Coconut Butter – What is it? Where do I buy it? Can I make my own? Is it the same thing as coconut oil? And how on earth do I use it?
Bring out the mittens? In Texas summertime, it’s considered a cold front if the temperature doesn’t reach 100 degrees. Today, therefore, we’re experiencing a cold front. It’s only going to be 99. The sweltering weather is bad for almost everything: growing plants, running outdoors, paying your air-conditioning bill… However, there’s one thing you can do really well in the heat:
Make homemade coconut butter!
It took me just 10 minutes to make an entire jar’s-worth of coconut butter yesterday. Then I spent much more time chasing the capricious light all around my little house, trying to photograph said coconut butter.
Repeatedly eating my props didn’t help. 😕
This stuff is dangerous.
I can go through a jar of homemade or Artisana coconut butter in less than a week.
My favorite way to eat it is to spread it into candy molds, freeze, and eat what I call “Coconut Melties” straight from the freezer. Or spread the coconut butter on banana bread or stir it into oatmeal… I love that too. Here is a link to all of my coconut butter recipes:
70 Healthy Coconut Butter Recipes
Coconut Butter & Coconut Oil FAQ
Over and over, I’m receiving the same questions regarding coconut butter and coconut oil.
While I try to answer as many of these questions as I can in the comment section, I understand why no one would want to read though the overwhelming number of comments (many of which are repeats) to see if a particular question about coconut butter has been answered. To make it easier, I’ve rounded up the most-frequently-asked coconut butter questions and am posting the answers all in one place.
Tip: Did you know that if you press “control f” you can search for a key word on any webpage? This trick has saved me a lot of time, and I wish more people knew about it!
1. Can I make my own coconut butter?
Yes! You can find the easy recipe here: How To Make Coconut Butter.
2. Is there a difference between coconut oil and coconut butter?
There is definitely a difference between the two. Think peanut butter vs. peanut oil. One is thick and smooth, while the other is liquid at room temperature. Coconut butter includes the meat of the coconut, while coconut oil does not.
3. Can I use coconut oil whenever a recipe calls for coconut butter?
It depends on the recipe. Many recipes that call for coconut butter won’t be the same if you substitute coconut oil. Some readers say they’ve successfully made my fudge recipes with the oil instead of the butter, but I wouldn’t recommend it for best results. Coconut butter will yield a much richer texture. Same thing with the candy or peppermint bark recipes I’ve posted.
However, it is fine to use in the famous Coconut Crack Bars.
4. How do I melt hardened coconut butter?
Coconut butter is strange. Depending on the climate (temperature and humidity), it can be smooth, liquidy, rock-hard, or even crumbly. It also burns very quickly, so I’d caution against trying to microwave the jar, at least for anything longer than 15 seconds. A few options: You can stick it in a warm (not hot) oven for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F and stick the coconut butter inside immediately after turning the oven on. Take it out after five minutes–the oven will never actually get up to 350 degrees. Often, after I’ve cooked something, I’ll turn the oven off and then stick the coconut butter jar into the oven as it cools. Or you can make a water bath (I haven’t done this, but I know others have). Or, if you only need a small amount, you can take some out and place it on a candle warmer. If it’s too dry, I like to melt a little virgin coconut oil and stir it into the coconut butter to get it smooth again.
Or… just come to Texas. 
5. My attempt at homemade coconut butter never turned into butter. What did I do wrong?
Maybe nothing. I’ve never encountered problems making homemade coconut butter, and it works for many others as well… but for some reason (it might have to do with climate), a few readers aren’t able to achieve the buttery spread. For best results, be sure to use a whole bag so there’s enough to blend smoothly. Also, if it’s not getting smooth, add a little melted virgin coconut oil to the blender.
6. When making coconut butter, can I sub ____ for the shredded coconut?
I’ve only tried this with Let’s Do Organic brand unsweetened coconut shreds or unsweetened coconut shreds from the bulk aisle of the grocery store. So I don’t know if works with sweetened coconut shreds, reduced-fat coconut shreds, or fresh coconut.
