(updated October 13th, 2026)
Yes, but use coconut milk from a carton, not a can. They’re two different products: carton coconut milk is a thin drink made to pour like milk, while canned coconut milk is a thick cooking ingredient with around eight times the fat. Neither has much protein, so expect a lighter, less stable foam than dairy, oat or soy will give you, and a distinct coconut flavor.
Can you froth coconut milk?
Carton coconut milk froths, though not especially well. It has almost no protein, which is a large part of what holds a foam together, so the foam it makes relies on what’s added to it. So Delicious’s unsweetened carton, for example, lists 0 g of protein per cup and includes sunflower lecithin, gellan gum and locust bean gum, the same kinds of emulsifiers and thickeners that barista almond milks rely on.
In a 2024 study that frothed eight milks hot and cold, coconut wasn’t one of the plant milks singled out for foaming well; those were oat, pea and soy. The best milk for a cappuccino has the full comparison.
Canned or carton coconut milk: which should you use?
Carton, for a cappuccino. Here’s how the two compare, worked out per 100 ml from each manufacturer’s own nutrition label:
| Per 100 ml | Canned (Thai Kitchen Organic) | Carton (So Delicious Unsweetened) |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | About 15 g | About 1.9 g |
| Protein | Under 1 g | 0 g |
| Calories | About 150 | About 19 |
| What it’s for | Curries, soups and baking | Drinking, cereal and coffee |
The canned kind is the problem. It’s mostly coconut fat, it “naturally separates and hardens” in the can according to Thai Kitchen’s own label, and with almost no protein and that much fat, it has very little to build a foam from. It also turns a 100 ml cappuccino into something close to 150 calories of milk alone. If canned is all you have, thin it with water first, and don’t expect much foam.
How do you make a coconut milk cappuccino?
- Pull a shot of espresso into a small cup, or make a strong coffee without a machine.
- Use cold carton coconut milk, about 100 ml for a classic-sized cappuccino. Shake the carton first.
- Froth it with a steam wand, a handheld frother or a French press. Expect a looser foam than dairy.
- Keep it warm, not hot: the 55 to 65°C (139 to 149°F) range baristas use for dairy, as Perfect Daily Grind reports from the Specialty Coffee Association.
- Pour it over the coffee and spoon the foam on top straight away, before it settles.
Why does it separate?
There are two different things going on. Canned coconut milk separates on its own: it “naturally separates and hardens”, as the can itself says, which is why you’re told to shake it before opening. Carton coconut milk can split in very hot coffee the way other plant milks do; the fixes are the same as for any plant milk, explained in why plant milk splits in coffee: let the coffee cool for a minute and don’t overheat the milk.
How many calories does it add?
Very few from a carton: at about 19 calories per 100 ml, unsweetened carton coconut milk is lower than skim dairy. Canned coconut milk is the opposite, at about 150 per 100 ml. Sweetened cartons add sugar on top, so check the label. Calories by milk type covers the other milks.
Should you use it for a cappuccino?
If you like the taste of coconut, a carton works fine, and it’s one of the lowest-calorie milks you can use. If you want a proper foam, it’s not the best choice: oat or soy will give you more of it, and hold it longer. I’d keep coconut for when the flavor is the point, and leave the cans for cooking.
