Coconut butter is super easy to make and only requires coconut and a food processor or high-speed blender! Naturally paleo, vegan, and gluten-free. With a video.
While I’ve got quite a few dessert recipes ready to post, I know that a lot of people aren’t super into baking just yet after the holidays. So here’s something a little different!
A few people have mentioned in my recipes with coconut butter that they didn’t know you could make your own. So here we go!
What is coconut butter?
Coconut butter is just the ground up dried meat of a coconut. It’s also known as coconut manna.
Is coconut butter the same as coconut oil? Coconut butter vs. coconut oil.
It’s very different than coconut oil, which is the oil that is pressed out of coconut meat. When you buy a jar of coconut butter, there’s usually a layer of coconut oil at the top that has separated.
You just warm it up and stir it back together. In the summer, it’s so warm in our kitchen that it’s liquid enough and can be just be stirred.
Coocnu*t butter is not interchangeable with coconut oil.
You have to use it in recipes that specifically call for coconut butter. Like these vegan coconut macaroons, which is probably my favorite cookie recipe of the last several years and my go-to cookie recipe (but I always dip them in chocolate and drizzle more on top!).
If you need some other recipe ideas, try this healthy vegan peanut butter and jelly fudge or this paleo vegan chocolate fudge!
Is there a coconut butter substitute?
Other articles about how to make coconut butter suggest using another nut / seed butter, coconut oil or regular butter but I’ve tried all of these subs in several recipes and can say that the results are never even similar.
I’ve made at least 50 attempts at converting several of my recipes to be nut-free / AIP-friendly using coconut butter and none of them worked. So I really don’t recommend it. They come out dry and crumbly.
What kind of coconut should I use?
Pretty much anything except fresh coconut. You can use shredded coconut like I did or coconut chips, flaked coconut, coconut flakes and desiccated coconut. All of that works.
Desiccated will just take a bit longer than the other kinds because it has less moisture in it. And make sure to use unsweetened and full-fat! None of that reduced-fat stuff.
The amount of coconut you use will depend on how big your food processor or high-speed blender is. A regular blender will not work! You have to use a Blendtec, Vitamix or something similar.
You need to fill the food processor at least halfway with coconut. You’ll have a hard time processing if it’s not at least halfway full.
Do you need to add some coconut oil?
I’ve been making homemade coconut butter for 8 years and have never needed to do that. If yours absolutely won’t come together after 10-15 minutes, you could add maybe a teaspoon of coconut oil at a time to see if that helps.
How do you store coconut butter? How long does it last?
Coconut butter stays good for ages at room temperature. I would say as long as your shredded coconut (or whatever coconut product you’re using) is good for. I’ve found hidden jars that were over a year old and they were perfectly fine.
So don’t worry about making too much! That’s just not possible once you try these coconut lime macaroons (which call for coconut butter) because you’ll want a constant supply. ;)
It hardens as it cools unless your kitchen is very warm. There’s unfortunately no way to prevent this.
I’d love to hear what you think of this homemade coconut butter!
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Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Ready in:
Yield: a little less than 1 cup coconut butter
Ingredients
1 pound (450 grams or almost 6 cups) or more full-fat unsweetened shredded coconut, coconut flakes or flaked coconut
Directions
If using a food processor: fill the food processor at least halfway with coconut flakes. You'll have a hard time processing if it's not at least halfway full. Process until very liquidy, almost like water. Stop every few minutes to scrape down the sides and let it cool a little if it feels too warm. Don't kill your food processor! Depending on your food processor, it could take 15-20 minutes.
If using a Blendtec, (you can also use a Vitamix), use the Twister Jar and start processing while twisting the top of the jar counterclockwise. I start off on 1 and work up to about medium power. Process until very liquidy, almost like water. It'll only take about a minute.
Place in a jar and stir every hour or so until firm and solid (this may take up to 6-8 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. If it's very warm in your kitchen, it might not become solid. If you're in a hurry, refrigerate). Store at room temperature. To soften, place the jar in hot water or microwave (provided it's in a microwave-safe jar) at 50% power for 15 seconds at a time.
Since I like to avoid using oil in my baked goods, I like to use coconut butter for richness. It yields a very buttery result. You can buy coconut butter in the stores or make Homemade Coconut Butter. 2 store brands I like are the Nutiva and Maranatha brands.
