Coconut milk is a major ingredient in any Whole30 diet, used from everything to flavoring Whole30 coffee to making a spicy thai sauce.
Today we’re providing details on where to find compliant Whole30 coconut milk, what to look for, as well as what to avoid.
Compliant Whole30 Coconut Milk Brands
These products sell Whole30 compliant coconut milk, so look for these brands in-store, or order them online (some can even be bought on Amazon, which is super convenient).
- Whole Foods 365 Brand Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Organic Coconut, Purified Water, Organic Guar Gum)[available at Whole Foods or online on Amazon]
- Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Organic Coconut Milk, Water, Guar Gum.) [available for purchase on Amazon and commonly found in grocery stores]
- Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Filtered Water, Organic Guar Gum).)[available for purchase on Amazon]
- Jiva Organics Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Coconut, Water) [available on Amazon]
- Four Elephants Organic Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Coconut Extract, Water, Guar Gum) [available on Amazon]
- Nature’s Greatest Foods Organic Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Organic Coconut Extract, Water) [available on Amazon]
- Thrive Organic Coconut Milk Lite (Ingredients: Organic Coconut Extract (25%) and Water) [available only at Thrive Market]
- Thrive Organic Coconut Milk Regular (Ingredients: Organic Coconut Extract (53%) and Water) [available only at Thrive Market]
- A Taste of Thai Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Coconut, Water, Guar Gum)[can be found at various grocery stores]
- Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Milk (Ingredients: Organic coconut milk (water, organic coconut) [available at Trader Joe’s]
Whole30 Coconut Milk: What to Look For & What to Avoid
When searching the aisles for Whole30 compliant coconut milk, here’s what to keep an eye out for.
What to Look For:
- Canned Coconut Milk. Coconut milk in the carton is often packed with preservatives and additives. Instead, look for canned coconut milk, which often has far less strange ingredients.
- Unsweetened. Sweetened coconut milk is packed with added sugar. Instead, look for coconut milk that is labeled as “unsweetened”
What to Avoid :
- Sulfates. When you check your coconut milk’s ingredient list, make sure that it does not contain any form of sulfates. Potassium metabisulfate, for sample, is a common ingredient in canned coconut milk. This is not compliant on Whole30.
Don’t Be Afraid Of:
- Guar Guam. You don’t want to seek out guar gum, but it is allowed on Whole30. If you can find a brand without any guar gum, even better, but so don’t stress out if you can’t find a can of coconut milk without guar gum on the ingredient list. This is true for others gums – like xantham gum – too!
It should also be noted that coconut milk without any guar gum tends to be much more liquid than brands that do have guar gum. This is because guar gum acts as a thickening agent. While less is more on Whole30, and you should at least try guar-gum-free coconut milk, you may find the more liquid texture not as ideal, depending on what you’re using your coconut milk for.
Where to Find Coconut Milk In Stores
Canned coconut milk isn’t shelved near dairy milk since it doesn’t need to stay cool. Look for coconut milk in the Asian food section, or where grocery stores house their dressings, oils, and condiments.
Should I Buy Lite Coconut Milk?
Many coconut milk brands offer a lite version, which can confuse some Whole30-ers. So what exactly is lite coconut milk?
Lite coconut milk is simply coconut milk that has had more water added. Normal coconut milk is composed of blended coconut with water. Lite coconut milk is actually giving you less bang for your buck, as you’re purchasing a mix of more water and less coconut.
Economically, it makes more sense to buy regular coconut milk since it has more coconut and less water. However, is the lite version is the only compliant can you can find, or if you see it for much cheaper than classic coconut milk, it’s no problem to buy it. Many Whole30-ers are avid fans of Trader Joe’s Organic Lite Coconut Milk.
That’s it for our Whole30 coconut advice. Do you have any other favorite compliant coconut milk brands you’ve seen in-store? Share your picks in the comments!
So Delicious makes a culinary coconut milk that is compliant! It’s in the aisle with other Asian food, and comes in a small box with a re-sealable top. Much more convenient than having to open a can! I’ve only found it at Whole Foods so far, though.
Thanks Elyse!
What about mikonos coconut butter? http://miyokoskitchen.com/products-miyoko/
The Mikonos has soy lecithin in it. Soy not allowed on Whole30. Bummer. Looks good.
Is Chaokoh canned coconut milk compliant?
Thanks a lot
Nope – the Chaokoh brand contains “sodium metabisulphite” to act as a preservative. Sulphites are not allowed on Whole30, so it’s outta there!
what about So Delicious unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt? And Unsweetened unflavored Almond Milk. I am searching for calcium rich foods that are not dairy based.
I love Aroy-D 100% coconut cream. I found it on Amazon pantry and you can buy it as a 3 carton pack. I was going through 5 pounds of sugar in a month in just my coffee until I started Whole30. Now I don’t even miss the sugar on my coffee.
Are (no sugar added) dried fruits allowed? esp dates, raisins, cranberries?
They sure are! And we just published a piece about them: https://lifehealthhq.com/whole30-dried-fruit/
My problem is that I do not want a coconut flavor. Coconut flavor is OK in Asian or Indian dishes or soups, but not in Italian, or Greek! Which brand has the LEAST coconut flavor?
I actually don’t find coconut milk to taste especially coconut-y, but that’s just me. You could try almond milk or cashew milk instead if you’d like!
Thai Kitchen doesn’t taste coconutty. I use it for all sorts of foods and it never has affected the flavor in a negative way.
Brad’s Organic unsweetened coconut milk. Organic coconut kernel extract and coconut water.
Aroy-D. Besides the coconut cream mentioned below they make coconut milk. I buy it at the Asian grocery store. They also make it in small 5.6 oz cans for smaller recipes. Savoy is another brand that is just coconut and water.
You can get an idea of what you are paying for by reading the fat content. Look at the nutritional information for fat grams per serving. Coconut milk with a higher fat content has more coconut milk and less water. Coconut cream is simply coconut milk with even less water and therefor a higher fat content. If you want lite coconut milk buy the full strength stuff, add water and shake it up. No sense in buying water from Thailand in a can.
Is Friendly farms from Aldi ok?
What product are you referring to? I’d need to see a link to the product and the ingredient list.
I just found Unsweet Coconut Silk in the dairy section. I think it’s compliant.
You have to read the ingredients. I’ve never seen a compliant Silk but maybe they changed the recipe.
can I use silk coconut milk in the carton?
Probably not, you’ll need to share the ingredients to say for sure.
Would a hot drink made with raw cacao, with added cinnamon, cardamom, hot water, and compliant coconut milk be ok?
Sounds like that would be technically compliant, yes! Although anything with raw cacao and coconut milk together has the danger of being SWYPO. Up to your discretion I’d say.
I love that coconut milk is now compliant with the Whole30! I’m looking for a compliant brand to try out. Any recommendations?