15 Canned Coconut Milk Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

There's a lot to love about coconut milk. The indulgent ingredient has long been a staple of Southeast Asian and Caribbean cuisines. But it has also been enjoying a recent surge in popularity as a delightful dairy alternative, especially for those with allergies to nuts or grains. And thanks to the shelf-stable canned variety, coconut milk is widely available for the culinarily curious.

So what makes coconut milk such a great substitute for dairy? Coconut milk is actually made from the pulverized and strained meat of mature, brown coconuts, resulting in a thicker and richer beverage than celeb-favorite coconut water — a form of hydration harvested from young, green coconuts. The creamy liquid lends its nutty goodness to a variety of sweet and savory culinary creations developed in coconut-rich ecosystems around the globe, from Thai curries, Malaysian laksa, and Indonesian rendang to Trinidadian coconut bake and Samoan pani popo.

From its creamy consistency to its tropical tinge, canned coconut milk is the versatile supporting character you should always have in your pantry. To help you stock up on quality ingredients, we judged as many full-fat, unsweetened varieties as we could find on factors like flavor, texture — coconut milk is prone to the unsightly separation of fat and water — and color. We bring you a well-vetted list of the best canned coconut milk brands to add to your culinary repertoire, ranked worst to best.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

One of the premier producers of Latin American foodstuffs in the United States, Goya is no stranger to the canned coconut milk game. The New Jersey-based company has been canning its low-preservative coconut milk for decades, and it remains one of the more affordable options on the grocery store shelf at just over $2 per can.

Following its 30-second shake-up, the coconut milk emerged from the can smooth and thick — think half-and-half consistency. There was a definite coconut scent but also a slightly sour note that didn't bode well for the taste test. The milk tasted a little bitter, almost as if this can was sitting on the shelf too long and went bad. While it's certainly endearing that Goya doesn't add many preservatives to its canned coconut milk (using only one, potassium metabisulfite, with no other additives like thickeners), it may be to the company's detriment, especially if it isn't able to control how long cans are left on store shelves. While this particular can was disappointing, the consistency of Goya's canned coconut milk was enough to keep it hovering above the bottom of the rankings.

As its name suggests, Native Forest organic unsweetened coconut milk is harvested from fair-trade organic palm groves in Thailand and Sri Lanka. It's then transformed into a luscious grocery store staple by environmentally minded producer Edward & Sons Trading Company. BPA-free cans and a noticeable absence of artificial thickeners from the ingredient list are among the other pleasant byproducts of the company's wellness ethos.

When it came to testing Native Forest's canned coconut milk, I had a hard time getting the mixture to emulsify. I ended up needing to stir the mixture with a spoon, which left a few chunks floating in the thin liquid. A strong coconut scent left little doubt as to the quality of the fruit used to make this canned milk, though the leftover chunks got in the way of my ability to truly taste the final product. Giving the beverage a good pulse in a food processor would likely remedy this mixture as a solid choice for coconut milk-based recipes. But its poor performance within the bounds of the testing criteria left Native Forest on the low end of the rankings.

I'll admit that my arm was getting tired after shaking seemingly endless cans of coconut milk. But to find yet another product that didn't emulsify after shaking by hand was pretty frustrating — trust me, there are plenty of canned coconut milks that blend up just fine when shaken. After the now-standard spoon stir, the resulting mixture resembled a very thick heavy cream. While you'd definitely want to reach for canned coconut milk over the carton if you're looking for richness, the heavy cream consistency of Imperial Dragon was a bit too indulgent for my taste.

On the flavor front, the beverage gave off a fairly strong coconut aroma, with a tropical kick on the palate to back it up. Between its overpowering coconut flavor and uber-rich consistency, Imperial Dragon might not be best suited to everyday coconut milk applications. However, it would work well in no-bake desserts like coconut cream pie or in recipes that call for coconut cream, such as the iconic tropical tipple, the piña colada.

Simple and practical, Kroger's premium canned coconut milk ticks all the weeknight meal prep boxes. The mixture didn't take much coaxing to blend together during 30 seconds of shaking, though there were a few remaining lumps left over. The coconut milk was very thick, resembling the consistency of heavy cream rather than whole milk, though that's not necessarily a bad thing when whipping up a homemade curry or soup.