(If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil.) You can use a 1:1 ratio when it comes to coconut oil. However, there are a couple of things you should consider before replacing butter with oil in baking: In many recipes (particularly certain cakes), butter is required because it adds structure.
Just like dairy butter, it can be applied on muffins, toast, or other types of baked bread. The small coconut flakes make it look like frosting. If you are allergic to nuts, consider this as a perfect alternative for peanut butter spread. Other than baked goods, coconut butter can also be drizzled over fruits.
Keep in mind, though, that both butter and coconut do contain saturated fat and are considered “solid” fats. For baked goods that require solid fats, either choice will work, it really just depends on the flavor you desire. Coconut oil will lend a light, slightly sweet flavor versus butter's, well…, buttery flavor!
It has a low smoking point, so you shouldn't use it for frying or sautéing ingredients. It can replace butter when baking, though. This ingredient is a great substitute for any type of fat when making baked goods. It's most commonly used as a substitute for nut butter.
A: Coconut oil and coconut butter hardens as the temperature drops, it will be soft and smooth when it warms up again. It does not effect the products flavor or usefulness.
So for every cup of butter (226 grams) in the recipe, substitute 194 grams of coconut oil and 36 grams (or a little over 2 tablespoons) of milk. Recipes that call for melted butter, like bread, quick breads, muffins, and cakes, will be fine. Just make sure the coconut oil is in its liquid form when you use it.
You'll usually need to melt your coconut oil before using it in your baking and when mixing with cold ingredients make sure to stir the oil in quickly so it doesn't solidify.
The spongy texture and moist flavor that oil creates can be a boon to certain recipes. Not to mention oil is cheaper and easier to work with. Butter will always provide superior flavor and that melt-in-your-mouth texture. In many recipes, combining the two gives the best of both worlds.
What is the shelf life of coconut butter? Coconut butter is naturally stable and lasts for about 1 year to 15 months depending on the brand and if it contains preservatives or not. However, the consistency of coconut butter will vary according to the temperature while in storage.
Coconut butter can be very nutritious for hair. Once you spritz your hair with a leave-in conditioner, run a dime-sized dollop of coconut butter through damp hair before drying. Your hair will be left silky smooth, with an amazing smell, and no greasiness at all.
The consistency varies depending on temperature – it stays solid up to 72°F/22°C and begins to melt at 76°F/24°C. Creamed coconut is almost identical to coconut butter but thicker and denser. It's usually ground into a semi-solid white paste and then formed into a solid white block.
When baking with coconut oil, it is generally substituted for other fats on a 1:1 basis. If a recipe calls for ½ cup butter, you can use ½ cup coconut oil.
Coconut oil can go bad due to several factors. Exposure to air, light, and temperature fluctuations can lead to oxidation, causing the oil to become rancid. Oxidation involves the breakdown of fatty acid chains within the oil, leading to the formation of unstable compounds known as free radicals.
Baking. Because unrefined coconut oil has a strong coconut taste and scent, refined coconut oil may be a better choice for baking. If you use refined coconut oil, the resulting baked good will be free of a coconut taste and smell that could otherwise clash with its flavors.
Here are some common uses of shredded coconut: Baking: Shredded coconut is most often used in baking as an add-in to various recipes, such as cookies, muffins, and energy bars. Coconut shreds not only add flavor and nutritional value but also a unique texture to your baked goods.
Coconut oil is made entirely of fat, mostly saturated. One tablespoon has around 14 grams. Coconut butter is made from the whole coconut, so it also contains saturated fat, around 10 grams per tablespoon. It has nutrients coconut oil doesn't, most notably fiber.
Coconut oil can replace butter in baking at a 1:1 ratio, though it may slightly change the flavor, with some types of coconut oil affecting taste more than others. Unrefined coconut oil tends to taste more like coconut than refined varieties. It works great for recipes that require tropical or rich chocolate flavors.
Created by grinding the meat of a coconut and combining it with salt, sugar, and other flavor elements, coconut butter is a great peanut butter alternative. Depending on the flavor profile of the added elements, it can create a similar taste and texture to the original.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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