The short answer: to make coconut extract, toast 1 cup (about 80 g) of unsweetened shredded coconut at 175 °C (350 °F) for 5 to 10 minutes until golden. Let it cool, cover it with 240 ml (1 cup) of vodka at 40% alcohol, and keep the jar dark for at least 2 weeks, shaking it daily. Strain it hard and bottle it.
Coconut extract is coconut soaked in alcohol. Homemade coconut extract tastes of real toasted coconut: nutty, sweet and a little like caramel. It goes into cakes, macaroons, cream pies and frostings where coconut milk would add too much liquid. The work takes 20 minutes. The rest is waiting.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Work | 20 minutes, with toasting |
| Waiting | 2 weeks minimum, 4 to 6 weeks for a fuller flavour |
| Ratio | 1 cup shredded coconut to 1 cup vodka |
| Keeps | Up to 1 year, closed, cool and dark |
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 80 g) unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut
- 240 ml (1 cup) vodka, 40% alcohol (80 proof)
- A clean glass jar with a tight lid
- A fine sieve and a piece of muslin or a clean cloth
Unsweetened only. Sweetened coconut is coated in sugar. It makes a sticky, cloudy extract and burns when you toast it.
The spirit: vodka gives the cleanest coconut taste. A white rum adds a sweet, rounder note that suits coconut well. Use at least 35% alcohol. Weaker spirits pull out less flavour and keep less well.
Why toast the coconut first
Raw coconut gives a pale, milky extract with a faint taste. Toasting browns the flakes and brings out the nutty, caramel side of coconut. That is the flavour that survives an oven. Toast it until golden, not brown. Dark flakes turn the extract bitter.
How to make coconut extract
- Toast. Spread the coconut on a lined tray. Toast it at 175 °C (350 °F) for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes, then every 2 minutes, because the edges brown first.
- Cool. Tip it onto a plate and let it cool fully. Warm flakes make the alcohol evaporate before it can work.
- Jar. Put the coconut in the jar and pour in the vodka. Press the flakes down so they all sit under the liquid.
- Wait. Close the lid, shake, and keep the jar in a dark cupboard. Shake it once a day.
- Taste. After 2 weeks, smell a drop on a spoon. It should smell of toasted coconut first and alcohol second. For more flavour, give it 4 to 6 weeks.
- Strain. Pour it through a sieve lined with muslin. Gather the cloth and squeeze hard: the flakes hold a lot of the liquid.
Expect less liquid than you put in
Dried coconut soaks up alcohol like a sponge. You will get back less than the 240 ml you poured in, even after a firm squeeze. That is normal. Pressing the cloth well matters more here than with peel or beans.
The squeezed flakes still taste of coconut. Spread them on a tray, let the alcohol air off for a few hours, then use them in granola or cookies.
Why coconut extract can look cloudy
Coconut is rich in fat, and a little of it ends up in the jar. Coconut fat sets at about 24 °C (76 °F), so on a cold day you may see a pale haze or white flecks. Shake the bottle, or warm it in your hands. If you want a clear extract, strain it a second time through a coffee filter.
How to bake with coconut extract
- Coconut cake and cupcakes: 1 to 2 teaspoons per batch, with shredded coconut in the batter.
- Macaroons: 1 teaspoon per 200 g of coconut.
- Frosting and whipped cream: ½ to 1 teaspoon, then taste.
- Coconut cream pie and custard: 1 teaspoon, stirred in once the custard is off the heat.
- Granola: 1 teaspoon in the oil and honey before you toss the oats.
It pairs well with lime, pineapple, dark chocolate and vanilla. Use it alongside our homemade vanilla extract in the same cake: half a teaspoon of each is a good start.
A thick coconut concentrate
Most of the finished extract is alcohol. Reduce part of it and you get more coconut flavour in less liquid. The NOIDS Herb Lab has an Evaporation function for this. It reduces infused liquids with a boiling point no higher than 100 °C / 212 °F, and it stops by itself at 102 °C / 215.6 °F.
- Pour the strained extract into the Glass. Stay under the MAX mark.
- Cover with the Dish Lid, place the Glass in the Main Body and turn the Rotary Control to Evaporation.
- It reduces about 50 ml per hour. Turn the Rotary Control to OFF when the volume is where you want it. About a third of the start is a good first try.
- Let the Glass cool, then bottle the concentrate. Use about a third of the amount of plain extract.
Safety: use only food-grade spirits. Run Evaporation in a room larger than 50 m³ with fresh air coming in. Keep the cooker at least 5 m from any open flame. To collect the alcohol instead of letting it into the room, fit the Condenser.
How to store coconut extract
- Keep it closed, in a cool, dark cupboard.
- Use it within a year for the best flavour. Smell it before you bake.
- Label the bottle with the date you started and the spirit you used.
Want coconut flavour in a fat instead of alcohol? Our infused coconut oil works the other way round: herbs and spices infused into coconut oil. For a darker extract to bake with, see our coffee extract.
Questions
How long does homemade coconut extract take?
At least 2 weeks in a dark cupboard, shaken daily. For a fuller toasted coconut taste, give it 4 to 6 weeks before you strain it.
Can I use fresh coconut?
Yes. Grate the white flesh, use about ⅓ cup per 120 ml of vodka, and steep it for 5 to 7 days. Fresh coconut gives a lighter, milkier flavour than toasted dried coconut.
Why is my coconut extract cloudy?
Coconut fat. It sets when cold and shows as a haze or white flecks. Shake the bottle or warm it slightly. A second strain through a coffee filter makes it clearer.
How much coconut extract do I use?
Start with 1 teaspoon per cake or batch of cookies, then taste. Homemade batches vary, so you may want up to 2 teaspoons.
Can I make coconut extract without alcohol?
Not as an extract that keeps. For coconut flavour with no alcohol, use toasted coconut or coconut milk in the recipe itself.
