Coconut flakes are dried bits of coconut that have been turned into flakes to be used in a range of sweet treats and salads. Most coconut baking recipes call for coconut flakes alongside other coconut flavourings.
To create the flakes, coconut meat is boiled until it is soft enough to be chopped up into flakes. These flakes are then thoroughly dried and occasionally sweetened.
Not every supermarket stocks up on coconut flakes specifically, but rather other dried coconut products.
Our 4 Substitutes for Coconut Flakes
The prevailing flavour of coconut flakes is (unsurprisingly) coconut. When the coconut meat is dried and flaked, the coconut flavour becomes even more prominent but not overwhelming.
It is mainly the texture of coconut flakes that makes them so popular in baking. Their larger shape adds texture variety that most recipes lack.
Here are our top 4 substitutes for coconut flakes:
1) Shredded Coconut
The only real difference between shredded coconut and coconut flakes is the size of the coconut.
Shredded coconut is made by following the same preparation process as coconut flakes. But instead of the coconut meat being flaked and dried, it is shredded and then dried.
The smaller coconut pieces don’t provide as much texture in your bake as coconut flakes, mixing into your mixture a little too well. Though the flavour remains the same.
Know Your Ratios
As it is only the size of the dried coconut that has changed and not the flavour, use equal parts shredded coconut to coconut flakes in your recipe.
2) Sweetened Flaked Coconut
Though their name would suggest that sweetened flaked coconut is the same as coconut flakes, it is not.
Sweetened flaked coconut is drenched in a water-based sugar solution before being left to dry. This means the resulting flakes taste extremely sweet, overpowering the coconut flavour.
The liquid sugar also makes the flakes take on a chewier texture once dried. Depending on your recipe, this would ruin your bake’s texture but can still work in various recipes.
Cut Out the Sugar
You will need to reduce the sugar you add to your recipe when using sweetened flaked coconut. Especially if your bake is already on the sweeter side.
3) Coconut Extract
Unlike other coconut flakes, coconut extract is a liquid rather than solid. You will have to account for this in terms of texture when you use coconut extract in your baking recipes.
Not only will coconut extract add extra moisture to your bake, which may unbalance delicate structures, but it will also take away the crunch of the coconut flakes.
However, coconut extract has a much stronger coconut flavour than coconut flakes, so you can still provide your sweet treat with a great coconut kick.
Just do not overdo it with the coconut extract to prevent overwhelming other flavours.
How to Account for the Extra Moisture
You will not need to use excessive amounts of coconut extra in a recipe. It shouldn’t alter the moisture content too much. But if you see a change, using a little extra flour or slightly reducing the amount of other wet ingredients will improve your recipe.
4) Coconut Oil
Depending on how you store your coconut oil, it may be a liquid, or it may be hard, like cold butter.
Either way, when you use it as a replacement for coconut flakes, you will need to be aware of both the extra moisture and the extra oil.
Coconut oil does not have a strong coconut flavour like coconut flakes. You will need to use extra coconut oil to make up for the lack of taste. But make sure to reduce the amount of oil/ fat elsewhere in your bake to keep the recipe balanced.
When to Avoid Using Coconut Oil
If you are trying to add texture to your bake, coconut oil will not provide you with any and will not work as well as a substitute. Neither will it work if you are trying to make coconut the bake’s prominent flavour.
Other Substitutes for Coconut Flakes
If you have some other leftover coconut products, you could potentially use them to replace coconut flakes.
Here are a few more coconut products that make suitable coconut flake substitutes:
- Coconut Milk – You will have to contend with the added moisture if you use coconut milk in your recipe. However, the creamy thickness of coconut milk and the strong coconut flavour makes it a good substitute.
- Desiccated Coconut – You may have seen the more expensive coconut flakes labelled as desiccated coconut in supermarkets and been put off by the name. But desiccated coconut is just a fancy name for dried coconut.
Summary
Coconut flakes are one of the most affordable and common forms of dried coconut that you can buy. However, when you need to replace coconut flakes, almost any other dried coconut ingredient (such as shredded coconut) can work in its place.