How to Make Authentic Cambodian Coconut Coffee (Better Than Starbucks)

It was almost 2 in the afternoon when I heard someone walk into my café.

I was busy checking the ice bucket because, honestly, at 35°C outside, ice melts faster than you’d think. The Press Day Coffee doesn’t have the best air conditioning, and on days like this, keeping things cold is half the battle.

“Hey sis, can I get one coconut coffee? Nice and cold, please.”

I turned around so fast I almost knocked over a cup. But it wasn’t a stranger—it was Mr. Makara, one of the teachers from the international school down the street. He comes in maybe twice a week, always rushing back to class with a drink in hand.

“Drinking here or taking away?” I asked, already reaching for the blender.

“Take away. Gotta get back to school.”

Why Everyone in Cambodia Drinks Coconut Coffee

If you ever come to my café in Battambang, you won’t see people sipping hot cappuccinos by the window. It’s just too hot for that. When it’s 35°C, and the sun feels like it’s sitting on your shoulders, you need something cold. Really cold.

That’s where coconut coffee comes in.

At The Press Day Coffee, I call it “Coconut Coffee” on the menu. I sell it for 4,000 riel, which is about one dollar. It’s my best-seller. Some days I make 30 cups before lunch.

And honestly? It’s better than anything you’ll get at Starbucks. I’m not just saying that because it’s my recipe. The coconut coffee you get at those big chains tastes watery. Ours is thick, creamy, and actually tastes like coconut.

Let me show you how we make it.

What Makes Cambodian Coconut Coffee Different?

Here’s the thing most people don’t understand. When you order a coconut latte in the West, they use coconut milk from a carton. The kind that’s mostly water with a little coconut flavor.

We don’t do that here.

• We use real coconut cream. Not the thin stuff you pour in your cereal. I’m referring to thick, fatty cream that comes directly from the coconut meat. It’s almost like heavy whipping cream, but it tastes like coconut.
• We blend it with ice. This isn’t just iced coffee. It’s more like a coffee slushie or smoothie. Cold, thick, and smooth.
• We use strong Cambodian coffee. Most of our coffee here is Robusta, which is bold and a little bitter. You need that strength to balance out the sweetness and creaminess from the coconut.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s everything I put in the blender for one drink:

Coffee:

• 2 shots of espresso (about 60 ml)
• If you don’t have an espresso machine, just brew some really strong coffee. A French press or Vietnamese phin filter works great.

The creamy stuff:

• 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (30 ml)
• 4 tablespoons of coconut cream (60 ml)

Important: Get coconut cream, not coconut milk. Look for cans that say “coconut cream” at Asian grocery stores. If you can find fresh coconut cream, even better.

Ice:

• 1 full cup of ice
• Crushed ice blends more easily, but regular ice cubes work just as well.

Secret ingredient:

• A tiny pinch of salt (optional, but trust me on this)

How to Make It Step by Step

Step 1: Make Your Coffee

Brew your espresso or strong coffee. If you’re using an espresso machine as I do, try to get a nice layer of crema on top. That’s the golden foam that makes it taste even better.

Let it cool down for a minute. If you pour hot coffee straight into ice, everything melts too fast, and you end up with a watery mess.

Step 2: Mix the Coconut and Condensed Milk

This step is important. Don’t skip it.

In a small cup or bowl, mix your condensed milk and coconut cream together. Stir it until it’s smooth and combined.

Why? Because condensed milk is super thick and sticky. If you don’t mix it first, it’ll sink to the bottom of your blender and stick there. You’ll end up with clumps of sweet milk at the bottom and plain coconut at the top. Not good.

Step 3: Blend Everything

Here’s how I do it at the café:

1. Put all your ice in the blender first.
2. Pour the coconut cream mixture over the ice.
3. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds.

You want it to look like a snow cone—smooth and fluffy, not chunky with big pieces of ice.

Step 4: Add the Coffee

Now you have two choices, and honestly, both are delicious:

Option 1: Fully blended (this is how I make it)

Pour the espresso into the blender with everything else. Blend for just 5 more seconds. The whole drink will turn light brown and creamy. Pour it into a cup, and you’re done.

Option 2: Layered (the pretty Instagram way)

Pour the white coconut slush into your glass first. Then slowly pour the dark espresso on top. It will streak through the white and eventually settle at the bottom, creating beautiful layers.

Either way tastes the same. The layered version just looks fancier.

Getting the Texture Just Right

The first time you make this, you might need to adjust things a little.

If your drink is too thin and watery, you added too much coconut cream. Next time, use a bit less or add more ice.

If it’s too thick and hard to drink through a straw, you used too much ice. Add a splash more coconut cream or condensed milk.

The perfect Cambodian coconut coffee should feel like a milkshake. Thick enough to be satisfying, but not so thick you can’t sip it.

Why That Pinch of Salt Matters

I mentioned adding a tiny bit of salt earlier. Some people think I’m crazy when I tell them this, but it really works.

Salt doesn’t make the coffee taste salty. What it does is make the coconut flavor stronger and cut through some of the sweetness. It’s the same reason people put salt on chocolate or caramel.

Just use a tiny pinch. Like, smaller than what you’d put on your food. You won’t taste the salt itself, but you’ll notice the difference.

Try Making It at Home

At The Press Day Coffee, I use the freshest coconut cream I can find because my customers notice the difference. But even if you make this at home with canned coconut cream from the grocery store, it’s still going to be amazing.

It’s strong enough to wake you up. It’s sweet enough to feel like a treat. And on a hot day? There’s honestly nothing better.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. Once you taste real Cambodian coconut coffee, those expensive coffee shop drinks just don’t hit the same anymore.