Healthy Coconut Recipes

Get all the tropical flavors you love in a piña colada in this creamy dairy-free dessert. This ice cream alternative gets its sweetness from pineapple and coconut and is just as delicious with or without the optional rum. Either way, it's sure to put you in a beachy state of mind--not bad for a treat that takes just 10 minutes to whip up in your food processor.

An entree that's sure to please picky eaters at your table, this Thai-inspired chicken recipe with coconut rice and snow peas is a great choice for a weeknight dinner. Double the chicken to serve more or to have extra on hand to pair with the leftover rice the next day.

This recipe is great for meal prep. Divide the salsa, rice and chicken among 4 food-storage containers and you've got 4 days of ready-made meals in your fridge.

This quick shrimp stew is well balanced with bright tomatoes and a rich coconut-milk-based broth. There's just a touch of heat from the chile pepper. It's quick enough to make on a weeknight and special enough for dinner guests.

Making fruit smoothies at home saves time and money. For this easy smoothie, combine strawberries, mango and banana with a bit of cashew butter and ground chia seeds for body and richness.

Add protein and fiber to your smoothie--without dairy or protein powder--with lentils. They're a sneaky source of plant-based protein in this healthy smoothie recipe.

Thai spices and creamy coconut milk distinguish this version from traditional butternut squash soup. Curry paste is a convenient way to add complex flavor, but if you want to make sure this soup is vegan or if you are allergic to shellfish, check the ingredient list carefully--some brands contain shellfish.

This boozy piña colada transports you to a tropical island with each and every sip. The frozen pineapple gives this juicy drink just the right amount of sweetness, and the canned coconut milk provides creaminess and that signature coconut flavor we love in a piña colada. Mix in some dark rum and you have yourself a tropical 3-ingredient cocktail!

Here, coconut milk adds creaminess while keeping the dish vegan. Serve over basmati rice or with a side of naan.

Give basic cinnamon oatmeal a spice upgrade with the warm and toasty notes of chai. Coconut milk makes these overnight oats ultra-creamy and delicately sweet too.

A blend of dates, sunflower seed butter, salt and vanilla make these bites surprisingly reminiscent of salted caramel--both in taste and texture. Unlike our ultra-easy mix-and-match basic energy ball recipe, you'll need a blender to make a paste for the base of these balls, but the extra effort is oh-so-worth it for the sweet and satisfying result.

Short on time? Consider this slow-cooked chicken stew recipe. Spend just 20 minutes prepping in the morning and you'll come home to a hearty dish. Serve it over basmati rice or with a slice of crusty bread.

A unique take on banana bread, this recipe introduces the banana-coconut flavor combination. This creative, diabetic-friendly recipe is the perfect solution for using over-ripe bananas and is easy to make.

Though it tastes like those iconic vanilla-and-orange popsicles, this creamsicle breakfast smoothie recipe is a balanced breakfast with carbohydrates, protein and, thanks to the addition of coconut water, essential electrolytes. Coconut water serves up more than 10 percent of your daily dose of potassium--an electrolyte you lose through sweat--in every cup, making it a great hydrator for light workouts. Plus, this creamy orange-mango smoothie only contains about 30 mg of sodium per cup, whereas sports drinks usually deliver about 110 mg of sodium per cup.

For those of you who always loved to run to the curb to buy a little bit of summer on a stick, this drink is right up your alley. The secret to the straight-from-the-ice-cream truck taste of this creamy frozen treat? Double the fruit! A little bit of frozen mango helps thicken the drink naturally in the blender while boosting the juicy flavor of fresh orange juice. Unsweetened vanilla coconut milk brings just a hint of sweetness while keeping this added-sugar-free and vegan. You could also use a sweetened coconut milk if you prefer a little more sweetness. Enjoy this refreshing and nostalgic drink on its own, or add a splash of your favorite vodka or rum for a summer happy hour indulgence. P.S.: Unlike the ice cream version, this one travels well in an insulated cup if you want to take it poolside!

This take on the classic Thanksgiving pie has the familiar warming spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, plus rum and coconut for a tropical twist.

This easy energy ball uses natural ingredients to give you a quick bite of energy when you need it. Dried apricots and honey hold together the coconut and oats, while ginger and tahini deepen the sweet flavors. Ready in just 25 minutes, you can have these as a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack or sweet treat after dinner.

We love the maple-nut flavor combination of this heart-healthy granola, but feel free to substitute your favorite nuts or dried fruit for your own custom blend.

No other dessert turns heads like a trifle. Festive in every way, this trifle recipe glows from within with scarlet layers of juicy cranberries. The filling is made from an astounding 6 cups of antioxidant-packed cranberries! We made the custard with a combination of low-fat milk and light coconut milk. From-scratch brown-butter sponge cake, made with whole-wheat pastry flour, stands in for store-bought ladyfingers.

This low-carb vegetable soup is chock-full of veggies swimming in a creamy coconut broth flavored with Thai red curry paste. It's hearty enough to eat on its own, but feel free to add chicken or tofu to boost the protein.

The Thai dessert kow neuw mamuang, or mango sticky rice, is a popular dessert throughout Southeast Asia. It's typically made with white glutinous rice, but our version features short-grain brown rice for a similarly chewy texture with more fiber per serving. Coconut milk adds sweetness, while a topping of sesame seeds provides nuttiness.

Classic carrot cake goes vegan in this easy recipe, and gets covered with coconut whipped cream to replace the traditional cream cheese frosting. A mixture of flax and water makes a sturdy substitute for eggs in this vegan cake. Plus, sweet crushed pineapple helps to make this cake delicious with less added sugar.

Never skip breakfast again: keep these coconut and date breakfast bites in the fridge or freezer, and you'll always have a grab-and-go option for busy mornings.

Coconut-milk yogurt is sweetened with maple syrup, spread into a thin layer and studded with fresh pineapple and coconut flakes. After freezing, break it into pieces to enjoy as a healthy vegan snack or dessert!