Coconut Cloud: Coconut Water with a Whipped Fruit Cloud

Coconut Cloud is the newest drink on our board at £5.50, and it is the one people photograph. Cool, smooth coconut water underneath, then a fluffy fruit-flavoured cloud sitting on top of it. Light, creamy and fruity at the same time, which sounds contradictory until you drink one. Choose from pomegranate, mango, pineapple, guava, strawberry or apple.

The cloud is a whipped fruit cream — double cream, a little cream cheese, fruit purée and a spoonful of sugar, whipped only to soft peaks. The cream cheese is what keeps it stable so it sits on the coconut water for ten minutes instead of collapsing into it, and the fact that it is under-whipped is what makes it pourable and cloud-like rather than stiff.

Five minutes to make, no cooking, and it works with any fruit purée you like. It is also very easy to make in a jug for several people.

Why this recipe works

• Cream cheese in the cream. Thirty grams stabilises the foam. Whipped cream alone will sink and dissolve into the coconut water within a couple of minutes; with cream cheese it holds its shape and its edge.
• Soft peaks, not stiff. Stop while it still slumps off the whisk. Over-whipped cream is dense and grainy and sits on top like a lid rather than a cloud.
• Coconut water, not coconut milk. Coconut water is thin, clear and faintly sweet, which is why the cloud floats. Coconut milk is too dense and the whole effect is lost.
• The fruit goes in the cloud, not the base. Keeping the coconut water plain means every mouthful changes as you drink down through the layers.
• A pinch of salt in the cloud. It sharpens the fruit and stops the cream tasting flat. This is a small thing that makes a noticeable difference.
• Everything is cold. Cream whips faster and holds better when it is fridge-cold, and the drink needs to be genuinely cold to be refreshing.

Ingredient notes

Coconut water. The plain, unsweetened kind sold in cartons. Check the label, because many are sweetened or blended with fruit juice, which will make the finished drink very sweet. Fresh young coconut water is best if you can get it.

Double cream. Not single, not whipping cream. Double cream has the fat content to hold a foam and it whips in under a minute by hand. Straight from the fridge.

Cream cheese. Full-fat, plain, from a tub. Bring it to room temperature for ten minutes so it beats in smoothly, or you will get small white lumps in the cloud.

Fruit purée. Thick purée gives the best flavour and colour. Blitz fresh or frozen fruit with a little sugar and sieve it, or buy a bubble tea fruit purée. Avoid thin cordials here — they add liquid without flavour and make the cloud loose.

Icing sugar rather than caster. It dissolves instantly in cold cream, so the cloud is never grainy.

Lime juice. Half a teaspoon in the cloud. It lifts the fruit and stops the cream tasting heavy. Do not add more than that or the cream may thicken too quickly.

Substitutions and variations

Pomegranate cloud. Our most popular. Use pomegranate juice reduced by half in a small pan and cooled, which concentrates it enough to flavour the cream properly.

Mango cloud. The easiest and the sweetest. Alphonso mango purée from a tin is ideal.

Strawberry cloud. Blitz 100g of strawberries with a tablespoon of icing sugar and sieve out the seeds.

Guava or pineapple cloud. Both are sharper. Cut the icing sugar back slightly and add a little more cream.

Dairy free. Use a well-chilled tin of full-fat coconut milk, taking only the thick solid part from the top, whipped with icing sugar and fruit purée. No cream cheese needed, as it is already thick. The flavour is more coconut-forward, which suits the drink.

Make it a dessert. Spoon the cloud over fresh fruit or into a small glass with crushed biscuit at the bottom. It is essentially a fruit fool at that point.

Add popping boba. Two tablespoons in the bottom, as we do in our Signature Sips. It gives the drink a third texture.

Step-by-step guidance

The full method is in the recipe card below. Three things matter.

Beating the cream cheese first. Put the cream cheese and icing sugar in the bowl on their own and beat them smooth before any cream goes in. If you add everything at once you will chase small lumps of cream cheese around the bowl and never quite get rid of them.

Whipping to soft peaks. Add the cream in two goes, whisking gently. Stop as soon as the mixture leaves a soft trail behind the whisk that slowly disappears. If you lift the whisk and the peak holds upright, you have gone too far. Over-whipped cream can sometimes be brought back with a tablespoon of unwhipped cream folded in gently.

