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This creamy coconut coleslaw takes me back to our vacation in Maui. It is, I could say, a “copycat” of the famous “France’s Coleslaw” we tried in Coconuts Fish Cafe on the island of Maui.
My sister and her husband went to the restaurant with us in Maui. We all had the coleslaw and tried to guess what was in it. I jotted down the proposed list of ingredients and was determined to make it at home. Props to my sister Sveta for picking up on the horseradish. Re-creating this was fun.
I should have taken a picture of my test kitchen. I had ramekins everywhere! The results were amazing. I think you’ll love this coleslaw!
It is delicious in any sandwich, over tacos or just in leu of your average coleslaw. I made the most amazing shrimp tacos with a mountain of this coconut coleslaw and those tacos were basically inhaled.
My sister came over to try them and she went on and on about how much she liked the coleslaw and even packed a to-go box for her husband to try it.
Ingredients for Coconut Coleslaw:
1/2 medium green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 small purple cabbage, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup Real Mayo
1/4 cup Coconut milk (Original, unsweetened)
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (both work great!)
1 tsp Horseradish cream sauce
How to Make Coconut Coleslaw:
1.In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp horseradish sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice – honestly I tested both and liked them. My husband liked the vinegar slightly more so I went with that one for this batch).
2. In a medium bowl, combine thinly sliced green cabbage with very thinly sliced purple cabbage. I like the contrast of larger green cabbage pieces with thinner purple mixed in.
3. Once the dressing is creamy and smooth, pour it over your prepared cabbage and stir well. Just before serving, give it a quick stir to make sure any dressing at the bottom coats the cabbage. So yummy!
Creamy Coconut Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/4 small purple cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Coconut milk, Original, unsweetened
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, both work great!
- 1 tsp Horseradish cream sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp horseradish sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (
- or lemon juice - honestly I tested both and liked them. My husband liked the vinegar slightly more so I went with that one for this batch).
- In a medium bowl, combine thinly sliced green cabbage with very thinly sliced purple cabbage. I like the contrast of larger green cabbage pieces with thinner purple mixed in.
- Once the dressing is creamy and smooth, pour it over your prepared cabbage and stir well. Just before serving, give it a quick stir to make sure any dressing at the bottom coats the cabbage. So yummy!
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha, I am posting a round up of coleslaw recipes next month and would love to use this recipe. Can I use one of your photos in the round up. I will link back to your site for the recipe. Thanks for your consideration.
Hi Patti! Sure! That would be great. Thank you for including my recipe in your roundup 🙂
Mmmm …I liked the slaw but no one could taste the coconut flavor?
The coconut flavor is normally pretty subtle – I’m curious, what brand of coconut milk did you use?
I used Thai Kitchen unsweet coconut milk in the can from the Asian section in grocery store.
How much of the canned Thai coconut milk Did you use? Is it the same as regular coconut milk from the fridge? I have never used this and I’m a little nervous
I also was at Coconuts on Maui recently and found that the tang was wasabi not horseradish.
Hi Barbara, we tasted horseradish. Did you ask them if that was what they used? They are pretty secretive about it, or at least they were when we were there. We went there several times and sat and tasted to figure it out 😉
I want to make the coconut coleslaw for my daughters baby shower, along with the Chicken BBQ. How many does the coleslaw recipe serve?
It depends on how you are serving it. As a side, serves 4-6, in sandwiches or tacos serves 6-8.
Wasabi you get in restaurants and grocery stores is made with horseradish, powered mustard and green food coloring. Real wasabi is rarely used due to the expense. So, you are both probably right!
Wasabi in the U.S. is actually colored horseradish. Even in Japan, authentic wasabi is hard to find.
Hi, we dont have creamed horseradish here…what would you recommend for a substitute?
You could just leave it out but the flavor wouldn’t be quite as good. I haven’t tested any other substitutions so I’m not sure what else to suggest.
I used a bit of ground ginger, as that is what google suggested once! It was delicious!
Great idea! Thank you Katja! 🙂
Where did you get your coconut milk for this recipe?
