Coconut Cream: What It Is, Nutrition & How to Use It

Coconut cream is one of the most useful pantry items for anyone who cooks plant-forward, lactose-free, or just wants more flavour from a can. It’s also the most confused: most Canadians don’t know the difference between coconut cream, coconut milk and the syrupy “cream of coconut” sold next to the rum.

Coconut cream vs coconut milk vs cream of coconut

Coconut milk: simmered, blended, strained coconut meat — a runny white liquid with 5–7% fat (light) or 17–20% fat (full-fat).

Coconut cream: the same product reduced further, with the watery liquid removed. Roughly 24–30% fat. Spoonable when chilled, melts smoothly when heated. The thick layer at the top of a refrigerated full-fat coconut milk can is essentially coconut cream.

Cream of coconut (Coco López, Coco Reál): a sweetened syrup with added sugar, used in piña coladas. About 40–50% sugar by weight. Not a cooking ingredient.

Nutrition per 100 g of unsweetened coconut cream

Calories: ~330 (most from fat).

Total fat: ~34 g, of which ~30 g is saturated. The saturated fats in coconut are predominantly medium-chain (lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid), which metabolise differently than animal saturated fats.

Carbohydrates: ~6 g (most as fibre and trace sugars).

Protein: ~3.5 g.

Iron: ~3 mg (about 17% of an adult’s RDA per 100 g).

How it compares to dairy heavy cream

Per 100 g, dairy heavy (35%) cream is ~340 calories with ~37 g fat (~22 g saturated, mostly long-chain) and 3 g sugar (lactose). Coconut cream is similar in calories but has zero lactose, more fibre and a different fat profile.

For people with lactose intolerance or anyone avoiding dairy, full-fat coconut cream is the closest 1:1 substitute for whipped cream, ganache, and creamy curries. Texture mimics dairy when chilled overnight.

For people specifically avoiding saturated fat for cardiovascular reasons, coconut cream is not a free pass — it has more saturated fat per gram than butter. Recent reviews from Health Canada and the AHA still recommend limiting it within an overall heart-healthy eating pattern.

How to use it

Curries: the foundational ingredient in Thai red, green and massaman curries. One can (400 mL coconut cream or full-fat milk) per 4 servings.

Whipped “dairy-free” cream: chill an unopened can of full-fat coconut cream overnight. Open without shaking. Scoop the solid cream off the top, whip with 1–2 tbsp icing sugar and a splash of vanilla. Holds its shape for 1–2 hours.

Soups: stirred into pumpkin, butternut, or curried lentil soups for a glossy finish.

Desserts: chocolate ganache, no-churn ice cream, dairy-free panna cotta.

Coffee: 1–2 tbsp in coffee or chai is a richer, lower-sugar alternative to flavoured coffee creamer.

Buying notes for Canadian shoppers

Look for: 100% coconut, no guar gum if you can find it (some find guar disrupts the texture; many high-quality brands include it).

Reputable brands at Canadian grocers: Cha’s Organic Coconut Cream, Aroy-D, Native Forest, Thai Kitchen, President’s Choice Organics. T&T and South Asian grocers carry a wider range at lower prices.

BPA-free linings: most premium brands (Native Forest, Cha’s) explicitly use BPA-free cans; conventional brands may not.

The bottom line

Coconut cream is the dairy-free cook’s most useful staple. Use full-fat unsweetened cans for curries, whip the chilled cream layer for desserts, and don’t confuse it with the sweetened cocktail product on a different shelf.

UnityLife is Canada’s wellness letter. Join the free Sunday edition for one well-researched read per week — sign up here.