope you like it! xo
This looks so great! What form of the sunflower lecithin did you use? Online I am seeing it comes as a powder and a liquid. Also is that a necessary ingredient for the recipe to work? Thanks I can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Ellie, I use a liquid form of sunflower lecithin. There should be a link to the one I use in the post. You could try making the cream without, but it does help the cream to maintain a smooth texture and keeps the fats from solidifying too much.
You read my mind. I tried using canned coconut cream last week and wasn’t impressed. Was wondering how to make my own sweetened with dates, and here it is! Thank you!
Perfect timing! Let me know how you like it if you make it 🙂
So does the cream taste like coconut at all? It looks delicious and I am always trying to use healthy fats (4 months prego) But I don’t like coconut. Whether it does or not I will make it for my mother in law!!! Also for people unfamiliar with lecithin, it has many many health benefits, especially for the brain and liver! I always make sure to buy the non-gmo sunflower lecithin.
It does, a bit. Not as strong as the canned version, though. Its more subtle.
Isn’t sunflower lecithin great! Lecithin gets a bad rap because of soy, but sunflower is full of benefits!
Hey Kayley,
This recipe sounds brilliant! never used sunflower lecithin before..very curious to give this a try. Will keep you updated on how this turns out once I have all the ingredients sorted out.
Thanks Meghna! I hope you like it!
I feel a LOT more excited than I should about this cream….although, c’mon! coconut cream!!! *cups both cheeks, home-alone-style*. Amazing recipe and idea, Kayley <3
I’m all over this! Canned coconut cream always has a stale, “off” taste to me, so I can’t wait to try your method. Stunning photos as always. <3
Thank you Beauty! It does have a totally different taste than canned…so much fresher! ??
Wow, gorgeous photos as always! Been following on instagram and your photography is very inspiring. I will definitely be trying this recipe sometime soon, I use a lot of coconut in my cooking and this cream will be so good on my morning oatmeal! Just loving this idea! I will try making it without the sunflower lecithin, though. I know that people say it’s healthy, but ultimately it is a highly refined oil and there’s tons of evidence that highly refined things are bad for us, like white sugar, white flour, even olive oil (I know, I was sad 🙁 ). I will report back if it works without it! I have high hopes! xx Leah
Did it work without the lecithin?
Very good information!!