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Overhead view of 2 bowls of coconut chips, one with toasted chips

How to make coconut chips or flakes and toasted coconut chips

Last Modified: January 26, 2018 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // August 13, 2016 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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Buying a fresh coconut can be intimidating, but it's easy to make coconut chips or flakes (or toasted coconut chips) once you know how. I'll show you a simple way to make them quickly.

Learn how to make coconut chips, or shredded coconut flakes, from fresh coconuts. It’s easy!

Overhead view of 2 bowls of coconut chips, one with toasted chips
Pin this recipe for later!

As I told you the other day, I’ve been on a bit of a coconut kick lately and have been buying a lot of fresh coconuts. Not only do I love drinking the fresh coconut water, but I can use the meat for making coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut butter, and my new favorite, coconut chips. Not only have I made all sorts of recipes with the coconut meat, but I’ve even been making crafts with the coconut shell. In fact, I got so busy with all of it that I almost forgot to get to the blog to tell you all about it!

So, be warned, this is the second in a series of many posts about what to do with fresh coconuts. The first was a post about how to choose a fresh coconut and how to open it. I figured that was an important place to start if you start to buy fresh coconuts for these sorts of recipes. Choosing a bad coconut takes all of the fun out of the projects, and will make you quickly give up. Choosing a fresh coconut, though, isn’t difficult and makes all of the difference!

Coconut chips on their own are a fun topping for smoothies and smoothie bowls, but I have to admit that I find them a bit boring plain.

So why would you want to go through the hassle of making coconut chips?

When seasoned, they are incredibly tasty!

Many of you have probably heard about coconut bacon. I’ve made it many times by now, and while I really enjoy munching on a handful of coconut bacon, or sprinkling it on my salads, it isn’t my favorite way to season coconut flakes. For those of you who don’t know how to make coconut bacon, though, I’ll show you in the next few days. You really do need to try it!

Overhead view of a variety of seasoned coconut chips
Lately I’ve been making seasoned coconut chips. I’ll be sharing recipes with you soon!

I’ve been making all sorts of sweet, tangy, and salty coconut chip types that are crispy and one of the healthiest ways you can satisfy your cravings for chips.

While you can use store bought coconut flakes for making coconut chips, I’ve found that the ones I make at home are a bit thicker and make for more crispy coconut chips. The store bought variety are still tasty, but I don’t get the same satisfaction that I get from biting into the crunchy homemade ones.

You can make regular coconut flakes or toasted coconut flakes by adjusting the temperature of your oven when dehydrating your coconut. I personally like the white flakes better, but I do have to admit that the toasted ones are great to use for making coconut bacon.

So, have I convinced you to give it a try?

Video

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Overhead view of 2 bowls of coconut chips, one with toasted chips

How to make coconut chips or flakes and toasted coconut chips

Learn how to make coconut chips, or shredded coconut flakes, from fresh coconuts. It’s easy!
Makes about 2 cups
4.22 from 14 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh coconut (See the link for how to choose a good coconut)
Switch units back – Convert units

Instructions

  • Open the coconut and pry out the coconut meat. (You can find detailed instructions for choosing a good coconut and how to open the coconut here.)
  • Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the brown skin from the coconut pieces. (I usually dry out the skin and either munch on it separately or grind it into a powder which is great as an exfoliant for your skin.)
    Buying a fresh coconut can be intimidating, but it's easy to make coconut chips or flakes (or toasted coconut chips) once you know how. I'll show you a simple way to make them quickly.
  • Rinse off and dry the white coconut pieces.
  • Using your vegetable peeler again, peel off strips of coconut until you have finished making coconut chips with the entire coconut.
    Buying a fresh coconut can be intimidating, but it's easy to make coconut chips or flakes (or toasted coconut chips) once you know how. I'll show you a simple way to make them quickly.
  • Using either your oven or a dehydrator, dry the coconut chips until they are completely dried out. You can tell by trying to break them. If they are still somewhat flexible and hard to break, you should dry them out a little longer. They should easily snap in half. If you are using your oven, use the lowest heat and the convection setting if you have one.
    Buying a fresh coconut can be intimidating, but it's easy to make coconut chips or flakes (or toasted coconut chips) once you know how. I'll show you a simple way to make them quickly.
  • If you want toasted coconut flakes, you can continue to heat the coconut in either the dehydrator or the oven and they will start to slowly become toasted. They will first start to turn a golden yellow, followed by a darker brown color. You can quicken the process by turning up the heat a little, but be very careful! Toasted coconut flakes burn very quickly and easily. Once burnt, they don’t taste very good.
    Buying a fresh coconut can be intimidating, but it's easy to make coconut chips or flakes (or toasted coconut chips) once you know how. I'll show you a simple way to make them quickly.
  • Store your dried coconut chips in an airtight container. They are now ready for eating as is or seasoning however you choose.
Course DIY Pantry Foods, snacks
Other Diets Dairy free, Gluten free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegan
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!
Serving: 0.25cups | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.2mg