Layering. Fill the glass two-thirds with ice, pour in the coconut water, then spoon the cloud gently over the surface using the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Do not pour it in from a height — it will punch straight through and marble into the base. Serve immediately with a wide straw and a spoon.

Professional tips

• Chill the bowl and the whisk for ten minutes. The cream whips faster and holds better.
• Whisk by hand or on a low speed with an electric whisk. Cream goes from soft peaks to over-whipped in about four seconds on a high speed.
• Taste the cloud before it goes on. It should be slightly more intensely flavoured than you want, because the coconut water dilutes it as you drink.
• Use a clear glass. Half the appeal is the two distinct layers.
• Serve with a spoon as well as a straw. Everyone eats the cloud first, and that is fine.
• If you are making several, whip the cloud once in a larger batch and spoon it out. Re-whipping small amounts is fiddly.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Solution	Prevention
Cloud sank into the coconut water	Under-whipped, or no cream cheese used	Whisk the remaining cloud a few strokes more and re-spoon	Include the cream cheese and whip to a soft trailing peak
Cloud is stiff and grainy	Over-whipped	Fold in a tablespoon of unwhipped cream, gently	Whisk slowly and stop at soft peaks
Small white lumps in the cloud	Cold cream cheese added with the cream	Push it through a sieve	Beat the cream cheese and sugar smooth on their own first
Drink is too sweet	Sweetened coconut water	Add a squeeze of lime to the base	Buy plain, unsweetened coconut water and check the label
Cloud has no flavour	Cordial used instead of purée	Beat in a tablespoon of thick fruit purée	Use a thick purée, not a thin cordial
Layers marbled together	Cloud poured in from a height	Nothing to do, and it still tastes the same	Spoon it gently over the surface and spread to the edges

What to serve with it

This is light enough to sit alongside almost anything, and it is a good choice after something rich or spicy — Demon wings or mac and cheese with crispy chicken both benefit from it.

It also works as a light dessert on its own, or after something as substantial as our sausage and cheesy mash. If you want something fizzier instead, try a fruit bubble soda with popping boba. More in our bubble drinks recipes.

Storage and reheating

Assemble to order. The cloud will hold on top of the coconut water for around ten minutes and after that it starts to dissolve into it.

The cloud itself keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, in line with standard UK food safety guidance for cream. It will firm up slightly; stir it once, gently, before using. Do not re-whip it.

Fruit purée keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days, or frozen in an ice cube tray for up to three months, which is a genuinely useful thing to have.

Do not freeze the finished cloud. Cream and fruit purée separate on defrosting and there is no way to bring it back.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut water?

Not for this drink. Coconut milk is too thick and the cloud will not float. If you want a creamy coconut drink, whip the solid part of a chilled tin of coconut milk and use it as the cloud instead, over coconut water.

Why has my cloud collapsed?

Almost always under-whipping, or leaving out the cream cheese. Both are quick to fix — whisk a few more strokes, and always include the cream cheese.

Can I make it without cream?

Yes, using the thick part of a well-chilled tin of full-fat coconut milk whipped with icing sugar and purée. It is dairy free and holds well.

How far ahead can I make the cloud?

Up to a day. Keep it covered in the fridge and stir gently before spooning it on. The colour may dull slightly with pomegranate and strawberry.

What fruit works best?

Mango is the most forgiving because the purée is thick and sweet. Pomegranate has the best colour. Guava and pineapple are sharper and need a little more sugar.

Is it very sweet?

Less than you would expect, as long as you use unsweetened coconut water. The cloud carries almost all the sugar, so you can cut it back easily.

Can I add alcohol?

We do not serve alcohol, but a white rum would sit naturally in the coconut water base if you are making these at home for adults.

Print

Or let us build the cloud

Coconut Cloud is £5.50 at 172 Biscot Road in Luton, in pomegranate, mango, pineapple, guava, strawberry or apple. It is the first of its kind in Luton and it looks considerably better in our glasses than in most kitchens. Order for collection or delivery, or see the whole drinks list.

If you make one at home, rate the recipe below and tell us which fruit you used.

Newer From Our Kitchen

Round out your drinks list with our bubble shakes for something thicker, a dalgona coffee frappuccino for the coffee drinkers, and a karak chai for anyone who wants something hot.