29 Recipes That Make Us Go Crazy for Coconut

When the temperature outside spikes, we start spiking everything we eat—sweet and savory—with a touch of coconut milk and a pinch of toasted flakes. These are the 31 recipes that have us going cuckoo for coconut.

By Elyssa Goldberg

June 2, 2015

Image may contain Confectionery Food Sweets Dessert Chocolate Plant and Fudge

Coconuts transport us straight to the tropics. It's that whole silky, creamy, coat-your-mouth rich thing we're into. So when the temperature outside goes up, we start spiking everything we eat—sweet and savory—with a touch of coconut milk and a pinch of toasted flakes. From pork sausages in coconut-chile sauce to a just-missing-booze coconut and cream float, here are 29 recipes that have us crushing on coconut.

Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
1/29
Pork Sausage with Coconut-Chile Sauce and Lychees
We know, this pork dish from Rose's Luxury sounds nuts. It’s meant to be mixed together so you get some garlicky pork, floral lychees, sweet coconut, sharp onions, and crisp salty accents in each bite.
View Recipe
Matt Duckor
2/29
Carrot-Coconut Soup
If you like things extra spicy, pass some chili sauce at the table.
View Recipe

Matt Duckor
3/29
Toasted Coconut Waffles
Coconut oil adds a rich sweetness to this waffle batter; shredded coconut and a quick toast deliver the crunch.
View Recipe
Jeremy Liebman
4/29
Snap Pea Salad with Coconut Gremolata
Who says gremolata has to have parsley and lemon? No one who’s tried this crunchy Thai-influenced riff.
View Recipe

Peter Frank Edwards
5/29
Coconut Cream Pie with Macaroon Press-In Crust
Tandem Coffee + Bakery’s coconut cream pie riffs on the classic in all the right ways. Shredded coconut is a genius swap-in for cookie crumbs in the crust, and incorporating both coconut and regular milks in the custard gives it better flavor and a fluffier consistency.
View Recipe
Alex Lau
6/29
Pomelo Salad with Chile, Lime, Peanuts, and Coconut
A palate cleanser packed with sweet, sour, and salty flavors; taste and tweak the seasonings as you go.
View Recipe

Ted Cavanaugh
7/29
Coconut and Cream Float
Pour in the soda slowly, allowing it to cascade over the ice cream, then top off until the glass is full.
View Recipe
Alex Lau
8/29
Curry-and-Coconut-Milk-Grilled Pork Skewers
The little bits of fatback add an extra layer of deliciousness.
View Recipe

Peden + Munk
9/29
Crushed Cucumbers with Lime Pickle and Coconut
If you haven’t cooked with MSG before, give it a try—chef Quealy Watson, Hot Joy, San Antonio, is a big fan.
View Recipe
Marcus Nilsson
10/29
Toasted Coconut Sundaes with Candied Peanuts
You’ll never serve ice cream without candied peanuts again.
View Recipe

Danny Kim
11/29
Pineapple with Toasted Coconut and Pink Peppercorns
With their fruity astringency and pretty color, pink peppercorns go beautifully with pineapple. No need to run out and buy them, but if you’ve got them, give them a try.
View Recipe
Peden + Munk
12/29
5-Grain Porridge with Bee Pollen, Apples, and Coconut
If you don’t have each and every grain listed, don’t stress. Use what you’ve got—just bump up the quantity.
View Recipe

Alex Lau
13/29
Seeded Coconut Truffles
Want even more truffles? Right this way, please.
View Recipe
Peden + Munk
14/29
Chocolate Coconut Date Bars
This mixture gets pretty sticky in the food processor. Don’t be alarmed if you have to scrape and pulse and scrape and pulse to keep the machine moving.
View Recipe

Associate Web Editor. When she’s not posted up at a café, reading and praying that sipping her cappuccino won’t mean sacrificing a night’s sleep, Elyssa writes about food culture and restaurant trends for bonappetit.com. The team’s unrelenting sweet tooth and beverage nerd, Elyssa can also be found refreshing the Wait-or-Buy ... Read More

Explore Bon AppétitCoconut