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There are quite a few people out there who use coconut milk in recipes when they’re baking. For example, some people might be interested in making a cheesecake using coconut milk or some other type of dessert.

This could be in an attempt to make a dessert healthier, but it’s also something that vegans regularly turn to since they don’t eat dairy.

One problem that many encounter when trying to use coconut milk in cooking is that it has a bit of a strong taste. Some people wind up really embracing the strong coconut taste in coconut milk, but others wind up not liking it at all.

Is there a way to get rid of the coconut milk taste so that it doesn’t overpower everything else when you’re using it in dishes?

Keep reading to explore your options when it comes to using coconut milk. There are some things that you can try that might help to hide the taste somewhat, and some of these ideas might be better than others depending on your expectations.

Read through them all and then make a determination based on what you think is best.

1 – Deactivate the Acidity Using Baking Soda

One of the most popular ways to hide the coconut flavor in your coconut milk is to utilize baking soda.

To get this to work properly, you are going to need to use a very minimal amount of baking soda. It will be able to neutralize the lauric acid that is present in the coconut so that it won’t overpower the dish that you’re trying to make.

The only big issue with using this method is that you don’t want to overdo it with the baking soda and ruin things. Using too much baking soda could throw the flavor off and it might wind up coming up too much in your recipe.

You don’t want to bite into something and be able to taste the baking soda, after all.

To get this right, you should try to add a little bit of baking soda at a time. This should allow you to get things just right so that you can counter that coconut taste without going too far.

Pay attention to what you’re doing so that you can enjoy your dish to the fullest.

2 – Use Lemon Juice to Counter Sweetness

Sometimes the big problem with using coconut milk in a recipe is that it will just be too sweet. This can throw off the balance of a dish and make it turn out a little bit wrong. One way that people balance this out is by using lemon juice in a dish that calls for coconut milk.

The acidity of the lemon juice can act as a decent counterbalance for the coconut milk. The only issue is that you need to be careful when cooking with coconut milk so that it doesn’t curdle while you’re doing things.

If you’re going to be using lemon juice in your cooking as well, then it should be added last to make things go smoothly.

Of course, lemon juice might not always be practical to use depending on what you’re trying to make. This is a situational idea that can help you when you’re making certain things.

Altering the taste of coconut milk is generally accomplished by using an acidic ingredient like this, and you might be able to come up with some other ideas depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

3 – Cooking with Complementary Ingredients

Possibly the most practical solution to your coconut milk problem is to just cook using complementary ingredients.

Coconut milk just might not be the perfect choice for some dishes unless you choose to do things to counterbalance that strong taste. This means that you can play to the strengths of coconut milk instead of trying to weaken it.

Some people have used coconut milk to bake very tasty dessert dishes that are delightful overall. You could add things to the recipe idea to make it taste better such as a chocolate ganache.

Think about the things that you could do to make the coconut milk taste even better with your dish so that you’ll enjoy the results.

What you can do will depend on the type of dish that you’re trying to cook using coconut milk. Try to use your imagination or look for specific ideas about the dish that you’re making online.

People with more cooking experience will probably have an easier time thinking of complementary ingredients to use in the dish to make the coconut milk better.

4 – You Could Try Other Types of Milk

Finally, if you just don’t think that coconut milk is working out well for what you’re trying to bake or cook, then you might want to try another type of milk. If you’re looking for vegan-friendly options, then you could always see if almond milk or soy milk will work out better.

Coconut milk is a very good thing to have when you’re baking certain things, but other milk types might be more suitable for specific dishes.

Consider trying out other types of milk to see if the taste is more to your liking. There are differences between all of these milks that make them more desirable for some people and less so for others.

You’ll be able to make up your own mind about which dairy milk alternative is best for you.

Have a Better Time Using Coconut Milk

Hopefully, the information above gave you a better idea of what you can do to get rid of that strong coconut taste. You can try to hide it using things such as baking soda and lemon juice if you would like to go that route.

It’s also possible to simply use complementary ingredients so that the coconut milk tastes better in whatever dish you’re making.

Knowing that you can always try out other milk types to see if they’re more to your liking is also sensible. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide which path to take. Just try out whatever options you like and then move forward with the best one.

Sarah Bridenstine

Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.