Yummy! Made this coleslaw for a family get together and everyone loved it! The kids kept asking for seconds! No leftovers! Next time making a double batch! Thank you for a great recipe Natasha!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear you all loved it! That’s pretty much how it goes in our family also! 😉
Love the addition of coconut milk. We love slaw….will be making soon. Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome Mary 😀.
Making this tomorrow with your Cod in Tomato Sauce (one of our faves!!) and mashed potatoes, yum! Thanks for the great recipes Natasha!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. Thank you! 🙂
I just wanted to give my review since I have already made this twice since I commented 🙂 This was delicious! Even my 4-year-old liked it. I was afraid to use the horseradish (when I took a whiff after opening the jar) and cut it in half originally, but I ended up using the full amount later and it was a great addition! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
That’s so great to hear! That’s always my favorite kind of review – hearing that kids love a recipe 🙂
Just wondering if the horseradish makes the dish a little spicy. I’ve tried horseradish once and it was a bit spicy. Also, would it be ok if I left it out?
Hi Sunny! The horseradish adds really good flavor and it wouldn’t be the same without it. There isn’t enough in the recipe to make it spicy. I didn’t get a sense of it being spicy at all in the recipe. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha,
I noticed one of the readers mentioned using canned coconut milk. Have you tried it in this recipe?If so, which is better to use carton or canned? Please let me know planning to make this in a few days for a family gathering. I Love all you recipes. Thanks!
I think it would work just as well with canned coconut milk. Most canned foods have BPA in them so I try to use cartons when I can. 🙂
The carton coconut milk in the recipe, was it sweetened or unsweetened? If sweetened, how much sugar should I add if I use canned coconut milk? Thank you!
Hi Sophie, in the recipe notes we mention the coconut milk is “(Original, unsweetened)” I hope that helps!
how far ahead can this coleslaw be made before serving. How long can it be kept in the fridge?
I’ve made it a day in advance and it was still good after being refrigerated 48 hours. I haven’t tested it further than that.
Yum! This sounds like an amazing cole slaw recipe & one I plan to try next weekend when we have company for our annual Memorial Day BBQ. Thanks for an original idea!
I hope you love it and this would be a great choice for a Memorial Day BBQ 🙂
Just saw this recipe on the news this morning. The guy from Coconuts Fish Café was on the channel describing how to make it so I just Goggled it and you Blog came up. Too Funny and Good job!!!!!
How awesome is that?!! 🙂
Just made this, totally delish! Thanks for sharing it
That’s so great! I’m so happy you enjoyed the coleslaw 🙂
The owner of coconuts told us there is no mayo in the slaw. I think they might use the canned coconut milk that is thicker than the carton kind
Oh that could be! I’ll have to test that out next time. Thanks Young!
I Love salads with cabbege and this one looks absolutely delishious. I can’t believe you used coconut milk in it, what a great idea. I have to give it a try.
It’s a keeper!
It’s so good! If you take it for a spin, let me know how you love it 😉
Whaaaaaat?! How didn’t I think of a tropical coleslaw with coconut milk before?! This looks OMG. Will make this for sure with my own replacement for mayo (I know, I know). Looks divine, Natasha!
I’ll have to search for your mayo replacement and give it a whirl!! Do you have a link for it on your blog somewhere?
Greek yogurt with apple cider vinegar. 😀
This coleslaw looks amazing! Beautiful pictures, I just love these colors!
Jaclyn, thank you so much and thanks for pinning (I saw that earlier!) You’re so sweet 🙂
This sounds delish! Will make soon, as we love to eat all kinds of cabbage in general. So healthy!
The coconut milk addition makes it so scrumptious! I hope you love it as much as we do!!
Nice coleslaw. Thanks so much and have a Fun Day!
Thank you Liz! I hope you love it!!
That coleslaw sounds fantastic! Love the addition of the coconut milk. I bet this would be scrumptious on any kind of fish taco. Yum!
Thank you! It was incredible over the shrimp tacos. I can’t wait to share them with you all! 🙂