Name: Vegan Buko Fruit Salad Recipe
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1 can of coconut jelly (nata de coco), drained; 1 can of Attap palm seed (kaong), drained; 1 can of stripped young coconut meat, drained; 1 can of fruit cocktail, drained; 1 can of vegan sweetened condensed milk from Nature’s Charm; 1 can of coconut cream; Optional: your choice of mild vegan cheese, cut into 1/2 inch blocks

Buko fruit salad is a Filipino-style fruit salad and is perfect in hot weather. 👌🏼

Sadly, another dessert you’ll rarely see veganized.

In fact, I’ve never seen a vegan buko fruit salad anywhere.

Still, it’s really simple to put together. You do need access to an Asian supermarket as well as Nature’s Charm vegan sweetened condensed milk.

I’ve never tried making it with just coconut cream, but I’m sure it’ll be yummy.

This image shows a frozen vegan Filipino buko fruit salad, a creamy dessert made from young coconut strips (buko), mixed fruits like peaches and apples, and often with bits of jelly or nata de coco, all combined in a sweet, dairy-free cream. The salad is served in a clear container, and a spoon is partially submerged in the dessert, highlighting the mixture's rich, milky texture and colorful fruit pieces.

Growing up, my mom and aunties would make this pinoy fruit salad recipe at parties.

They would take it out from the freezer as a mid-way party treat.

While this dessert is usually made to be frozen, it can be eaten slightly thawed out or just cold without being freezed.

Here’s my vegan version of Filipino fruit salad.

Language Learning Bits

Buko = young, unripe coconut
Buko juice = juice inside young coconuts
Gata = coconut milk
Kakang Gata = coconut cream (thicker)
Mainit = “hot” (food or weather) in Tagalog; “mapálí” in Kapampángan

This vegan buko Filipino fruit salad recipe is pretty fail-proof since it’s just mixing things together and adjusting to your taste with vegan cheese and apples.

Still, so the flavors are sweet, cream, and delicious! Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Vegan Buko Fruit Salad Recipe

Yield: 6-10 people

Ingredients

1 can of coconut jelly (nata de coco), drained
1 can of Attap palm seed (kaong), drained
1 can of stripped young coconut meat, drained
1 can of fruit cocktail, drained
1 can of vegan sweetened condensed milk from Nature’s Charm
1 can of coconut cream
Optional: your choice of mild vegan cheese, cut into 1/2 inch blocks

Instructions

Combine all canned and drained ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add vegan sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream.
Optional: Cut vegan cheese into half-inch blocks and add to mixing bowl.
Mix all ingredients together.
Transfer fruit salad to a tupperware.
Place in freezer for a minimum of 5 hours. (You can freeze it for longer)
Once ready to eat, take out of freezer, and let the buko fruit salad thaw until it’s ready to be scooped.

Notes

(Vegan) cheese in this dessert may be an acquired taste, but how my relatives make it. Add a small amount of mini cheese cubes first to try. You can try vegan American cheese or polvoron.
Small cubes green apples can also be added.