Coconut ice cream is sweet, milky and delicious. As a country blessed with abundant supply of coconut, this type of ice cream is common in Thailand. You may have seen some coconut ice cream in a shell (either brown or white-ish light blown coconut shell). In this article we will cover Thai coconut ice cream, how people sometimes serve them in a shell and what toppings usually come with the coconut ice cream. Please check out our other elaborate posts about young coconut and roasted coconut along with Thai coconut cake/other desserts!
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What dessert is this exactly?
In Thailand, coconut ice cream are usually served in a cup (plastic, ceramic, metal etc.), sandwiched by bread or served in a coconut shell. Coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell not only replaces the need for a plastic container, but also it makes a more appealing dessert! The type of coconut shell used for this purpose is commonly young coconut. Moreover, some vendors choose to spoon young coconut meat out to serve as a topping.
In Thailand, coconut ice cream served in a cup is typically THB 10-20 cheaper than those served in a shell. This is due to the fact that vendors may source additional coconuts in order to serve as shells. According to a recipe, to make enough coconut ice cream for 10 servings, you would only need coconut meat from about 3 young coconuts. Another main ingredient needed is coconut milk.
Coconut ice cream ingredients
We refer to a recipe shared by Michelin Thailand. Key ingredients for coconut ice cream are various parts of coconut including coconut milk and young coconut meat. Other ingredients include coconut sugar, milk, salt and cream.
Pandan leaf is an optional ingredient, which can help to add more fragrance to the coconut ice cream. However, what makes coconut ice cream even more interesting is an extensive range of toppings available to go with the ice cream.
Common toppings for coconut ice cream in Thailand
- Basic toppings
- Evaporated milk
- Peanut
- Corn
- Sticky rice
- Bread
- Pumpkin/sweet potato in syrup
- Attap seed
- Grass/coconut jelly
- Less common toppings
- Fresh coconut meat
- Cendol
- Red rubbies (water chestnut)
- Taro
- Boba
Alternative to coconut ice cream: Thai coconut pudding
If you have tried coconut ice cream and you don’t fancy it, you can try Thai coconut pudding! It is another favorite of ours and it is very yummy. It is mostly made of young coconut water, young coconut milk, non-dairy creamer and sugar. We personally prefer vendors that don’t use too much sugar in their coconut pudding.
There are a lot of stalls especially in shopping malls selling this Thai coconut pudding. You can also make yourself at home if you can get the ingredients easily. Follow the recipe in the video below.
Are coconut ice cream in shell different from other coconut ice cream?
In most cases, not really. Taste-wise, with shell or not, the taste of the coconut ice cream remains the same. However, it might feel different eating if from the coconut shell itself. Also, eating it in the shell with the toppings – you can enjoy the dessert and also take a nice Instagrammable photo!
Our verdict is: you should give coconut ice cream a try whether they are served in a shell or in a normal cup. And if you have tried coconut ice cream already, you can still experience them with a different combination of toppings.
Check out our other posts about Thailand below