15 Creative Ways To Use Lychee

Lychee is a sweet and succulent fruit with a floral flavor that tastes somewhat like a strawberry and pear. Featuring a pink outer skin that covers white flesh and a seed in the center, its texture is soft and squishy, similar to a grape. While you can always gobble the delicious fruit whole (aside from the seed), there are plenty of other creative culinary uses for lychee, as well. In fact, whether you opt for a fresh or canned version, there are many ways to appreciate the fruit in both sweet and savory forms.

To discover the most captivating ways to enjoy lychee, we spoke to several experts. Loulla Astin is a Greek-Cypriot chef and cookbook author of "My Kosmos My Kitchen." Jessica Randhawa is a recipe creator and chef from The Forked Spoon. Ranveer Brar is a "MasterChef India" judge and owner of Kashkan Restaurants. And Rena Awada is the owner and founder of Healthy Fitness Meals.

Thanks to their combined wisdom, you'll likely discover new ways to enjoy lychee beyond simply eating it. In fact, you might not need to eat the same thing twice with the fruit ever again (unless you want to). Here are 15 creative ways to use lychee.

Yogurt and cottage cheese are fantastic protein bases for virtually any topping. On that note, if you pair lychee with yogurt or cottage cheese, you just may find a new favorite breakfast, dessert, or snack. Jessica Randhawa, for instance, enjoys stuffing lychees with cottage cheese, then topping it with honey or chopped nuts. This combination of textures makes for a healthy breakfast or snack and is as an extremely easy-to-prepare option when you're looking for a quick energy boost in the middle of the day.

Loulla Astin offered another option for combining the fruit with a tart Greek yogurt. "Make a simple syrup and poach the lychees slightly in it," Astin said, which will help amplify the fruit's sweetness. Astin also recommends sprinkling pistachio slivers and crystalized rose petals on top. This will turn something as familiar as yogurt into a beautiful and sensory experience: the soft and crunchy juxtaposition of pistachio and lychee, along with the crisp way the rose petals break apart on the tongue.

The sweet and floral notes of lychee are a delight in cocktails, such as a lychee martini. The fragrant profile of the fruit nicely complements the sharpness of the spirits, which works to create an exquisite and refreshing drink. It's a genuinely pleasant summertime option, according to Ranveer Brar, who told us the fruity addition brings a flowery aroma to the traditional cocktail.

You'll first want to crush or chop the lychee fruit to extract its liquid content, then strain it so there aren't any chunks in the finished drink. If you want a different beverage to make with canned lychee and its syrup, consider preparing a citrusy lychee sangria with orange liqueur, limoncello, and sparkling wine.

If you only have access to canned lychee, you may instead want to opt for a tropical martini or refreshing mojito by pureeing the fruit with a bit of its syrup. Jessica Randhawa suggests then mixing "the puree with some lime juice, mint, and rum for a mojito or vodka and a splash of vermouth for a martini."

Sometimes, you want something cool and refreshing on a hot morning. Smoothies and smoothie bowls are two such options that also provide the ability to use numerous ingredients — such as lychee. Unsurprisingly, the juicy fruit can offer its sweetness and unique texture to smoothies and bowls.

"Lychee goes really well with tropical flavors," Rena Awada said, "so I suggest adding it to your next smoothie bowl." She recommends making a delectable and visually appealing breakfast or snack by combining lychee, mango, banana, coconut flakes, and chia seeds. For even more color, follow this vibrant tropical smoothie bowl recipe using blueberries, dragon fruit, and golden berries.

Lychee's flavors work well with other tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, too, though you can also try it with citrus (such as yuzu or orange) for a tangy boost. You can even opt for canned lychee to switch up the taste of your next fruit smoothie. This will simplify your prep work since it comes pre-peeled (just be sure to save the syrup to use instead of honey or sugar in the beverage).

From strawberries to peaches, fruits are frequently included in savory salads. Lychee is simply another option to add to that rotation, offering a way to integrate new flavors into salads that you might not have attempted before. Ranveer Brar recommends combining lychee with avocado, fresh mint, and a squeeze of lime for a refreshing and creamy salad (that's best when served cold). Don't hesitate to integrate greens like lettuce, arugula, or sliced cucumber, either, or to double up on the fruit by adding chopped mango or papaya.

Of course, since lychee brings forth sweetness, you may prefer to balance it with a spicy component like red chili pepper flakes or incorporate some protein like chicken or shrimp. These options work best with fresh lychee to avoid making the salad overly sweet with the canned variety's syrup. The fresh fruit helps avoid sogginess, as well, from the extra liquid of the syrup. Additionally, be sure to cut the fruit in half or into large chunks, as this will make it easier to eat.

