Can coconut milk be reheated? - The complete guide

Coconut milk is a delicious dairy-free milk option that is sweet and satisfying. You can use it for just about anything you’d use regular dairy milk for, but the upside is that there’s no dairy. This makes coconut milk an optimal solution for anyone with any form of dairy intolerance.

Coconut milk is easy to heat and so delicious. Do you remember enjoying warm milk as a child? There’s something about that hot milk that makes it irresistible. It’s comforting and comforting, and it’s a wonderful treat, with the nutrition hidden inside.

Once you’ve heated the coconut milk, can you store it and reheat it? Since coconut milk is not a dairy product, you can heat and reheat it quite easily, both on the stove and in the microwave. 

We’ve put together an extensive guide to get you all the facts you need to know about coconut milk, as well as the proper ways to heat, store, and reheat coconut milk to ensure you don’t lose the integrity of the product.

Read on to learn everything there is to know about reheating coconut milk, and then some.

Coconut Milk Guide

Coconut milk comes in many different forms, from canned to carton to whole to fresh. Each one of them has its own qualities and uses, and basically it comes down to the preference or the use that you are going to give it, which could differentiate which one you should choose.

Here are some of the main forms of coconut milk that you can find when you go looking for it. 

• carton coconut milk
• Creamed Coconut Milk - Full Fat
• canned coconut milk
• powdered coconut milk

If you use coconut milk primarily for drinking or cold with cereal, then carton coconut milk is most likely the best choice. But there are varieties of coconut milk for a reason. Many Asian dishes use coconut milk in the sauce, and this is usually canned coconut milk.

Regardless of the form of coconut milk, it all comes from the same place: the meat of a coconut. Coconut milk and water are extracted from parts other than the coconut. The milk is obtained from the meat of the coconut, while the water is found in the center.

Coconut milk is a great alternative to dairy milk, but it also has many uses that milk could never have for you due to its dairy properties. For decades (and more), coconut milk has been a staple in foods like Thai, Vietnamese, Asian, Indian, and Filipino dishes.

Coconut milk is not limited to these areas, but has a proven history there. It’s more recently debuted elsewhere and has been seen primarily as a dairy alternative, but it really is so much more than that.

We believe it is important to understand how each type of coconut milk can be used and how it may affect your process when you use it. In the next section, we’ll break down each type of coconut milk in further explanation.

Explanation of the different forms of coconut milk

As we have mentioned above, coconut milk comes in various forms and each of them has its own uses. Therefore, we are going to break down each of them and tell you what they are mainly used for, as well as guide you through the different storage and reheating processes of each type.

We’ve decided that for the purposes of this guide, the easiest thing to do would be to separate each type of milk and break these details down into each category, so you can keep information clear between types of milk.

Let’s start with the coconut milk in a carton.

coconut milk in carton

If you pick up a carton of coconut milk at your local grocery store and take a look at the ingredients, this is what you’ll likely find.

The static list of ingredients will say something like

Coconut milk made with filtered water and coconut cream, cane sugar, 2% or less of a vitamin/mineral blend (calcium carbonate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12), sea salt, sunflower lecithin , locust bean gum, Gellan gum and natural aromas.

As you can see, a carton of coconut milk is much more than just coconut milk.  It has undergone a small process to make it comparable to dairy milk in consistency and texture and to sweeten the flavor.

You can also buy unsweetened coconut milk in the carton to avoid the processed sugars that carton coconut milk often contains. You will also notice that the vitamins and nutrients are additives and not simply the original form of the minerals.

Coconut milk storage in carton

Our main goal here is to reheat coconut milk in various forms. But you should know how that can affect storage methods. When you buy the coconut milk, you may find that it is not from the fridge section.

This is fine until you open the milk. Once opened, it must be stored in the refrigerator to prevent it from spoiling.

You can also freeze coconut milk to extend its shelf life. Refrigerated coconut milk lasts about 10-12 days, while frozen coconut milk lasts about 6 months.

To preserve coconut milk, it must be in a closed container. If the coconut milk is from a carton, you can keep it in the carton while it is stored in the fridge. If you keep it in the freezer, you should transfer it to an airtight container.

Once you have heated the coconut milk for its intended use, you can also store it again. This process follows the same rules as fresh storage. You don’t want to pour the heated coconut milk back into the carton , though , so put it in an airtight container of some kind.

reheat coconut milk carton

The recommended method for reheating coconut milk is on the stove, but you can use the microwave if you prefer. These are the steps to follow:

1. Let the milk thaw if it is frozen, taking it to the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Shake the coconut milk well.
3. Put it in a saucepan.
4. Set the heat to medium-high.
5. Use a whisk to stir the coconut milk during the heating process. We recommend a steady stirring motion for best results.
6. When the coconut milk begins to simmer, remove it from the heat.
7. Use it and enjoy it!

