Homemade (and insanely delicious) Coconut Butter Recipe

*A coconut butter recipe that is so simple and so delicious, you won’t believe it.

If you saw my earlier post, you know that refined sugar and I are “on the outs”.

I have so many plans for amazing desserts that don’t contain a drop of white sugar and one of the ingredients that I plan on using frequently is Coconut Butter. Coconut butter is not the same as coconut oil. Think of it as a “nut butter”. It reminds me of peanut butter, but obviously with a strong coconut flavor. I can eat it by the spoonful, it is SO very good.

As it turns out, coconut butter is pretty expensive if you buy it in the store. I’m talking 12 to 14 dollars for a 15 ounce jar of this creamy goodness. Yeah….I’m not paying that. My intention is to spend more on good ingredients for healthier desserts, but make them less frequently. And coconut butter does not have to be one of those “more expensive” ingredients.

Did you know that you can make it yourself?

True story.

All it takes is one ingredient, a high speed blender, and about 5 minutes of your time.

So how does one go about making coconut butter?

Start with purchasing dried shredded coconut. Make sure that it is unsweetened. The only thing that should be listed under the ingredients is ‘coconut’. I used Bob’s Red Mill shredded coconut that comes in 12 ounce bags. My grocery store had them on sale for $2.39 a bag. I made three, 16 ounce jars of coconut butter and used four, 12 ounce bags of shredded coconut to do so. At $3.18 a jar (yes, I totally pulled out my phone calculator), you are basically saving 75% by making your own coconut butter at home.

And it is CRAZY easy.

All you need to do is place that shredded coconut in a high speed blender, like a Vitamix. I used a Vitamix to make this butter and it worked like a dream. It only took 5 minutes of blending to take the coarse little shreds of coconut to a smooth liquid. You’ll want to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides as you blend, so all of those coconut pieces get pulled into the mix.

Depending on the blender (or food processor) that you use, it may take up to 20 minutes for the coconut to become smooth and fluid. If that is the case, give your machine several breaks to cool down while turning that coconut to butter. It will start by chopping those coconut shreds into finer crumbles and after a little while you will see it start to become creamy and smooth, like a peanut butter. If you are using a heavy duty, high speed blender, like the Vitamix, the mixture will eventually heat up and become completely liquid.

Once you’ve made the butter, pour it into jars and seal tightly with a lid. You can store the coconut butter at room temperature or in the fridge for several months. Do note that once the butter cools down from blending it will turn to a solid, it’s hardness depending on how cool or warm your home is. If it is too firm to scoop you can place the jar in hot water to help it return to it’s liquid state, or microwave it for a short amount of time to soften it.

I wouldn’t try to make small batches of coconut butter, mainly because the more weight and volume there is in the blender, the easier it will be for the blender to ‘pull down’ the coconut and make it smooth. You can add a little bit of coconut oil to the shredded coconut to help it bind quicker, if you like.

Homemade (and insanely delicious) Coconut Butter

 

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Serves: 20-24 ounces coconut butter

Ingredients

• 24 ounces Shredded Coconut (unsweetened) (I used 2, 12 ounce bags)
• High Speed Blender
• glass jars with lids, for storage

Instructions

1. Place the coconut in a high speed blender or food processor and put on the lid.
2. Start at a lower speed and blend the coconut until it starts to break down into smaller pieces. Stop and scrape down the sides of the blender. Continue blending until the coconut starts to become paste-like. Up the speed of the blender and continue to blend until the coconut becomes creamy and smooth. This may take anywhere from 3-15 minutes, depending on the machine you use.
3. Pour the smooth coconut butter into glass jars, twist on the lids, and store in the refrigerator. You can also store it at room temperature, if desired.
4. Makes about 20-24 ounces of coconut butter.

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