Another great way to utilize lychee is on top of a no-bake cheesecake. The fruit offers a refreshing topping compared to more decadent cakes with candy or chocolate. You can make a colorful cake by preparing a no-bake strawberry cheesecake, for instance, then garnishing it with lychee. This dessert uses a homemade graham cracker crust, but you could always opt for a store-bought version if preferred.

In fact, you can use other types of crusts for no-bake cheesecakes beyond graham crackers, such as a rolled oats-based crust or one made from digestive biscuits. Loulla Astin suggests a crust of crushed ginger biscuits and butter, while noting you can add gelatin to the cheesecake mix for firmness (along with lime and its zest). "Top with lychees lightly poached in lime syrup," Astin added, once the cake is prepared.

For something more vibrant, top your cheesecake with lychee, raspberries, and rose petals for a bright and captivating dessert. Lychee and rose make a splendid pair because of their floral notes, after all. Additionally, you could make the cake itself lychee-flavored by pureeing the fruit into the batter.

Fruit and chicken might seem likely an unlikely pair, but you'll often find the duo in salads, sauces, and glazes (among other options). In fact, there are numerous ways to combine lychee with chicken to create an elevated, mouthwatering meal.

You can make braised chicken with lychee for a juicy feast you won't forget, using both the fruit and its syrup. One of the tips you need when braising meat includes finding a suitable liquid, after all. Using lychee and pineapple juice as the braising liquid will help maximize the tenderness while adding layers of sweet flavor.

Additionally, you can eat the whole fruit as part of a sweet and sour chicken dish. This recipe varies, but you'll often see it with a plum sauce, ginger, cucumber, scallion, and other delicious ingredients. You could also enjoy lychee in a green curry for a burst of sweetness that contrasts the savory chicken and green curry paste.

Mastering how to make sorbet — which you can whip up with an ice cream maker — will keep you refreshed all year long. Plus, it offers an excellent way to use lychee. You can use canned or fresh lychees when making sorbet, though you'll need water and sugar if you opt for fresh. According to Rena Awada, "It's a light and refreshing dessert that's perfect for hot summer days."

If you're looking for a tasty sorbet combination that brings together cold and heat, consider a suggestion from Ranveer Brar: mixing fresh lychees with a hint of red chili flakes. "What makes this sorbet unique is its unexpected taste," Brar said. "The chili brings out flavor subtlety as it marries the fruit's natural sugariness rather than overpowering it." This isn't the time to go overboard with the pepper, though, so be careful when adding the chili flakes. It's important to balance the sweet and spicy elements, so add a little bit at a time until you reach your desired spice level.

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that mixes heavy cream, gelatin, sugar, and other ingredients to create a delightful treat. It's often flavored with fruits or syrups to bring variety, meaning it's a great way to use lychee. Loulla Astin suggests topping the luxurious confection with lychees and rose cordial or syrup, then sprinkling it with flaked almonds and dried rose petals.

Conversely, Jessica Randhawa proposes infusing the cream portion with lychee juice for a subtle, perfumed flavor that's both enjoyable and distinctive. To create a dessert that tastes divine and looks exquisite, start by simmering lychees in the cream before setting it with gelatin. Once it's set, Randhawa tops the dessert with "fresh lychee and a drizzle of raspberry coulis for a contrast in flavors."

You can also opt for a different lychee and berry pairing and add the floral fruit to a strawberry panna cotta for a vibrant dish. This revamped, velvety gelatin dessert is ideal for special occasions or weekend desserts. Keep in mind: While it doesn't take long to assemble, you do need several hours for it to set.

Fruit salad may be simple to put together, but it can be an elevated choice for gatherings. With that in mind, give your next dinner party a beautiful fruit salad that strays from the typical ingredients like bananas and grapes by adding lychee. You can stir canned lychee in your fruit salad along with figs, kiwi, blackberries, mango, blueberries, and grapes for a tantalizing spin on the classic. Consider colorful fruits, cutting them into fun shapes, or plating it all on nice dishware.

You can also turn chopped lychee (with other fruits) into skewers rather than a salad for a different, more portable option. As Rena Awada noted, "This is a fun and colorful way to serve lychee." Obtain wooden skewers and alternate between slices of lychee, pineapple, strawberries, or whatever other fruits you want to include. You can also dip them in melted chocolate for extra sweetness. You could make lychee fruit skewers or salads using cantaloupe, papaya, or pineapple, as well. Realistically, there's no wrong combination.

We love how almost any fruit can be made into a jam by mixing and matching flavors and customizing the fruit-to-sugar ratio. With that in mind, you can even make lychee jam with the fruit, sugar, and pectin to spread on toast, add to ice cream, or enjoy however you like. First, bring the ingredients to a boil, then mash the lychee until you get the consistency you're looking for. We like to use an immersion blender for this step to ensure a more thorough puree, but it's up to your texture preferences.

