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Today we’re making arepas de coco, a vegan fried coconut bread made with 5 simple ingredients that’s popular in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean. They’re delicious served as a side, snack, or stuffed with all things saucy, savory, and sweet.

a bowl of arepas de coco

Coconut is a staple ingredient in many classic Puerto Rican recipes, and these arepas de coco are the perfect example of why.

This fried coconut bread captures that delicious sweet and savory flavor profile that goes with just about anything. It’s traditionally stuffed with something savory and saucy, like this ensalada de pulpo, picadillo, or enjoyed as is with a light spread of butter.

bowls of coconut milk, flour, sugar and more

5 Easy Ingredients

You will only need 5 ingredients I’m willing to bet you already have most of in your pantry. Here’s the list:

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Arepas de Coco

Tip: Use a whisk or a fork to whisk the dry ingredients together.

a bowl of flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together to combine.
coconut milk with flour, sugar, and more in a bowl
Make the arepa dough. Add the coconut milk and mix your hands until a consistent dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, you can add more coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time. If it feels too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Tip: When using canned coconut, it can be helpful to process the contents of the can for 30 seconds using an immersion blender to create a consistent milk. This step can help ensure your bread has the correct fat content, and doesn’t end up with mostly coconut water from the can.

dough in a bowl covered with plastic
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for a half hour.
circles of dough cut out on a counter
Prep to fry. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Wait until the oil is hot to add the arepas.
Roll out the arepa dough on a clean flour dusted surface. Cut out circles using a glass or a round cookie cutter.
arepas de coco frying in oil in a pan
Fry. Fry the arepa dough circles in oil over medium heat for a few minutes on each side, or until they turn a light golden brown color all around and puff up. It’s helpful to test fry one first, to make sure the oil isn’t too hot.
Transfer the fried bread to a paper towel lined plate to drain any grease. Keep reading for ideas on how to enjoy your arepas de coco.

Substitutes

While this ingredient list is pretty simple and accessible, there are a few easy substitutions that can be made when in a pinch.

Here are my recommendations:

  • Coconut Milk – while the coconut milk is what gives this bread that unique flavor that’s signature for this fried coconut bread, you can substitute with whole milk or another plant based milk alternative
  • Sugar – feel free to use coconut sugar instead of granulated to amp up the coconut flavor
  • Flour – I do not recommend substituting any alternative flours for all purpose in this recipe as it will change the texture and end result drastically
a hand holding an arepa de coco

Arepas Around the World

When you hear the word arepa, you might think about a different kind of bread, usually found in Columbia or Venezuela and made with corn.

Because the world arepa translates to cake (or corn cake), it is used to describe a sweet bread or cake.

In Puerto Rico, our version just happens to be these arepas de coco!

a hand holding an open arepa de coco

What to Eat with Your Bread

This bread is delicious as is or used however you enjoy bread. In Puerto Rico we like to cut partially through the middle of the bread (similar to pita bread) and stuff with saucy dishes.

You can try these other Puerto Rican dishes as a starting point:

  • Ensalada de Pulpo (Octopus Salad) – this recipe from Elise Bauer makes a delicious filling, similar to any kind of ceviche
  • Puerto Rican Picadillo – this classic ground beef sauce with tomatoes and pimento olives makes a wonderful savory saucy filling
  • Camarones Guisados – this dish is almost a mix up of ceviche (from the shrimp) and picadillo (with the olives and tomato sauce), and makes a delicious sauce for the bread to soak up
a bowl of arepas de coco

Top tip

Like all of our favorite fried delicacies, arepas de coco are best enjoyed fresh out of the fryer.

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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a bowl of arepas de coco

5 Ingredient Arepas de Coco (Fried Coconut Bread)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Snack, Appetizer, Side Dish
  • Method: Fried
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Today we’re making arepas de coco, a vegan fried coconut bread made with 5 simple ingredients that’s popular in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean. They’re delicious served as a side, snack, or stuffed with all things saucy, savory, and sweet.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together to combine.flour, sugar, and more being whisked in a bowl
  2. Make the arepa dough. Add the coconut milk and mix your hands until a consistent dough forms. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for a half hour.a hand kneading dough in a bowl
  3. Prep to fry. Heat oil in a frying pan. Roll out the arepa dough on a clean flour dusted surface. Cut out circles using a glass or cookie cutter.circles of dough cut out on a counter
  4. Fry. Fry the circles over medium heat for a few minutes on each side, or until they turn a light golden color and puff up. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any grease. Enjoy!arepas de coco frying in oil in a pan

Notes

Tips:

  • When using canned coconut, it can be helpful to process the contents of the can for 30 seconds using an immersion blender to create a consistent milk. This step can help ensure your bread has the correct fat content, and doesn’t end up with mostly coconut water from the can.
  • If the dough feels dry while kneading, add a tablespoon of additional coconut milk at a time until a consistent dough forms. If it feels too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time.
  • Test fry one arepa to make sure the oil isn’t too hot before frying them in batches.

Enjoy this recipe?

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