Coconut Jelly

This recipe for Coconut Jelly is a simple and luxurious dessert with only 3 ingredients. It's rich, wobbly and jiggly, with an enticing coconut flavor.

What is coconut jelly?

Coconut jelly (also known as coconut pudding or coconut milk pudding) is a Chinese dim sum dessert (commonly found along with osmanthus jelly, almond jelly and mango pudding) that is lightly sweet, jiggly and full of coconut flavor.

Not to be confused with nata de coco, or coconut gel, which is chewy, translucent jelly-like bits used in desserts such as halo halo, ice cream, bubble tea and fruit cocktail.

Nata de coco is made from fermenting coconut water with bacterial cultures, which produces a gel-like substance. 

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for Coconut Jelly is:

Super easy to make: dissolve the gelatin in coconut milk and you're halfway there!

Only 3 ingredients: only uses coconut milk, gelatin and sugar.

Dairy-free and gluten-free: a rich and luxurious dessert that doesn't contain any dairy and gluten! 

Great for parties: double the recipe and easily serve a crowd for dessert.

3 ingredients you'll need

• coconut milk: canned, preferably full-fat
• gelatin powder: or agar powder (you can use less agar)
• yellow rock sugar: or granulated sugar (use a little less); or to your taste

You can find these ingredients at Asian grocery stores.

How to make coconut jelly

Remove about 40ml coconut milk and sprinkle gelatin powder evenly over the top. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom the gelatin powder.

Combine remaining 360ml coconut milk and rock sugar into a small saucepan.

Turn the heat onto medium-low, whisking while the coconut milk mixture heats up, but taking care not to boil the mixture.

Add the gelatin-coconut milk mixture into the heated coconut milk and continue whisking to dissolve the gelatin.

Once the gelatin and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat.

Pour the mixture into a glass container.

Tip: to prevent the coconut fat from separating from the coconut water, give the mixture a stir every few minutes while it is cooling. If you don't mind the 2-layer jelly, you can skip this step.

Once it is almost set, chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To release, warm the container's exterior with a little hot water (let it sit for about 5 minutes).

Run a thin sharp knife over the edges to release the jelly.

Cut and serve as desired.

How to serve & store

Serve the coconut jelly on its own, as a topping for bubble tea, taro ice cream, pulut hitam, coconut sago, or alongside other desserts such as shaved ice, or cendol.

Pair it with other jellies such as lychee, osmanthus, mango, coffee, or grass jelly.

Substitutions

For a vegan version, omit the gelatin and use agar powder.

If using agar agar powder, you will need to boil the mixture vigorously for a few minutes, and then transfer to your desired mould/container.

Note: agar powder sets more firmly than gelatin with a "snap," which will not produce as much of a "wobbly/jiggly" texture.

For a lighter coconut jelly, you can mix in whole milk to cut the richness, but for us, a cube of this jelly is pure decadence!

Expert tips

If you prefer a homogenous white-colored coconut jelly, stir the mixture every once in a while before it cools and sets in the fridge.

For a two-layered coconut jelly, you can leave the mixture alone and it will separate into 2 distinct layers: the coconut milk/fat and coconut water.

You can pour the coconut mixture into bowls or small ramekins for individual servings, and serve directly from the vessel.

Other jelly recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Simple Lychee Jelly

Chinese Almond Jelly

Coffee Jelly

Mango Jelly

Osmanthus Flower Jelly

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Coconut Jelly

This recipe for Coconut Jelly is a simple and luxurious dessert with only 3 ingredients. It's rich, wobbly and jiggly, with an enticing coconut flavor.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chilling Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Dim Sum

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Servings: 6

Calories: 157kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 1 can (400ml) full-fat coconut milk divided
• 2 ½ teaspoon gelatin powder
• 40 g yellow rock sugar or to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Remove about 40ml coconut milk and sprinkle gelatin powder evenly over the top. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom the gelatin powder.
• Combine remaining 360ml coconut milk and rock sugar into a small saucepan.
• Turn the heat onto medium-low, whisking while the coconut milk mixture gently heats up, but taking care not to boil the mixture.
• Add the gelatin-coconut milk mixture into the heated coconut milk and continue whisking to dissolve the gelatin.
• Once the gelatin and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat.
• Pour the mixture into a glass container.
• Tip: to prevent the coconut fat from separating from the coconut water, give the mixture a stir every few minutes while it is cooling. If you like the 2-layer jelly, you can skip this step.
• Once it is almost set, chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To release, warm the container's exterior with a little hot water (let it sit for about 5 minutes).
• Run a thin sharp knife over the edges to release the jelly.
• Cut and serve as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 140mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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