Coco Bread
Coco Bread – a popular staple bread in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean made primarily with flour and coconut milk, then slightly sweetened just to tickle your tastebuds. Buttery, slightly sweet with a spot on firmness on the outside and softness on the inside. Great for breakfast, lunch, snacking or even as dinner!
Whoever invented these Jamaican Coco Bread must have been a serious sandwich lover! It’s firm enough to hold any filling you could possibly think of while still giving you that notable softness on the inside that we all love in a bread. And did I mention that it is shaped to form like a folded bread so you can easily fill it?
Hats off to the brains behind this bread. You’re truly a food genius! You’ve just earned a new big fan!
What is Coco Bread?
If the Americans have these Easy Dinner Rolls, well the Jamaicans have their Coco Bread. Although it’s not pointed out straight on why it was named as such, it could probably because it’s primarily made with flour and coconut milk just like this popular Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls a.k.a Pani Popo. Perhaps we all could agree on how coconut milk makes an incredible basketful of buns and rolls.
What Does Coco Bread Taste Like?
Think of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, but a little bit denser. Coco bread is buttery and slightly sweetened with a note of coconut milk. But if you’re on the sweeter side of the spectrum, feel free to adjust the sugar.
Coco Bread Ingredients
You don’t have to worry. In fact, you’d probably have all the ingredients waiting to be taken out of your pantry. All you need are just 8 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS and you’re off to make a big batch of this for weekend sandwiches or lunches.
Here’s an overview of what you’ll be needing:
- coconut milk
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- egg
- salt
- rapid rise yeast
- unsalted butter
Can You Make It Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! In fact, I have some already frozen in my freezer. I’m just going to reheat a few of them on Saturday morning and BAM, hearty Jamaican breakfast on my table!
What I do to make it ahead, is to bake them as directed below. Then leave them to cool down completely and line in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and flash freeze for an hour or until hard enough to touch. When already frozen, transfer them in a freezer-safe container bag, label and freeze for up to 2 months.
How To Reheat Coco Bread?
When ready to serve again, reheat your frozen coco bread by placing them snuggly in a baking dish or in a baking sheet pan, brush with melted butter and bake until warm enough for about 7-10 minutes in a 350°F oven.
What To Serve with Coco Bread?
You may enjoy these easy homemade coco bread as it is, like I do, or pair with any of the following:
….and a whole lot more. Feel free to enjoy it just the way you’d like to enjoy your sandwich. I’m pretty sure you could come up with a whole bunch of lists. 😉
More Jamaican Recipes to Explore
- Jamaican Beef Patties
- Brown Stew Chicken
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Jamaican Easter Spice Bun
- Callaloo
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Other Bread Recipes that You’ll Love
How To Make Coco Bread
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with baking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl combine Coconut milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds or more, until butter melts. Do not let it boil or overheat. Pour into a large mixing bowl, add yeast, mix. Then add the egg.
Stir in flour to form a soft dough, err on the side of less flour. Soft dough results in tender coco bread. Turn dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled. 
Punch the dough down. Transfer dough to a lightly floured board or surface. Cut the dough into about 10 equal pieces and roll each dough into a ball.
Roll each piece with a rolling pin to about 6-7 inch diameter and about ⅛-¼ inch thick. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, then fold the dough in half and brush again. Place onto dough on prepared pan and repeat with remaining pieces, until done. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Brush again with butter, if desired. Serve warm or allow to cool. You may freeze when cool and reheat in the oven.
Watch How To Make It
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Coco Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) coconut milk
- 2-3 tablespoons (25g-37.5g) sugar
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 envelope (or packet) or 2 ¼ teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ – 4 cups (437.5g-500g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (42g) or more unsalted butter , melted
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, sugar, salt and butter. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds or more, until butter melts. Do not let it boil or overheat.
- Pour into large mixing bowl, add yeast, mix. Then add the egg.
- Stir in flour to form a soft dough, err on the side of less flour. Soft dough results in tender coco bread.
- Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled. Punch the dough down.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured board or surface. Cut the dough into about 10 equal pieces and roll each dough into a ball.
- Roll each piece with a rolling pin to about 6-7 inch diameter and about ⅛-¼ inch thick.
- Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, then fold the dough in half and brush again. Place onto dough on prepared pan and repeat with remaining pieces, until done.
- Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Brush again with butter, if desired.