I got a bowl of coconut chips from my coconut. (Although I do have to admit that I was eating coconut as I went, so you could probably get more from your coconut than I did if you don’t eat it all during the process.) 😉

Overhead view of a bowl of homemade white coconut chips

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing with you some of my ideas for making seasoned coconut chips. I’ve made everything from raspberry to matcha-lime coconut chips to coconut bacon, and they’re all super yummy!!

Category: MIY Pantry Basics, Recipes

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We’ll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Previous Post: « A closeup of the eyes of the coconut How to Choose a Coconut and How to Open it
Next Post: How to Make Coconut Bacon Overhead view of coconut bacon »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kaye

    June 15, 2018 at 7:26 AM

    Hi! I landed here in search for ways to season coconut chips, but now I’m super curious about your coconut crafts! (We don’t use the same coconuts though, in the Philippines we call yours niyog, which is an older coconut. I mostly drink the younger, green coconut.)

    Also, have you tried drying coconut strips instead of flakes?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      June 17, 2018 at 5:43 PM

      Hi Kaye,
      I guess I never got around to posting my crafts. My son made a turtle, and I made a soap dish. I started to make some pendants, but never got around to finishing them. I should show some of them off, I guess. đŸ˜‰
      I love the green coconuts, but they are very expensive here because it is difficult to keep them fresh, I think. I’ve bought them occasionally, but not as often as I’d like because of the price.
      I’ve only dried the thin strips you see in the pictures. Larger strips of the older coconuts probably would be difficult to dry and eat. You could probably do much thicker strips of the green coconuts, though, because they seem to have a much higher liquid content.

      Reply
  2. Arun kg

    April 6, 2018 at 2:05 PM

    Kindly let me know how to make the toast coconut Chips in large scale

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      April 8, 2018 at 6:37 PM

      Hi Arun,
      I’m sorry, but I only make them for my own home so I have no idea how to make them in large scale effectively.

      Reply
  3. Stephanie Brown

    December 8, 2017 at 2:36 AM

    I add grated ginger and honey to my grated coconut. before drying in the oven. Delicious snack✌

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      December 8, 2017 at 3:06 PM

      That sounds delicious, Stephanie! đŸ™‚
      I love ginger.
      I was going to make new posts with some of my favorite combinations, but I think I may just update this post and add in some of my favorites. I really like with smoked paprika- I also like with matcha with lime, and raspberries with honey or maple syrup.

      Reply
  4. Erry

    September 18, 2017 at 2:26 AM

    Hi Tracy, I wonder how long can you keep the coconut flakes?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      September 18, 2017 at 7:24 PM

      Hi Erry,
      Assuming you’ve completely dried them out and store them in a tightly sealed container that doesn’t allow for humidity to enter, you should be able to keep them for several months without any problems. I think when you buy commercially dried coconut flakes, they normally give a shelf life of about 6 months. As long as they are well dried and well conserved, yours should keep for as long as theirs.

      Reply
  5. zahra

    August 15, 2017 at 11:11 PM

    hey! i didn,t see seasoned chips. how can i season coconut flakes?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 17, 2017 at 11:26 PM

      Hi Zahra,
      I was just going through these recipes this week (I’m going through all older posts as I change my recipe plugin), and realized I never got around to posting very many of them.
      I posted the recipe for coconut bacon, and posted a recipe for smoked paprika coconut chips on the Rubies and Radishes blog, but am planning on posting that here, along with a couple of others over the next few weeks. (I already had a few other posts planned first, but it’s definitely on my to-do-soon list.)

