Our 12 Most-Saved Coconut Recipes for Summer, From Crispy Shrimp to Soft Serve

Coconut milk, coconut cream, and shredded coconut shine in these reader-favorite recipes for warm-weather cooking.

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Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
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Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Inject a little tropical flair into your summer meal rotation with recipes that showcase coconut in its many forms. From desserts made with rich coconut cream to proteins simmered in spiced coconut milk and shrimp coated in crispy, crunchy coconut shreds, these recipes bring big beachy flavor to the table — no plane ticket required. They're also the dishes our readers keep coming back to for weeknight dinners and warm-weather entertaining alike. Find all of our most-saved coconut recipes for summer right here.

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01 of 12

Pineapple-Coconut Soft Serve

Pineapple Coconut Soft Serve Recipe
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Turn fresh pineapple and coconut cream into a fluffy, effortless dessert with tropical cocktail flavor, bringing five ingredients together in 15 minutes. (Well, six, if you'd like to add rum and make this an adults-only treat.)

02 of 12

Steamed Mussels with Coconut Milk and Thai Chiles

Steamed Mussels with Coconut Milk and Thai Chiles

Diana Chistruga

Tyler Florence infuses a French classic with Thai flavors for this party-perfect dish, steaming plump mussels in reduced lager then adding a creamy, spicy, slightly tart mixture of Thai chiles, cilantro, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, and lime juice.

03 of 12

Coconut Curry Salmon

Coconut Curry Salmon

Nina Gallant / Food Styling by Chantal Lambeth

Have this bold-flavored meal from Eric Adjepong on the table in just 45 minutes with a few simple steps. Start a pot of rice, then use your blender to make a quick Scotch bonnet hot sauce. Sear the salmon, simmer coconut milk with aromatics and spices for a fragrant curry, then add the fish to warm it and serve over rice with the hot sauce.

04 of 12

Coconut-Lime Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Thai Crunch Chicken Salad

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Crunchy green cabbage and carrots, fresh herbs, toasted coconut, salty roasted peanuts, and juicy grilled chicken that's been marinated in coconut milk and lime juice make for a vibrant salad with layers of texture and flavor.

05 of 12

Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Using an air fryer for these shrimp saves time in both cooking and cleanup, not to mention that the results are utterly delicious. The crispy shrimp is breaded in a combo of coconut and panko; we like it with a Thai sweet chile dipping sauce.

06 of 12

Red Lentil Akoho Sy Voanio (Malagasy Coconut Lentils)

COCONUT LENTILS

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Food historian and documentarian Von Diaz steeps red lentils in coconut milk with tomatoes, turmeric, and aromatics, brightened with lemon zest and juice. The currylike dish lands between soup and stew and is excellent with steamed rice.

07 of 12

Coconut-Poached Salmon with Corn and Dill

Coconut-Poached Salmon with Corn and Dill

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

Poaching is a surefire way to keep lean wild sockeye salmon tender and juicy. In this pantry-friendly recipe, salmon is simmered in a turmeric- and ginger-laced coconut sauce. Fresh corn and cherry tomatoes round out the summer-ready dish.

08 of 12

Coconut Chicken Curry

Chicken and mushroom coconut curry

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Torie Cox, Prop Stylist Mat Gibilisco

Turmeric-stained coconut milk forms the base of this satisfying sauce, which you'll use to simmer chicken thighs until flavorful and cooked through. Mushrooms and shallots round out the curry, which is great served over a bed of warm rice.

09 of 12

Coconut, Banana, and Pandan Pudding

Coconut Banana Pudding

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

This layered dessert from chef Anna Nguyen is a playful mashup of American banana pudding and chè chuối, a coconut-flavored Vietnamese tapioca treat. Pandan extract imparts a vanilla-like flavor and vibrant green hue.

10 of 12

Chicken Congee with Coconut and Ginger

Coconut chicken congee with ginger

Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

This take on the classic Chinese rice porridge from F&W recipe developer Julia Levy is enlivened with coconut milk, ginger, garlic, and fresh herbs, plus a finishing drizzle of spicy turmeric oil. Shredded dark meat chicken and baby bok choy make it a meal.

11 of 12

Coconut Custard Pie

Coconut Custard Pie

Food & Wine / Photo by Sara Haas

Andrew Zimmern's creamy coconut pie brims with old-fashioned charm. The flaky, from-scratch crust is made with a mix of butter and shortening for an easy-handling dough that bakes up tender and crisp. Once you've blind-baked it, simply whisk together the filling, pour it into the shell, and give it another round in the oven.

12 of 12

Honey-Pepper Coconut Shrimp

Honey Pepper Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Sweetened shredded coconut and panko combine to create the shaggy, crunchy breading for these party-ready shrimp. Serve them with a mango-habanero aioli for dunking.

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