cream of coconut

Also known as “coconut cream”. Not to be confused with unsweetened coconut cream, cream of coconut (sometimes labeled “coconut cream”) is a thick liquid produced by condensing and heavily sweetening coconut milk, and its relationship to coconut milk is comparable to the relationship between canned sweetened condensed milk and the regular milk you buy in a carton. Cream of coconut often includes xantham gum or other thickeners/stabilizers, as well as preservatives, and is typically sold canned. Puerto Rican brand Coco Lopez, created by Ramón López Irizarry, is generally attributed as first commercializing cream of coconut in 1949. Cream of coconut is commonly used to sweeten and flavor tropical drinks, particularly the ubiquitous Piña Colada.