Latik (Crispy Coconut Curds)
Grab that can of coconut milk to make Latik - crispy toasted coconut milk curds that are perfect to use as a topping over your favorite sweet treats.
It comes together in just under 30 minutes, and you can use it for all your Filipino delicacies like Ube Halaya, Suman and Maja Blanca- and more! I love using it as a topping over my pudding and breakfast bowl- just like I use my Feuilletine flakes.
Over the last few weeks, I have been making a lot of everyday essentials from scratch. It all started off with a batch of homemade almond milk, and then some scratch-made coconut milk which I eventually used up to make homemade coconut yogurt.
I still had a bit of coconut milk leftover that I wanted to put to use, and that's when I thought of trying out this recipe.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 0 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 25 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋Main ingredients: Coconut milk.
- ♨️Cooking method: Bring coconut milk to a boil 🡢 continue cooking and stirring 🡢 remove and drain once browned.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Set up a toppings bar with some Latik, maple syrup, honey and a small jar of candied citrus peel to use over your breakfast pancakes.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- You can make it with either fresh or canned coconut milk- it comes out great either way.
- It has a lovely deep sweet taste and a bit of texture that makes it perfect to use for your desserts- just like my pecan praline sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
Coconut milk: I used homemade coconut milk here, which I like to extract by blitzing the flesh of coconuts with a bit of water. You can use canned coconut milk too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Want to make Latik quickly? Start with coconut cream instead of coconut milk. I love using my homemade coconut cream whenever I have it at hand.
How to Make Crispy Coconut Curds
Step 1: Pour coconut milk into a pan over medium heat.
Step 2: Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat. Keep stirring.
Step 3: After about 10 minutes, the coconut milk will start to get clumpy and thicken. Keep stirring.
Step 4: At the 18 minute mark, the coconut curds will start to form. Continue to stir gently.
Step 5: Once the curds look golden brown, take the pan off heat immediately.
Step 6: Remove the curds using a slotted spoon and set aside to cool before you use.
💭Top Tip
Don't discard the liquid leftover after you remove the curds- that's actually coconut oil, that you can put to use in so many ways.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a good quality heavy bottomed pan for this recipe. This will ensure the heat is evenly distributed and that there aren't any burnt spots.
- Keep the heat medium-low to get the best texture and color on these crispy coconut curds.
- You can also make Latik from scratch-made coconut milk if you want to. Just make sure you start with mature coconuts instead of young coconuts- their flesh will yield much more of the fat.
- Don't discard the leftover flesh after making the coconut milk. You can dry it up in the oven to make desiccated coconut, which you can use to make desiccated coconut chutney and a lot of other recipes.
How to Use Latik
The best way to use Latik is to spoon it over your favorite foods as a topping. It has a bit of a texture and a nice caramelized crispiness that can jazz up pretty much simple dessert.
I love sprinkling it over my bowl of oatmeal or rice pudding, and featuring it as a topping along with some roasted strawberries, fig compote or my favorite honey fermented cranberries whenever I'm hosting.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store your leftover Latik in a clean, glass jar in the refrigerator, and it should stay good for up to a week.
Yes, you can freeze Latik if you want it to last longer. Transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Sweet Toppings
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Latik recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Latik (Crispy Coconut Curds)
Ingredients
- 1 can coconut milk
Instructions
- Pour coconut milk into a pan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat. Keep stirring.
- After about 10 minutes, the coconut milk will start to get clumpy and thicken. Keep stirring.
- At the 18 minute mark, the coconut curds will start to form. Continue to stir gently.
- Once the curds look golden brown, take the pan off heat immediately.
- Remove the curds using a slotted spoon and set aside to cool before you use.
Notes
- Don't discard the liquid leftover after you remove the curds- that's actually coconut oil, that you can put to use in so many ways.
- Use a good quality heavy bottomed pan for this recipe. This will ensure the heat is evenly distributed and that there aren't any burnt spots.
- Keep the heat medium-low to get the best texture and color on these crispy coconut curds.
- You can also make Latik from scratch-made coconut milk if you want to. Just make sure you start with mature coconuts instead of young coconuts- their flesh will yield much more of the fat.