- Serve warm or allow to cool. You may freeze when cool and reheat in the oven .
Tips & Notes:
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
I made this recipe for my family and it was a hit! Kids, wife, and mother-in-law loved it. Thank you very much!
Thank you for making this for your family, Javier!
Thanks so much I love this recipe! They are so tasty. We don’t eat egg so I tried a couple of subs and I just used a quarter cup of reduced aquafaba and that worked best. If you do that you could always pair it with a nice spicy chickpea curry! We usually put chocolate spread and bananas in them which my nephew loves. I’ll definitely be making these a lot more since they taste great and they’re easy to make as well.
I made this and it worked. So tasty.
Thanks for the feedback.
Paired these with smoked brisket and coleslaw, such a hit. They were so easy to make and super tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Thank you for sharing, Chandra!
Ayo!!!!!! I’m fist-pumping in the air, because I was really nervous on how they might look compared to yours (which look awesome by the way). I made an entire meal with coco bread accompanying it! I substituted butter with Earth Balance and might try Just Egg as an egg sub! Fantastic recipe!
WooHoo!! Glad to hear it worked out well.
Made this recipe last night. Didn’t take long at all. They were perfect. Light, sweet, buttery, with a light hint of coconut. I’m thinking make them small to make appetizers. Ideas are endless. Thank you!
That’s a great idea! Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts with us.
I made this yesterday evening, the recipe worked out really well and was easy to follow. The bread tasted so good! I will be using this recipe again.
Glad to hear this. Thanks Sarah.
Used this recipe for dinner tonight along with oxtail stew. They came out perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!
Glad it worked out well . Thanks so much.
I love your recipe Imma! Thanks a ton for sharing it! I used coconut oil instead of coconut milk and it came out perfect.
I used the coco bread for making sandwiches with mojo sauce, fried plantains and fresh cilantro. loved it!
Remember what Don the beachcomber said?
If you can’t go to paradise bring paradise to your place. and thats what I’m doin with your recipe. Helps to forget the cold and snow here in Chicago haha
xoxo Aida
Wow, made these yesterday and they came out perfect.
Will definitely make again!
Great ! Thanks
I made these they taste amazing, just like the ones in Jamaica thanks a bunch!
You are Welcome! Thanks so much.
I had coco bread once more then 20 years ago in Jamaica and never forgot the flavour and fragance. I just went back to that day! This recipe turned out amazing and its so easy. My family was totally impressed and they dissapeared in no time.
Awesome! So glad it worked out well.
Fantastic recipe! I swapped out the egg for yogurt like you suggested on another comment. They turned out great! I’ll make them again for sure
Can I put the dough once it rise in the fridge for the next three days let’s say?
I loved loved loved it!! Was so caught up with work and for almost 2weeks, I kept dreaming about the bread! Finally made it today and it was fantastic! I replaced all purpose flour with wholewheat flour and semolina since I don’t use Apf!
Thankyou so so much!!❤
I had been looking for a good recipe for homemade coco bread, and I really like this one a lot! It came out really good and taste just like the ones that come out of the bakery. I also made some Jamaican beef patties too so this is gonna bring it all together. This is an excellent recipe, thank you soo much!!
Thank you so much, Inga! I’m glad that you liked it!
This recipe turned out really well. For some reason, I expected it to unfold but it didn’t. Much appreciated.
Wondering what I can replace the salted butter with if I have a dairy allergy? This looks so good, cannot wait to try it!
Replace with coconut oil.
The instructions we’re great, easy to follow. The bread came out soft and fluffy. I wish it was a bit more chewy, like a Hawaiian roll type consistency, but it was really good. Mine wasn’t sweet at all though. I added almost 3TB of sugar, but it wasn’t enough. Next time I’ll double it I ended up brushing them with honey butter while they were warm at that helped.
Thanks for the feedback .
I am a Jamaican. I love to bake cakes and bread. I have been thinking of making Coco bread for a long time. My daughter found this recipe and shared with me. I tried today. This is a superb Coco Bread Recipe. I use bread flour and add more liquid. (280ml)
The bread was soft and delicious. I will be making more as they are quicker than making the traditional bread. They are delicious on their own or with your favourite fillings . 10********! Thanks for posting.
Yaaay! This comment means a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Have a great week ahead!
I am wandering if gluten free flour would word with this recipe?