16 Sweet And Savory Coconut Recipes | HuffPost Life

16 Incredible Things To Do With Coconut

Kitchen Daily

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Coconut lends a fresh, one-of-a-kind tropical flavor to the food it's cooked or baked with. Whether you love it in sweet desserts like a layered coconut cake, savory dishes like chicken curry or paired with booze in a pina colada, we have 16 recipes that will get you experimenting in the kitchen.

16 Sweet and Savory Coconut Recipes

Passion Colada (01 of16)

Passion fruit juice turns a regular pina colada into a special treat.Get the Recipe for Passion Colada (credit:EatingWell)

Steamed Sole And Green Vegetables With Thai Style Coconut Sauce(02 of16)

You can add more red chillies to this dish if you like your food spicy -- the coconut milk provides a nice balance.Get the Recipe for Steamed Sole and Green Vegetables with Thai Style Coconut Sauce (credit:TASTE)

Coconut-Crusted Tofu With Peach-Lemongrass Salsa(03 of16)

Serve this dish with cilantro-infused basmati rice. For dessert, try sliced bananas drizzled with "lite" coconut milk.Get the Recipe for Coconut-Crusted Tofu with Peach-Lemongrass Salsa (credit:EatingWell)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Coconut Milk(04 of16)

This dish, known as piele in Hawaii, is fabulously simple. Coconut milk contributes rich flavor.Get the Recipe forMashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk (credit:EatingWell)

Pineapple-Coconut Sorbet(05 of16)

This healthy dessert takes just five ingredients to make.Get the Recipe for Pineapple-Coconut Sorbet (credit:EatingWell)

Coconut-Mango Frozen Yogurt(06 of16)

This coconut frozen yogurt with a swirl of mango is like a tropical take on the classic orange Creamsicle.Get the Recipe for Coconut-Mango Frozen Yogurt (credit:Jan Baldwin/Food & Wine)

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (07 of16)

The combination of chocolate and coconut makes these polka-dot cupcakes taste like "Mounds" bars.Get the Recipe for Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (credit:New Media Publishing)

Coconut Cake With Saffron Cream(08 of16)

Saffron's earthy yet sweet flavors make the spice versatile enough to work in both savory dishes and desserts. Here, saffron flavors the pastry cream in this moist, airy take on coconut cake.Get the Recipe forCoconut Cake with Saffron Cream (credit:Con Poulos/Food & Wine)

Coconut Arborio Rice Pudding(09 of16)

Arborio rice is great for this pudding because the plump grains stay perfectly firm and chewy.Get the Recipe for Coconut Arborio Rice Pudding (credit:Quentin Bacon/Food & Wine)

Coco-Nutty Granola(10 of16)

Grated coconut infuses this filling protein and fiber-packed snack mix.Get the Recipe for Coco-Nutty Granola (credit:New Media Publishing)

Salmon And Vegetables With Coconut Sauce(11 of16)

Garlic, ginger and coconut milk create a lovely aromatic base for this dish.Get the Recipe for Salmon and Vegetables with Coconut Sauce (credit:Woman's Day)

Coconut Milk(12 of16)

Making your own coconut milk is a supremely easy way to impress your summer guests.Get the Recipe for Coconut Milk (credit:Angie Cao)

Curried-Coconut Chicken Rendang(13 of16)

Rendang is a Malaysian meat dish that's slow-cooked in coconut milk. This recipe is made with chicken thighs flavored with an intensely fragrant ginger-chile paste; it can also be made with beef, shrimp or vegetables.Get the Recipe for Curried-Coconut Chicken Rendang (credit:Michael Turek/Food & Wine)

Coconut-Lime Chicken And Snow Peas (14 of16)

Double the flavor and halve the work simply by using the same tangy combination of coconut milk, lime juice and brown sugar for both poaching the chicken and dressing the salad. Crisp romaine lettuce, cabbage and snow peas add freshness and an irresistible crunch.Get the Recipe for Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas (credit:EatingWell)

Coconut Creamed Corn(15 of16)

Creamed corn goes tropical with coconut milk, cilantro and lime juice. We love this with the kick of crushed red pepper, but it's great without, too. Try it with garlic-rubbed grilled flank steak and a vinegary Asian slaw.Get the Recipe for Coconut Creamed Corn (credit:EatingWell)

Towering Coconut Layer Cake (16 of16)

This cake from chef Tyler Florence couldn't be more traditional: four layers of rum-brushed yellow cake filled and frosted with a light and airy, coconut-scented meringue-buttercream.Get the Recipe for Towering Coconut Layer Cake (credit:John Kernick/Food & Wine)

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