As you can see, reheating coconut milk is a simple process.

If you prefer to reheat the coconut milk in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir well.

You may need to add more time in 30-second increments if this doesn’t heat it up all the way. Be careful to stir each time you finish.

Whole coconut milk (coconut cream)

Cream of coconut or whole coconut milk is a little different to work with because it is thicker and creamier than typical coconut milk. It has a higher fat content and is best used in cooking or baking. 

Although you can heat, store, and reheat this form of coconut milk, it’s not the ideal solution. Full-fat coconut milk usually comes in a can, so it’s best to wait to open it until you need it.

However, it is inevitable that you will not use the whole can, so you need solutions.

Coconut Cream Storage

Storage of coconut cream is very similar to other forms of coconut milk. The main difference is that since it is a canned product, you will have to store it in its own airtight container.

Many people store it in airtight containers because it’s thick and that makes it easy to work with.

Once you have chosen the storage method, you can store the coconut cream in the fridge for about 7-10 days or you can can it and store it in the freezer for 4 months.

When you take it out of the freezer, it will need time to thaw before you use it. You can thaw the cream of coconut for 24 hours and it will still appear frozen. However, it will thaw out enough that you can work with it to reheat it.

Be sure to let it thaw in the fridge and use it within about 7 days of thawing.

Reheat the coconut cream

Reheating creme de coco (whole coconut milk) is quite similar to reheating the other forms of coconut milk. However, in this case, we do not recommend the reheating process in the microwave.

Since cream of coconut is a full-fat product which makes it thicker and creamier, the best way to reheat it is on the stove.

These are the steps to follow:

1. Let the milk (cream) thaw if you have stored it in the freezer.
2. Place the whole coconut milk in a saucepan. If it seems too thick, add a teaspoon of water.
3. Set the heat to medium and allow the cream to heat up.
4. Stir the cream constantly throughout the process with a spoon or whisk.
5. When the cream begins to simmer, remove it from the heat.
6. Serve and enjoy.

As you can see, this process is very similar to carton coconut milk. The main difference is that in this version you don’t need to stir constantly, but you do want to stir it repeatedly.

This is because it is a thicker version of coconut milk and beating it can cause it to break down and become too thin. 

canned coconut milk

Canned coconut milk is a bit different from carton coconut milk in the way it is originally processed and made. It is similar to full-fat coconut milk, but there are a few variables.

If you were to take a can of coconut milk and compare it to the carton, you would see a noticeable difference. Canned coconut milk is closer to the pure form of coconut milk and contains no additives or sugars for the most part.

The ingredient list for canned coconut milk would look more like this

Organic coconut milk from organic coconut water and guar gum.

Do you see a big difference between the ingredient list and what’s in your canned coconut milk? Canned coconut milk is also nutrition-dense, including naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, but they are not processed or added to milk like cartons.

Canned coconut milk can last a long time on your pantry shelf and is best stored that way until you are ready to use it.

However, if you open a can and don’t need all of it, you can store it like other types of milk. Canned coconut milk is thicker than carton coconut milk straight from the can , but it will have the same consistency when heated.

Storing canned coconut milk

Storage of canned coconut milk is, once again, very similar to that of the other types of coconut milk. Before opening it, simply store it in your pantry with other canned goods. Once opened, it must be refrigerated.

Store it in the fridge for up to 10 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Reheat Canned Coconut Milk

The best way to reheat canned coconut milk is in the kitchen. You can use the same methods for the microwave as for carton coconut milk, if that’s your preference.

These are the instructions for reheating on the stove. 

1. Let the milk thaw if necessary.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan.
3. Put the saucepan over medium heat on the stove.
4. Stir or whisk continuously while the milk is heating to prevent it from thickening or curdling.
5. When the milk begins to simmer, it is ready.
6. Remove from the heat and enjoy.

Related questions

We hope you have found this guide informative and useful for reheating coconut milk in its different forms.

We invite you to take a look at our questions and answers section for additional information.

Can coconut milk powder be reheated?

Powdered milk, like this one on Amazon, is highly processed to get it into a powdered form.

Reheating is not recommended.  Rather, you should only mix as much powdered milk as is needed at the time of use. It can be heated initially for use.

Is coconut milk healthy?

Coconut milk contains many minerals and nutrients found naturally in coconuts. The healthiest form is canned coconut milk, as carton or powdered coconut milk has been processed and often contains additives and sweeteners.

Coconut milk has many nutrients and even contains MCTs that can be nutritious.

What happens if the coconut milk boils?

It is very important to keep a close eye on the milk as it reheats and stop it when it just comes to a boil.

Boiling the coconut milk will ruin it and it will not taste good. Coconut milk is more likely to curdle or over-flavor if you let it boil.