The Type Of Canned Coconut Milk To Keep Out Of Your Cart

An essential ingredient when making Thai-inspired coconut and pumpkin soup or mango coconut tapioca pudding (aka mango sago), canned coconut milk is a versatile, shelf-stable option for a multitude of cooking and baking needs. However, when you're at the grocery store, or sitting at home placing an order from your phone or computer, there are several good reasons to avoid buying the "light" version.

Priyanka Naik, the self-taught celebrity chef, author, and host of the YouTube series "Make It Vegan," justifiably prefers full-fat coconut milk, and thankfully, she took time out from her busy schedule to tell Chowhound why. "Generally, low-fat coconut milk is just coconut milk with water added to it," she explains. "We can dilute full-fat pure coconut milk with water on our own if needed!" Naik, a busy culinary personality, promotes a clean vegan diet and shares recipes on Instagram and elsewhere online with full-fat coconut milk as a key ingredient, including a rose-infused lassi and butternut squash soup.

While avoiding excess saturated fat is generally a good idea, a can of light coconut milk is not only expensive (you're paying for added water), it also dilutes the protein, fats, and nutrients that full-fat coconut milk offers. As a result, substituting light coconut milk can alter a dish's texture and flavor, sometimes with disappointing results. "Most dishes — whether it's a curry, or a baked dish or beverage, call for full-fat coconut milk anyways," says Priyanka Naik. "It's the coconut fat that helps keep baked goods moist and provide the creamy consistency to a piña colada."

Full-fat coconut milk is the ideal marinade, making chicken breasts that tend toward dryness tender and flavorful in a recipe for Crispy Coconut Baked Chicken Breasts. It also makes for a pleasantly moist and chewy crumb, and sweet glaze in Coconut Baked Donuts. Don't hesitate to break it up, using the thick cream for a bright, tropical flavor elevating a mug of rich, hot chocolate or your morning cuppa joe, while incorporating the water into post-workout smoothies for an infusion of needed electrolytes.