The beverage gave off an almost sweet scent, prompting me to double-check that I did, in fact, purchase unsweetened coconut milk — spoiler alert, I did. Luckily, the liquid didn't taste particularly sweet but rather almost like toasted coconut. The overall effect of a sweet smell and nutty taste left me craving macaroons, meaning that this can is probably best suited to sweeter applications like coconut-flavored desserts and after-dinner cocktails. While it certainly came out on top in the way of taste, a surprisingly high price point for a store-brand canned coconut milk (more than $2.50 per can) kept this entry from ranking higher.

A noticeable difference between A Taste of Thai's unsweetened canned coconut milk and other brands is the presence of the words "first pressing" on the label. When coconut milk is made, the meat is scraped from the coconut, soaked in a little bit of hot water, and then strained to produce rich, thick coconut milk — aka the first press. In order to avoid food waste, many coconut milk makers will resoak the used pulp in more hot water and strain it a second time (or, second press) for a lighter liquid often used in curries. All canned coconut milk is technically first press, but A Taste of Thai's designation on the can just points to its authenticity.

All that to say, A Taste of Thai's canned coconut milk was by far the thickest. While the mixture did emulsify into a smooth beverage, the resulting liquid was roughly the consistency of lightly whipped cream (think soft peaks), rendering it too thick for some recipes. The milk was surprisingly light on the tongue for how thick it appeared. This luscious texture married with a light coconut scent and toasted flavor made the sip truly refreshing. But its ultra-thick texture would probably make it better suited to dessert recipes.

Jamaica-based producer Caribbean Dreams seems to know a thing or two about making mouthwatering pantry staples. The family-owned company offers up a wide range of shelf-stable products with a tropical twist. This includes canned coconut milk that can be found on Amazon and in grocery stores throughout the Southeast U.S. and Canada.

After the now-standard 30-second shaking session, the indulgent beverage emulsified like, well, a dream, producing a smooth white liquid akin to half-and-half. It gave off a distinct coconut aroma with a hint of sweetness that made my mouth water. Coconut was the predominant flavor, with nutty undertones that rounded out the smooth sip. Overall, Caribbean Dreams is a well-balanced canned coconut milk with a distinct coconut flavor and an enjoyable texture. It is on the thick side for use in savory applications but would make a great addition to dairy-free ice cream recipes or other vegan desserts.

Most commonly recognized as a provider of premium piña colada ingredients, Coco López is no one-trick pony. The Puerto Rico-based company was built on the back of Caribbean coconuts nearly 60 years ago, and the brand returns the favor by continuously producing quality coconut cream, coconut water, and, of course, canned coconut milk. A quick shake-up yielded a silky-smooth, pure white liquid with a faint coconut scent. The flavor wasn't overpowering, rather presenting a neutral base with a hint of coconut that would work well in a wide variety of recipes without drowning the other ingredients in a coconut-heavy slurry.

The reason why Coco López's canned coconut milk hovers in second place is the ingredient list. In addition to coconut and water, the blend contains three additional ingredients: two stabilizers and an emulsifier called polysorbate 60. The latter is used to keep the fat from separating, which explains the beverage's super-smooth consistency. While polysorbate 60 isn't officially linked to any major health concerns, some may prefer to avoid this brand of coconut milk and opt instead for a brand with fewer ingredients.

When it comes to choosing the best brand of canned coconut milk, it all comes down to the three C's: color, consistency, and craveability. Not only should coconut milk look good and add indulgent creaminess to your coffee, smoothie, or soup, but it should also bring a nice note of coconutty flavor, too.

To keep things consistent, only full-fat, unsweetened varieties of canned coconut milk were considered. They were tested and ranked by simply shaking them up for 30 seconds each — you should always shake coconut milk because it's prone to separating — and then pouring a glass to examine their visual appeal (is it pure white or cloudy?), texture (is it creamy? Watery? Smooth? Lumpy?), and finally flavor (does it taste like coconut without overpowering the palate?).

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. This Atlanta-based writer rounded up every can of coconut milk I could find within driving distance, though other varieties may be available at your neighborhood grocery store. Consider this ranking a starting point for your coconut milk adventures.