Latik substitute

Best substitute

Make It From a Can of Coconut Cream or Milk

one 13.5 oz can makes about 3 to 4 tbsp curds, or about ½ cup syrup

Best for biko

Close match

The honest best answer, because latik is essentially unbuyable and it is nothing but coconut cream and time. One can and half an hour of occasional stirring gives you the real thing, and the rendered coconut oil left over is worth having on its own.

Other latik substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Toasted Desiccated or Shredded Coconut (For the Curds)
Different texture
Use ¼ cup toasted coconut for every 2 tbsp latik curds
The best shortcut for the curd form and the one to reach for when you do not have half an hour.
What changes
Toasted coconut has the same deep roasted-coconut aroma and gives a scattering of brown crunch across the top of a rice cake, which is what latik curds are there for.
Best for
biko, suman, kalamay, sapin-sapin, topping puddings and ice cream
Prep. Toast dry in a pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, toss with 1 tsp coconut oil and a good pinch of salt.
It is drier and flakier, with a brittle snap rather than latik's chewy-crisp bite, and it lacks the richness that comes from the coconut oil the curds fry in. The oil and salt are what close most of that gap, so do not skip them. Unsweetened is essential; sweetened flake burns before it browns.
3Sweetened Condensed Milk Simmered With Coconut Cream (For the Syrup)
Close match
½ cup condensed milk plus ¼ cup coconut cream makes about ½ cup syrup
The quickest route to a convincing latik syrup.
What changes
Condensed milk already carries the sweetness and body you would otherwise build over half an hour, so the coconut cream only has to supply the flavour.
Best for
biko, suman, kalamay, puto, drizzling over rice cakes and puddings
Prep. Simmer together over low heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens and darkens slightly. Add a pinch of salt.
It comes out milkier and a shade lighter in colour than a true latik syrup, which is darker and more caramelised, and it tastes of dairy alongside the coconut. The sweetness is roughly right. Watch the heat, because condensed milk scorches easily on the bottom of the pan and a burnt note ruins it.
4Coconut Sugar or Palm Sugar Syrup
Different texture
½ cup sugar plus ¼ cup coconut milk makes about ⅓ cup syrup
The closest flavour match without opening a whole can, because coconut sugar and palm sugar are themselves made from coconut and palm sap and carry a smoky-caramel depth that ordinary sugar does not.
What changes
Good when you want just a little syrup.
Best for
biko, suman, kalamay, drizzling over desserts, sweetening coconut puddings
Prep. Melt the sugar with the coconut milk over low heat, stirring, then simmer 5 to 8 minutes until it coats a spoon. It thickens a lot as it cools.
It is a sugar syrup rather than a reduced coconut cream, so it is thinner, glassier and less rich, and it sets firmer as it cools. It also tastes more of caramelised sugar than of coconut. A tablespoon of coconut cream stirred in at the end adds back some of the missing body.
5Dulce de Leche Thinned With Coconut Milk (For the Syrup)
Different taste
Use ½ cup dulce de leche plus 2 tbsp coconut milk for every ½ cup latik syrup
Right on sweetness, gloss, thickness and cling, which are four of the five things latik syrup provides.
What changes
If your recipe simply needs a thick caramel to pour over a rice cake, this delivers it with almost no effort.
Best for
biko, puto, leche flan-style desserts, drizzling over rice cakes
Prep. Warm gently and whisk until smooth and pourable. Add a pinch of salt.
It tastes of dairy caramel, not coconut, and that difference is obvious in a dish where coconut is the whole point. The two tablespoons of coconut milk help and do not fix it. It is also noticeably sweeter than a homemade latik syrup, so pull back any sugar elsewhere in the dessert.
6Jarred Caramel or Butterscotch Sauce
Different taste
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp coconut milk and a pinch of salt
The honest least-bad option.
What changes
It gets the colour, the sweetness and the glossy pour, so a plate of biko will look right and taste sweet, and for a weeknight that may be enough.
Best for
when nothing else is available, topping puddings and cakes, children's desserts
Prep. Stir the coconut milk and salt into the sauce and warm briefly so it pours easily.
The flavour is butter and vanilla, which is a completely different direction from toasted coconut, so the finished biko tastes like a butterscotch pudding. Butterscotch is worse than plain caramel here because the butter note is stronger. Add the coconut milk and salt, and expect it to read as caramel rather than latik.

