Homemade Coconut Butter
Have you heard about coconut butter yet? I am still in the process of discovering it, but the uses that I have found for it so far are delicious. It is so easy to make too! Basically just buy some unsweetened, shredded coconut, and blend… Well there are some instructions, as you will see below, but it is way less expensive than some of the store bought options so why not try it?
My favorite use for it so far? Spreading it onto pancakes and waffles! Seriously. I am not a fan of butter but sometimes I just want something creamy between my gluten-free pancakes and my rich-amber maple syrup. Spread it on, and watch it melt between the layers of breakfast goodness.
Because coconut fat solidifies at 76 F, your coconut butter will be solid, liquid, or somewhere-in-between depending on the temp in your house. When solid, it will be thick and hard, but will easily soften on a warm pastry or with a small amount of heating over a stove top (just warm on low in a small sauce pan).
I have always loved the taste of coconut, but until a few years ago it was a pretty superficial relationship. But then a friend of mine introduced me to the benefits of coconut oil (and coconut in general). Since then I have been in-love and have been including more coconut in my diet step by step. I can’t wait to share my latest recipe, Chocolate Halvah Fudge.
Coconut Butter
5 c organic coconut (shredded and unsweetened)
1/3 c coconut oil
In a heavy duty blender (Vitamix
Turn off blender and scrape down sides and blend further.
As the coconut mixture thickens up the wall of the blender you will need to turn off the blender, scrape down and blend more.
Eventually, after about 5 minutes or more, the mixture will start to become liquid. You can add the other 2 cups of coconut at this point and continue to blend until the entire mixture is smooth.
Transfer coconut butter to a storage container. The butter will be a liquid form from the heat of the blender and depending on your room temperature could solidify with time.
How do you use your coconut butter? Any good recipes to share with me? Leave a comment below, I would love to check it out.
Tags: coconut oil, shredded coconut
Categories: breakfast, dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-freePosted on Thursday, September 6th, 2012. Follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
8 Responses to “Homemade Coconut Butter”
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What part of the coconut has the saturated fat? I thought it was coconut milk. I use coconut oil, but am hesitant to use the milk.
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the interesting question. From the reading that I have done on the coconut, both the oil and the milk contain saturated fats. The important distinction that researchers have found regarding the saturated fats in coconut is that it is different than the saturated fat in animal products. Coconut milk and coconut oil contain medium-chain fatty acids which are metabolized differently in the body than long chain fatty acids. They are absorbed quickly into the body and therefore can increase your energy levels, stimulate your metabolism and lose weight by consuming short and medium chain fatty acids.
This is true for both the coconut milk and the coconut oil. From what I have read the coconut oil is a more concentrated form of the fats because there is no protein or carbohydrates in the coconut oil, whereas the coconut milk is seen as a form of the whole coconut, containing fat, carbohydrate and protein. Both have amazing nutritional properties so don’t be afraid to work them into your diet here and there.
Thanks!
Christine
saturated fat is not the enemy…read any decent health blog these days, and you will know that coconut oil is a superfood.
“Good” fats are essential for proper nerve activity, vitamin absorption, immune system function and healthy cells- Olives and Olive oil , Coconuts and coconut oil , Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk ,Raw Nuts, such as, almonds or pecans , Organic pastured egg yolks , Avocados,grass fed meats , Palm oil,Unheated organic nut oils . Trans fats from margarine and vegetable oils are what you want to avoid.
Thanks Simone. Great comment.
How long does it last? Do you refridgerate? Thanks for your awesome recipes!!!
Hi Lauz,
It lasts for a few months at least. I don’t refrigerate it, but it seems to preserve well on its own. If anyone else has any suggestions for preserving it let me know, but I just keep it in a glass tupperware on the counter.
Enjoy!
hello,
just wondering if this would also be suitable to use to cook things eg in the frypan like eggs or pancakes?
thank you
Hi Katarina,
I am sure that you could use this, but the fiber of the coconut is still in it, so it might be gritty and the coconut fiber would get toasty or possibly burn. I would suggest using coconut oil, instead of coconut butter.
Christine