Then again, you could go in a different direction by making spicy lychee chutney instead, as suggested by Ranveer Brar. "The natural sugars of the lychees go hand in hand with the spices ... resulting in an accompaniment to grilled meats or for spreading purposes," Brar said. His tip is to gently cook lychee pieces (with seasonings such as cumin, mustard seeds, and chili) so the fruit doesn't lose its texture, then adjust the spice level according to taste as you go.

You'll often see salsas with mango or strawberry, and you can use lychee in a similar manner to combine sweet, spicy, and savory components. Including lychee in salsa tastes great when accompanied by grilled fish or chicken, for example. According to Jessica Randhawa, "It's a simple way to elevate a meal from good to gourmet with minimal effort." Randhawa suggests combining fresh chopped lychee with diced cucumber and red onion, plus a touch of lime juice and chili peppers.

Lychee salsa adds a zesty flavor that enriches the natural flavors of various meats that have been cooked on the grill. You could incorporate other ingredients like oregano, white onion, garlic, cilantro, jicama, mango, or pineapple, too, to bring forth a mixture of flavor profiles. No matter the precise combination of ingredients, a lychee-based salsa is delicious when eaten with chips or on top of a taco.

Additionally, while you can use canned lychee when making salsa, it may end up sweeter than a recipe that uses fresh fruit. To avoid this issue, try rinsing the fruit first if you're using a canned variety, then patting it dry before combining the ingredients.

Rethink the way you devour fruits like lychee by assembling hwachae. A Korean punch made with a range of fruits, the beverage is served cold, making it a top choice for summer drinks when you want to cool off. "Get a big bowl, add lots of ice, variations of jelly (like lychee jelly), and an assortment of fruits," Rene Awada suggested. Sliced lychee is a prominently noted addition, of course, and can be a crowd-pleasing option for a picnic according to Awada.

Another colorful and entertaining option involves carving out a watermelon and serving the drink in the hollowed-out fruit. Place the components in the bowl, add some strawberry milk and Sprite, then mix the ingredients together. For a boozy boost, you could also include soju or another spirit of your choosing. Furthermore, you can use mini cookie cutters to slice other fruits (like kiwi) into fun shapes for even more visual appeal or include boba pearls for increased texture.

You don't have to have a cocktail to appreciate a mesmerizing and delectable beverage. There are plenty of alcohol-free options, including sodas made from various fruits. On that note, soda is not only one of the cooler and more creative ways to use lychee, but one of the easiest, too. Lychee soda can be as simple as opening a can of lychee, placing a couple pieces in a glass, and pouring in soda. In fact, you can even concoct a quick lychee soda by mixing lychee juice from a can with lemon-lime soda.

Of course, you can also get more creative with additions like muddled peach, grapefruit juice, or coconut milk to bring further flavor. Instead of a lemon-lime soda base, use sparkling water and your choice of flavored simple syrup or maple syrup to craft an even more unique beverage. You can make it more fun by incorporating some excellent garnishes for non-alcoholic drinks – such as a fruit skewer, flavored ice cubes, or floral water — to complement other notes in the libation, as well.

From shrimp to fish, there's a range of options when it comes to what seafood element you can use in a classic ceviche. Of course, there are options for the other ingredients, as well, and the floral, juicy components of lychee can revitalize a traditional ceviche with an uplifted tropical feel. Whatever your desired seafood, Ranveer Brar recommends using it with chopped lychee, coconut milk, and citrus juice.

According to Brar, it's best to "reserve this ingredient until right before serving so that its texture will not change." Additionally, a firm fish like red snapper (or another white fish) will allow the ceviche to hold its own, but you can also opt for prawns or shrimp. No matter the choice, you want noticeable pieces of fish, not mush.

Other ingredients — like lime juice, vinegar, black pepper, cilantro, and ginger – can give the dish a boost, too. This ceviche is perfect for serving guests who want a taste of fresh flavors, departing from typical savory-only components to impress anyone who takes a bite.

You can bake any number of treats using lychee as a fruit addition, including the unexpected fruit to upgrade your upside-down cake. There's no need for pineapple in this recipe since lychee replaces the yellow-hued fruit altogether, bringing its own signature notes to the baked good. Plus, you can opt for fresh or canned lychee when making it.

Then again, if you can bake it, you can likely put lychee into the mix. For instance, you can include the fruit as a syrup in a standard cake. Once you've made a lychee syrup, drizzle it onto each layer to act as a moisturizer and flavor enhancer. The syrup can act as a garnish for a deeper flavor and more cohesive lychee cake, as well.

Similarly, use canned lychee and its syrup in cupcakes. Place the whole fruit in the middle of the batter for a distinctive surprise once you take a bite. Additional flavors like rose and raspberry can transform something as common as a cupcake into a sophisticated dessert that will impress. You can bake the floral fruit into a cookie instead, too, whether you want shortbread or a fruity-center cookie like a Linzer.