Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Ashley Moore.

Coconut Paletas

Name: Coconut Paletas
Total time: 6 h 10 min
Yield: Makes 6 paletas
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk; ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk; ½ cup (1½ ounces) sweetened shredded coconut; Pinch table salt

By David Yu

Published on June 27, 2026

Time

10 minutes, plus 6 hours freezing

Yield

Makes 6 paletas

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk

½ cup (1½ ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

Pinch table salt

Why This Recipe Works

Paletas, Mexico’s ubiquitous ice pops, are made from simple ingredients, take minutes of work, and are endlessly customizable. For our coconut version, we combine rich coconut milk with sweetened condensed milk and sweetened shredded coconut. The milks’ combined high fat and sugar content results in pops that are especially creamy and biteable, with toasty, nutty dairy sweetness. Then we divide the mixture into molds and freeze the pops until they’re solid.

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Before You Begin

This recipe was developed using 3-ounce ice pop molds. If desired, sprinkle toasted coconut shreds and freshly grated lime zest over the frozen paletas, pressing lightly to adhere, before serving.

Instructions

Whisk 1 can coconut milk and ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk in large bowl until smooth. Stir in ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut and pinch table salt.

Divide mixture evenly among six 3-ounce molds. Insert ice pop stick in center of each mold; cover; and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 5 days. To serve, hold mold under warm running water for 3 seconds if using metal mold or 30 seconds if using plastic mold, to thaw.