How to Make Shredded Coconut and Coconut Flakes
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If you love coconut, you'll love how easy it is to make shredded coconut and coconut flakes in your kitchen in just minutes.
It's pretty easy to do and you can make a sweetened version as well using any sweetener you like and no icky preservatives!
Dried coconut shreds and flakes are great to have in your pantry for so many uses, especially if you're eating a low-carb diet.
We eat a lot of coconut in our home including coconut butter, shredded coconut, and coconut flakes. We love coconut in all of these forms, but when you can make it fresh, it's even better.
Before I get to that, why do we eat so much coconut? Several reasons.
Why You Should Make Your Own Dried Coconut
- No Additives – Most dried coconut in the stores has added sweeteners (typically refined white sugar) and preservatives (typically sodium metabisulfite). You can avoid all of that when you dry your own coconut.
- Fresher Than Store-Bought – Who knows how long those products have been sitting on the shelf.
- Great for Many Dishes – Coconut is super versatile as both a main ingredient in dishes (like these No Bake Coconut Cookies or No Bake Almond Joy Bars) or as a garnish like on this Cranberry Smoothie Bowl.
- Food Allergy Friendly – Dried coconut is great for making so many things like coconut milk and coconut butter, both of which are a huge help for allergy-free baking and cooking.
- Low-Carb/Keto Friendly – With so many watching their carbs, coconut is a great ingredient that isn't high in carbohydrates.
- Stores Well – Dried coconut stores quite well.
Directions
Here are the basic directions. For the full list, scroll down to the Recipe Card.
Crack open the coconut. Scrape out the interior. Cut/shred the coconut meat to the desired texture. Dry in oven or dehydrator, sweetening if desired.
How to Sweeten Coconut Shreds and Flakes
For every cup of coconut that you want to sweeten, combine the desired sweetener with water in a saucepan to make a syrup. Coat the coconut with the syrup and then dry in a dehydrator or oven on low as instructed.
How to Use
You can use these Homemade Coconut Shreds and Flakes anywhere you would use coconut. Here are some of our favorite recipes:
- Homemade Coconut Butter
- No-Bake Coconut Cookies
- Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Mint Bars
- Healthy Birds Nest Cookies
- Healthy Mounds Bars
- Caramelized Toasted Coconut Chips
- Honey Bunches of Oats Coconut Chips
Now if you live in some place that doesn't have coconut chips or shreds, or if they just happen to be out of stock, you can make them yourself.
Or, if the only coconut available to you is coconut treated with icky sodium metabisulfate preservative, here's your non-toxic delicious coconutty solution.
Homemade Coconut Shreds and Chips
Ingredients
- Fresh Coconut
Instructions
- Break open coconut with hammer. Remove the hard outer shell. Peel the soft outer shell with a vegetable peeler.
- Grate the fresh coconut meal according to desired result. Use small holes for fine shreds, normal big holes for typical shredded coconut, and use the grater slicer for chips. Alternatively, for the chips, peeling with vegetable peeler makes a cleaner and more attractive chip — but it is a bit thicker.
- Dry in oven, convection oven, or dehydrator. How long they take to dry will depend on the size of the coconut pieces and the temperature of your oven or dehydrator.
- Spread the coconut chips or shreds in a single layer for drying. Here are some ideas of how long it will take each size to dry. Small and medium shreds will take about 2 hours for small and 3 hours for medium in a 100 – 125 °F (40 – 50 °C) convection oven. The chips will take a little longer and will dry in a dehydrator in about 6 hours at 125°F.
- The chips will dehydrate in about an hour in a regular oven at 60ºC/140ºF. It may take longer, depending on your oven. Note that over 125°, the coconut will not be considered raw.
Sweetened Version
- For every cup of coconut that you want to sweeten, combine 4 teaspoons of sugar or a low-carb sweetener like xylitol with 1/4 cup water in a saucepan.
- Heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves and makes a simple syrup.
- Add the coconut to the pan.
- Remove from the heat and stir occasionally until the liquid absorbs.
- Spread the coconut on a baking sheet let it dry in the oven, in a dehydrator, or at room temperature.
Toasted Version
- For toasted sweetened coconut, leave the coconut in the oven until lightly browned.
- Make sure to check on it after 15 minutes or so, toss or stir well, then return to the oven and check every 10 minutes to shake and toss to prevent burning.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Do you love coconut?
What is your favorite way to eat it?
Photo credits: Naomi Huzovicova
Can you add the coconut milk in the coconut to the milk you make from the shredded coconut
That liquid is coconut water–not coconut milk. You could add it for sure, but it will just water down the coconut milk. Many people drink it as it is.
How do you toast the bigger shaved coconut flakes? Thx
Hi there. You can use an oven or pan. I added two links in the post to a few great recipes for toasted chips – you can do it in a pan or oven.
Where do you buy your chips in bulk?
Thanks,
I have bought from Azure mostly but I see that Country Life Natural Foods has them now. I bet Nuts.com does and others.
Wow thanks for this opportunity, i was thinking of a way to do coconut flakes.
Am I the only one who is left with brown shreds? And they are not burnt but just not white anymore? I used an oven by the way, any hints on what to do to keep them whiter?
I live in a coconut land haha but shreds are sooo hard to find, so really hoping I can make my own.
Not sure – how low does your oven’s temp go?
I don’t understand how your supposed to peel the soft putter shell. My coconut I just bought is hard like a baseball. Or am I’m not readying this correct?
After you break the outer shell, there is a soft inner one that you need to peel. I’ll try to make it more clear. Thanks and hope it works well!
Thanks for sharing. My sister was vaccine injured and is unable to have eggs. A lot of good recipes here!
Thank you and welcome!
How do I make coconut chips that Will stick together
Do you mean like this? https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/homemade-coconut-chips-like-dang-brand/
What would be the expiration date for the homemade coconut shreds/flakes and where can should I store them to keep them fresh?
Meant to say where should I store them?
Hi Shinelle. I can’t make claims about that since of course everyone’s preparation could be different but my dried coconut lasts a long time at room temp. If you have room in the fridge, freezer, or could do vacuum sealed bags that would be best. Hope it works well for you!
More than that, coconut shreds are a great base for so many recipes. For making Coconut Butter, these No-Bake Coconut Delights, Coconut Truffles, this
oops…leaving sentences unfinished again! ;-{
Yikes, Carol. Good catch! I’ve been multi-tasking too much for sure. Fixed now with more great recipes added :).