Make Your Own Coconut Butter

Coconut Butter ready for spreading!

Don't you love it when you figure out an easy way to save lots of money?

If so, you're going to love this post. Have you tried coconut butter? It's a lovely, creamy, coconutty spread that you can use to bake with or spread on toast or create delicious compound "butters."

Coconut butter is not the same thing as coconut oil. Coconut butter is made from flaked coconut and includes the fiber and other nutrients that exist in the coconut. It is fuller bodied than coconut oil, so although you can substitute them sometimes for each other, they are not the same and will give different results.

The downside to coconut butter is that it is pricey. 

Lucky for us, it's easy to make our own coconut butter using unsweetened flaked coconut and a food processor.

• The most important thing to know is that you need to use a significant quantity of coconut for this to work. I originally tried it with a smaller amount of coconut (approximately 1 cup), and it never turned into the butter I was hoping for.
• Another thing to note is that it takes some time and patience. I'm used to using my food processor to cut down on chopping time and think of it as a tool that I use for seconds, rather than minutes. This can take 15 to 20 minutes depending on your weather, how much coconut you're using and other factors.

Once you know those tips, it couldn't be easier.

Put 3-4 cups of unsweetened flaked (not shredded) coconut into the bowl of your food processor fitted with the stainless steel blade.

Let the processor run for 5 minutes. The coconut at this point should look almost sand-like. Scrape down the sides if needed.

In another 5 minutes, the coconut will start releasing its fat, so it might feel almost dough-like. Mine created a ball for a bit before it broke back down. Scrape down the sides if needed.

In another 5 to 10 minutes, you'll have a luscious, thick liquid. Pour it into a glass jar, cover and store for up to 2-3 months. If it hardens up, you can soften it in a warm water bath.

3 cups of unsweetened flaked coconut became approximately 3/4 cup of Coconut Butter.

You're going to be glad you know how to make Coconut Butter for my next post!

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.