      Reply
      • zahra

        August 18, 2017 at 11:28 AM

        thank you for your answer. I have coordination on a web page recently. can i share your posts about coconut flakes? it’s in persian language

        Reply
  6. Evans

    August 3, 2017 at 4:24 PM

    Pls apart from the dehydrator and the oven what can you use to toast the coconut?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 3, 2017 at 11:05 PM

      Hi Evans,
      Theoretically, you should be able to dry it out in the sun outside. I’d cover it with some mesh, to keep any bugs from getting on the coconut chips, leaving some space between the mesh and the coconut for good airflow.
      Once dried, if you want to further toast them, you could toast them in a pan over the stove, being careful not to burn them.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 6, 2017 at 9:21 AM

      Hi Evans,
      You can theoretically dehydrate the coconut in the sun. (I’ve done this with other things, but haven’t personally tried it with coconut.)
      To keep bugs away, it’s best to have some sort of mesh fabric that you can cover the coconut with, but leave a bit of a space above the coconut so air can move over it and it can dry more easily.
      Once dried, if you want to toast it, you can lightly brown it in a pan over the stove.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  7. Debbie

    July 19, 2017 at 12:07 PM

    I would love to try the recipes for your flavoured coconut chips that you mention in this post but nothing shows up when I search – would you be so kind as to share the recipes please?

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      July 20, 2017 at 10:34 PM

      Hi Debbie,
      I think I never got around to getting very many up.
      I did put up my recipe for coconut bacon on the blog, which is one version of seasoned coconut chips.
      I also shared my recipe for smoked paprika coconut chips on the Rubies and Radishes blog, where I used to contribute recipes.
      I’ll have to look up some of the other recipes and post them. The raspberry and matcha coconut chips were really good, so thanks for the reminder!

      Reply
  8. Danielle

    May 21, 2017 at 9:09 AM

    I don’t see any “link” in your comment, Tracy. I tried googling how to open a coconut but I really wanted to see what your links said because I would trust them more.

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      May 22, 2017 at 2:54 PM

      Hi Danielle,
      I added it to the “how to open a coconut“- if you hover over it, it should open. (It should be in a different color to show it’s actually a link, but that could also depend on what you are using to read the blog.)
      In any case, how about I just paste the whole link here: https://thethingswellmake.com/choose-coconut-open/ đŸ˜‰
      You can also do a search on the side panel of my blog. When I do a search of open coconut, it comes up right away. I’ll admit, it’s a bit more hidden if you are on a phone, and I’m looking at doing a new re-design of the blog soon to help make things easier to find everything.
      I have to admit, that by now I’ve opened the coconut so many different ways. I drink the “water” out, and have been known to even open them by throwing them on the pavement outside when hungry and in a hurry. đŸ™‚
      The method in the post is a lot less messy, though, and I also give my tips for choosing a decent coconut. That’s the most important part of the whole process, I think!
      Good luck! If you have any questions, I’m here to help. đŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Danielle

    May 16, 2017 at 3:05 AM

    Your “links” don’t work? Can you please send me them in a comment! I have a coconut but can’t get the darn thing open! I want to make these so badly haha I bought some coconut chips from Maui and sons and my daughter absolutely LOVES them so I want to try making them at home đŸ™‚

    Thank you đŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      May 16, 2017 at 9:51 AM

      Hi Danielle,
      Sorry about the link to the coconut post not being there! I must have meant to put it in later and overlooked it. I just updated the recipe with the link, so it should work now.
      That said, this is how I choose a good coconut and open them.
      Thanks for letting me know so that I could fix the problem and save others the same frustration! đŸ™‚
      I hope it goes well for you. I love making coconut chips- and then seasoning them! I need to put up more of my favorite flavors up soon.

      Reply
  10. Victoria

    April 10, 2017 at 11:40 AM

    this is interesting, but what can I use instead of vegetable peeler

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      April 11, 2017 at 11:03 AM

      Hi Victoria,
      I think that the cheapest, easiest way to get the chip shape is the vegetable peeler. You could also try a mandolin vegetable slicer or food processor on the slicing position. If you don’t have any of those things and you’re handy with a knife, you could try that, but I imagine it would take a lot longer. I haven’t personally tried any of those methods.
      I do use a grater, though, to make shredded dried coconut, so I’d imagine a vegetable slicer would work quite well for making chips too.

      Reply
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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
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