Ten Great Uses for Shredded Coconut

Coconut is a delicious and somewhat unusual tasting food. Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm that grows in tropical areas. Shredded coconut is something that most of us have in our pantry. We buy it for a certain recipe and then end up throwing the bag away when it becomes stale because we never used it again. Shredded coconut is very versatile and can be used for a variety of things from art projects to sweet desserts.

Here are the ten best uses for shredded coconut so that you can use it all up before it expires!

Shredded Coconut Use #1: Shredded coconut can be sprinkled on the top of an iced cake for extra flavor and texture. I especially enjoy shredded coconut sprinkled on top of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Shredded Coconut Use #2: Add a half cup of shredded coconut to a white cake mix and you will end up with a delicious, mildly flavored coconut cake. Get creative and add shredded coconut to a chocolate cake mix and you have a simple version of German chocolate cake.

Shredded Coconut Use #3: Shredded coconut can be added to a fruit salad to add delicious flavor and texture. This is particularly wonderful with tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya, guava, and mango.

Shredded Coconut Use #4: Toasted shredded coconut is a fantastic topping for oatmeal. My family loves this and we hardly ever eat oatmeal without toasted shredded coconut. Add shredded coconut along with raisins, brown sugar, toasted nuts, and honey and you will have a great breakfast oatmeal bar.

Shredded Coconut Use #5: Add toasted coconut to a bowl of granola or grape nuts for a sweet morning treat. You can also experiment with other cereals to see what you like. My favorite is toasted shredded coconut and granola. Yum!

Shredded Coconut Use #6: Shredded coconut can be dyed any color by placing it in a zip-lock bag with a few drops of the desired food coloring. Close the bag securely and then shake until you have evenly distributed the food coloring. Add more for a darker shade or add two different colors to make a color of your own. Below are some ideas for colored shredded coconut.

Shredded Coconut Use #7: You can create beautiful artwork with children by dying shredded coconut a variety of colors and then allowing them to create mosaics by gluing it to paper. You can have them draw a simple picture such as the sun or a flower on heavy paper or you can look on-line and print pictures that they like and attach the pictures to thin cardboard or card stock for extra support. Spread a thin layer of Elmer's glue over an area using a Q-tip or small paint brush and sprinkle with colored coconut. Shake the excess off and do the same using a different color. Note: These will last for a few weeks, but remember it is food and it may draw bugs if kept in certain areas of your home. Be sure to take a picture of each masterpiece before disposing.

Shredded Coconut Use #8: You can dye shredded coconut green and use it for grass in school projects. I cannot tell you how many times I did this during my elementary and middle school years. Every diorama or animal project that had grass was made with green shredded coconut. I think it was my Mom's idea and what a great one! I always received high marks for creativity.

Shredded Coconut Use #9: Place shredded coconut (dyed to a specific color if desired) in a clear glass vase almost to the top and then place artificial flowers to make a great decorating item. It is unusual and will be the talk of the table.

Shredded Coconut Use #10: Shredded coconut can be dyed green, pink, yellow, or any other spring color and placed in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Place dyed Easter eggs on top and you will have a beautiful centerpiece for your table during the spring season. You can also use it in Easter baskets for a special and creative alternative to plastic grass.

Sources: www.coconutresearchcenter.org