What is Latik?

Latik is one word for two different things made by cooking down coconut cream: in Luzon the toasted brown curds left behind when the cream splits and its solids fry in their own oil, and in the Visayas the thick sweet coconut caramel poured over rice cakes.

Cooking tips

Establish which latik you need before anything else, and the recipe usually tells you if you read it carefully. Sprinkled, scattered or topped means the toasted brown curds from Luzon. Poured, drizzled or spread means the thick coconut caramel of the Visayas. Substituting one for the other is the mistake that ruins a biko.
Making curds needs full-fat coconut cream, not light coconut milk. The process depends on there being enough fat that when the water boils off, the solids have oil to fry in. Low-fat versions never split properly and you get a pale sticky paste rather than crisp brown curds.
The last two minutes of making curds is where it goes wrong. Once the liquid has gone the solids brown very quickly, and there is only about sixty seconds between deep nutty brown and acrid burnt. Turn the heat down, stir constantly, and take the pan off while they are a shade lighter than you want.
Do not throw away the oil the curds leave behind. It is fragrant homemade coconut oil, and brushing it over a tray of biko or stirring a spoonful into the rice before baking adds more flavour than the curds on top do.
Latik curds go soft within an hour of sitting on something moist, so add them at the last moment. If you make them ahead, keep them in a sealed jar at room temperature, never the fridge, where they absorb damp and lose their crunch.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best substitute for latik?

It depends which latik. For the toasted curds, desiccated coconut toasted dry in a pan until deep brown then tossed with a teaspoon of coconut oil and a pinch of salt, about a quarter cup per two tablespoons of curds. For the syrup, simmer half a cup of sweetened condensed milk with a quarter cup of coconut cream for eight to ten minutes. Best of all, make the real thing: a can of coconut cream simmered for twenty to thirty minutes gives you either version.

What is the difference between latik curds and latik sauce?

They are two regional meanings of the same word. In Luzon, latik means the crunchy brown curds left when coconut cream is cooked until it splits and the solids fry in their own oil; they are scattered on top of biko, suman and kalamay. In the Visayas, latik means the thick sweet coconut caramel made by simmering coconut milk with sugar, and it is poured over the same kinds of rice cakes. Check whether your recipe sprinkles it or pours it.

Can I use toasted coconut instead of latik?

For the curd version, yes, and it is the best quick substitute. Toast unsweetened desiccated or shredded coconut dry in a pan until deep golden, about five minutes of constant stirring, then toss it off the heat with a teaspoon of coconut oil and a pinch of salt. It gives the same roasted coconut aroma and brown scattering on top. It is drier and snappier than latik's chewy-crisp curds, and the oil and salt are what make it taste rich rather than dusty.

Can I just leave the latik out?

You can, and a biko or suman without it is still perfectly good, just plainer: you lose the toasted-coconut aroma and, in the curd version, the only textural contrast in an otherwise soft sticky dessert. Toasted coconut, toasted sesame seeds or even chopped toasted peanuts scattered over the top will give you that contrast in five minutes and are much better than nothing.

Why did my latik not form curds?

Almost always because the coconut milk was too lean. Curds form when the water evaporates and the coconut solids are left to fry in the separated coconut oil, and light or low-fat coconut milk simply does not have enough fat for that to happen, so it reduces to a pale paste instead. Use full-fat coconut cream, keep the heat at a steady moderate simmer, and be patient: it takes twenty to thirty minutes and nothing appears to happen for the first fifteen.

Related substitutes

More sauces & condiments substitutes

Latik substitute

Other latik substitutes

2Toasted Desiccated or Shredded Coconut (For the Curds)

3Sweetened Condensed Milk Simmered With Coconut Cream (For the Syrup)

4Coconut Sugar or Palm Sugar Syrup

5Dulce de Leche Thinned With Coconut Milk (For the Syrup)

6Jarred Caramel or Butterscotch Sauce