Coconut Syrup
This easy toasted Coconut Syrup will make any coconut lovers dreams come true! You only need 3 ingredients and less than 30 minutes of your time to make this tropical syrup recipe. It’s the perfect compliment for breakfast, dessert and more!
Enjoy more of my favorite syrup recipes like blueberry syrup and mango syrup.
Table of Contents
I’m a sucker for any recipe that calls for just 3 ingredients and only 25 minutes of my day! It’s nice to have foolproof quick and easy treat recipes like this any weekend. I’ve been making this homemade coconut syrup for so many years I’ve lost count. It’s the definition of tried and true.
There’s a not-so-secret step to success that creates the very best flavor here. I like to toast the coconut flakes before using them to give the syrup that amazing toasted coconut flavor! It takes just a few minutes to complete this step and adds so much more flavor to the syrup.
If you’re pressed for time, you can also just run the syrup through the strainer and skip the blending step. And if you feel like leaving your syrup chunky, you can even skip the straining step. Not everyone has this preference, so it’ll be just fine if you want to leave the coconut bits in the syrup! If you prefer it smooth though, definitely strain it!
Ingredient Notes
Sweetened Coconut Flakes – I recommend just grabbing a bag of sweetened coconut flakes from the store. While you can make coconut flakes at home, keep in mind that homemade coconut flakes are not sweetened!
Cream of Coconut – Keep in mind that cream of coconut and coconut cream are not the same thing! Cream of coconut is sweetened and is what you’ll need to make this syrup recipe.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – it’s a rich, sweet, and creamy milk concentrate. I don’t recommend swapping this with any other ingredient.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Coconut Syrup
Prepare the pot. Preheat a pan or a large, bottom-heavy pot over medium heat. Make sure it is dry, no oil or grease of any sort.
Toast the coconut flakes. Add the coconut flakes and spread them evenly. Toast the coconut flakes, stirring often until golden brown (1). Don’t walk away!
Add cream of coconut. Stir in the cream of coconut (2).
Add sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until well combined (3).
Cook it. Cook the mixture, over medium-low heat, while stirring often, for about 15 minutes (4).
Optional step. Transfer the mixture into a blender or a food processor. Since it’s hot, you will want to make sure to use a heat-proof blender that is meant for hot liquids and that the steam has somewhere to escape, so leave a crack in a pour spout. Blend well.
Strain it. If you don’t want to blend it first, simply run it through a fine mesh strainer (5). You will want to use a rubber spatula to stir the syrup while pouring in the strainer since it’s thick.
PRO TIP: Don’t discard the leftover coconut! Use it in pancakes, waffles or cookies!
Storing Instruction
You can store homemade coconut syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week! Just make sure it’s fully cooled to room temperature prior to storing.
Also, note that it’s always best to pour the coconut syrup straight from the jar rather than dunking a spoon in there. You don’t want to accidentally introduce any new bacteria to the syrup.
PRO TIP: If the syrup had gotten very thick in the refrigerator, simply warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave.
How to Use The Coconut Syrup
There are so many ways to use coconut syrup! Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Pancakes – Coconut syrup pairs heavenly with classic pancakes, buttermilk pancakes, lemon pancakes, and any other you love..
- Waffles – I love pouring this syrup on top of classic buttermilk waffles!
- French Toast – Dress up some classic French toast, overnight French toast bake or coconut stuffed French toast.
- Ice Cream – Top off your favorite ice creams with this homemade syrup!
- Pies and Cakes – You can dress up a number of pies and cakes with a drizzle of coconut syrup. White chocolate coconut cake is especially amazing with this syrup!
- Cheesecakes – Serve the best summer dessert when you top off the ultimate coconut cheesecake with this syrup!
Recipe FAQs
Coconut cream is unsweetened and is meant for cooking (like in Thai recipes), while cream of coconut is sweetened and is meant for blended cocktails, like a piña colada or a painkiller.
Make sure you’re using cream of coconut, not coconut milk or coconut cream. It’s sweet and meant for frozen cocktails. My favorite brand of cream of coconut to use is Coco Lopez or Goya.
Unfortunately, this is not that type of syrup. This is a rich and creamy syrup because it’s made with sweetened condensed milk, so it will most likely be too rich for coffee.
There’s good news if you want to make this syrup lactose free or dairy free! There are lactose free and dairy free sweetened condensed milk options on the market, although they may not be as widely available. Check your grocery stores and some may even order that product for you. Cream of coconut is already dairy free.
More Coconut Recipes To Make
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Coconut Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 15 oz can cream of coconut
- 1 1/4 cups coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat a pan or a large, bottom-heavy pot over medium heat. Make sure it is dry, no oil or grease of any sort.
- Add the coconut flakes, spread them evenly. Toast the coconut flakes, stirring often until golden brown. (Don't walk away!)
- Pour in sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut, stir well. Cook the mixture, over medium-low heat, while stirring often, for about 15 minutes.
- Optional Step: Transfer the mixture into a blender or a food processor. Since it's hot, you will want to make sure to use a blender that is meant for hot liquids and that the steam has somewhere to escape, so leave a crack in a pour spout. Blend well.
- If you don't want to blend it first, simply run it through a fine mesh strainer. You will want to use a rubber spatula to stir the syrup while pouring in the sifter since it's thick. (Pro Tip: Use the leftover coconut in pancakes, waffles of cookies)
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April 2013.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Oh my, that sounds really delicious! Thank you for linking up to Inspire Me Wednesday!
Oh wow! We love coconut – especially Bryce 🙂 This looks killer!
Delish! Love anything coconut!
Forget the pancakes, I’d drink this with a spoon!
Likewise! :’))))))
I’ve never heard of Coconut syrup but I can’t imagine it not being yummy. I’m with you, I like my OJ pulp free so I will go the extra step and strain the syrup. Looking forward to making this soon.
This sounds amazing!!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
Saw your recipe link on Time To Sparkle Tuesday Link Party #5. I love coconut. Your coconut syrup looks yummy, and so does the pomegranate syrup. I’m trying to come up with a new recipe using coconut, and I was looking for a coconut glaze or syrup recipe. Thanks for sharing!
http://freshjuniper.blogspot.com
Reecea
I’ve never heard of coconut syrup! Great idea!
We just got back from Maui, and most of the restaurants serve coconut syrup with pancakes.
That sounds like heaven!! 🙂
Your pictures are making my mouth water! That syrup looks to die for and coconut is my fave so I KNOW I would LOVE this!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I have to try it!
Best,
Jen @ Yummy. Healthy. Easy.
Where is my straw!????
Awesome! The pictures are great too!
Mmmmm!