Ever since we found out we could make whipped cream from coconut fat, what is everyone doing with all that leftover coconut water?
Aside from adding it to your daily smoothie, here are 3 recipes that use coconut water.
From my vegan version of Trinidadian Coconut Sweet Bread to Chocolate Coconut Cinnamon Rolls and then Coconut Orange Drop Cookies in between!
Try one or try them all!
But be sure to save that luscious coconut fat from the top of the can for your next coconut whipped cream project!
Trinidadian Coconut Sweet Bread
My version of this Trinidad favorite uses slightly different ingredients but the result is the same~ dare I say, Better!?
Ok, Ok I won’t say it, I’ll let you decide!
The traditional loaf uses candied fruit mix like green and red cherries and some raisins or currants.
But since I really don’t like candied cherries I decided to use cranberries, raisins and even some minced crystallized ginger!
I had to be careful of stepping on any Trini toes though, by putting my own twist on things.
But I was reassured by my Bajan friends that this bread can rival the real thing!
Go ahead! try it!
- All Purpose Flour 3 cups (375g)
- Vegan Butter 8 Tablespoons (113g)
- Ground Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- Ground Nutmeg 1 teaspoon
- Light Brown Sugar 1 cup (210g)
- Salt 1 teaspoon (5g)
- Baking Powder 3 teaspoons (15g)
- Orange Zest 1 teaspoon
- Lemon Zest 1 teaspoon
- Coconut Water 1 cup (237ml)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon
- Dried Fruit Mix (for example: raisins, apricots, currants, cranberries) 1½ cup total
- Grated Coconut 2 cups
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and spices together in a large mixing bowl
- Cut in the vegan butter with a pastry blender or a fork until it resembles course meal
- Add the zests, vanilla extract and coconut water and mix to a stiff, but sticky dough
- Add the fruits and the coconut and then knead it all by hand until it comes together
- Place the dough in a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until it is golden browned and no longer raw on the inside
- Cool before turning out of the pan then slice and serve warm with vegan butter
Some freeze the bread for up to 1 month
Chocolate Coconut Cinnamon Rolls
I love chocolate and coconut together.
Not sure about those two flavors together?
Just ask the Almond Joy cake how it’s going!
So let’s tone down that chocolate on this one, bring the coconut to center stage and have yourself a tropical breakfast with sweet coco-nutty cinnamon buns!
- For the Bun Dough
- Active Dry Yeast 3 teaspoons (9g)
- Coconut Water ½ cup (120ml)
- All Purpose Flour 4 - 5 cups (520g-650g)
- Salt 1½ teaspoons (9g)
- Granulated Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Vegan Butter 8 Tablespoons (113g)
- Coconut Milk or more Coconut Water 1 cup (237ml)
- For the Chocolate Schmear
- Water 4 tablespoons (60ml)
- Granulated Sugar 4 Tablespoons (50g)
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ½ cup
- Granulated Sugar 4 Tablespoons (50g)
- Shredded Coconut 1½ cups
- Sugar Glaze
- Confectioners Sugar 2 cups (240g)
- Almond Milk 2 Tablespoons or more as needed to your desired consistency
- Prove your yeast by mixing it with the room temperature coconut water and a pinch of the sugar.
- If it gets bubbly and frothy after about 5 to 10 minutes, you have proven that the yeast is alive and you may proceed with the recipe. (*if it does not froth, it is good chance your yeast is old and dead and you should buy a fresh package)
- Combine all of the remaining ingredients, including the proven yeast into the bowl of your Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook attachment
- Follow along in the video tutorial for mixing this dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel and set in a nice warm spot to double in size. This will take approximately 1 hour depending on the conditions in your kitchen.
- Once it has doubled, you will gently “punch down” the dough to release the gasses and proceed to roll the buns as shown in the video.
- Press the dough into the best square or rectangle you can by hand, and then roll with a rolling pin to approximately 12" X 20"
- Spread the entire surface with chocolate schmear recipe below and then the shredded coconut
- Roll up jelly-roll style and then cut into 12 equal portions.
- Arrange the buns in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish or a cast iron pan as I am using this time inteh video, spaced so they are about 1″ apart.
- Cover with a towel and place the baking dish in a warm, draft free spot to rise again.
- About 1 hour depending on your kitchen conditions.
- Once the buns have risen they will most likely be touching each other or almost touching each other and be soft and airy when you poke them, bake them in a PREHEATED 350° F oven for approximately 20- 30 minutes or until golden brown and center buns are fully baked
- Cool slightly and then ice with sugar glaze by combining the confectioners sugar and almond milk together and whisk smooth
1 day is the maximum for any fresh baked bun.
Breads, buns and rolls will get stale very quickly.
To give an extra day to the buns, be sure to wrap them tightly in an airtight container or with plastic wrap after they have fully cooled.
Coconut Orange Drop Cookies
This recipe may seem a bit odd in that we are putting a whole orange, unpeeled (with the skin) into the batter!
But trust me it is so good!
The coconut and orange together give good ol” Chocolate Chip Cookie a run for it’s money!
These cookies are more like cake cookies, so light and airy that you can eat about 6 of them before you realize you ate 6 of them!
Cocoa nibs give these cookies a slight chocolate undertone with a crunch; but you can easily substitute with chocolate chips instead.
- For the Cookies:
- Navel Orange 1 small (skin ON, quartered seeds discarded)
- Coconut Oil melted ⅔ cup (150g)
- Granulated Sugar ⅓ cup (66g)
- Light Brown Sugar ¾ cup (158g)
- Coconut Water 6 Tablespoons (90ml)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon
- Coconut Extract 1 teaspoon
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- All Purpose Flour 2½ cups (312g)
- Cardamom ¼ teaspoon
- Baking Powder 1 teaspoon (5g)
- Baking Soda 1 teaspoon
- Cocoa Nibs ½ cup (70g)
- Sweetened Flake Coconut ½ cup
- For the Glaze:
- Confectioners Sugar 1 cup (120g)
- Coconut Extract 1 teaspoon
- Coconut Water 2 Tablespoons (30ml)
- Place the orange in a food processor and pulse until it is chunky
- Add the orange pulp to a large bowl with the sugars, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut extracts, coconut water and salt and whisk to combine well
- Add the sifted flour, baking powder & soda and the cardamom and mix to form a batter
- Add the cocoa nibs and the sweetened flake coconut and mix well
- Scoop onto parchment lined sheet pans and bake in a preheated 350¯F oven for approximately 18 minutes or until they are light golden
- Cool slightly before glazing with sugar glaze made from whisking together the confectioners sugar, extract and coconut water
Congratulations Gretchen. I’ve enjoyed your posts since I found you when you had your bakery in NJ. I’m so happy for you. I am wishing you much success.
thankyou!!
Hey Grechen. In jamaica. Our version of the trini sweet bread is called coconut toto. Except we don’t use dried fruits. The most we’ll use where that’s concerned are raisins. Awesome recipe btw.
Hi Jovan!! thankyou! I’m glad you approve!! 🙂