7. How do you store coconut butter?
Store homemade coconut butter in a sealed container or glass jar. There is no need to refrigerate it, and the coconut butter will last for at least a few months in the pantry… that is if you don’t eat it all first! Mine lasts for about a day. Seriously, I might have an addiction…
8. Where can I buy coconut butter?
While coconut butter used to be hard to find, it’s now widely available even in regular grocery stores. Look in the natural food section of most grocery stores, or try the nut butter aisle of Whole Foods or your local health food store. You can also find it online at stores like Vitacost, Thrive Market, iHerb, Swanson, and Amazon. Brands that sell coconut butter include Artisana, Maranatha, Nutiva, Nikki’s, and Dastony.
Links Of The Day:
(The original version of the internet famous recipe!)
(I don’t think this question was answered. I used the search function. 🙂 )
Do you think I can make coconut butter with a standard good blender or with a cheap little plastic processor? Those are what I own. If there were more room in my little house, very little kitchen, I’d buy a regular machine. But how do they make it traditionally, without electricity? It must involve a lot of pounding.
I could just try, but I don’t want to make a mess with valuable food. Better to get advice from the knowledgeable expert.
Thanks a lot!
It really depends on your location. Some people can get it with even a Magic Bullet. Others can’t in a Vita-mix.
I can’t afford one of those expensive machines people seem to use here, I nearly had a fit when I discovered how much they cost 🙁 – and I too have the tiniest of kitchens. So I have a very cheap plastic hand blender and have made several batches of gorgeous coconut butter! I just stop and start a few times to let the blender cool down a bit and use a small spoonful of coconut oil to get it started! I don’t know if you really need the oil but it seems to speed up the process which is very useful if you don’t want your blender to overheat!!! I will be making some more tomorrow (Saturday) so my breakfasts will be back to delicious again…..
Just wondering how long the coconut butter keeps, and where should it be stored?
i really hope you read this Katie because i much need your help. i got some coconut butter from Kroger but its not the same brand you use. it is a mixture of coconut pulp and coconut oil and dosent taste anything like coconut while on a spoon, it actually taste horrible. it seems identical to coconut oil to me. is coconut butter supposed to be like this? please help :/
I have young coconuts can you use the fresh meat from those? Because where I am I can’t get unsweetened shredded coconut.
I just found another website with a recipe for homemade coconut butter that recommends processing for 18 or 19 minutes. Maybe it’s the difference between using a food processor and a vitamix. The website is http://www.thekitchn.com/one-ingredient-recipe-coconut-butter-166405. She gives a break down of what happens at each time interval. I have a friend who said that it takes about a half an hour to make hers in her Cuisinart! Hope this helps solve some of the problems.
Thanks for compiling all this info into one post! I’m going to share it with my readers 🙂
Can you use fresh young coconut meat?
Does this need to be stored in the fridge?
nope 🙂
i heard coconut oil helps your hair grow, but i’m going to try coconut butter cause i have some of that.
Hey all, if you’re having trouble getting it going, I like to microwave my coconut shreds for maybe 2 or 3 minutes before I blend them. Start off in 30 second intervals, until it starts to smell fragrant and feel oilier. The extra heat brings out the oil, and gives it a bit more of a toasted flavour!
This may be a silly question, but do you use this like you would use “regular” butter; or more how you would use, say…apple butter?
I currently use an organic coconut spread that my nutritionist suggested; but I will soon be moving to an area without a local Whole Foods or ANY type of store that I can purchase it. So, I’m curious if this coconut butter can be used in place of it.
Also, if you have an idea: how long does it keep?
Thank you in advance!
(And I hope my VitaMix does it correctly. So far, for the LIFE of me, I can’t get it to make ANY nut butters.) 🙁
Either… it is great as a spread, but it’s also great IN recipes. It keeps (un-fridged) for months!
Can you use fresh coconut or does it need to be dried before going into the blender?
Have you considered adding some roasted almonds to the coconut butter and then coating it with dark chocolate? Instant Almond Joy!!
Never knew about the Control + f tip – thanks!
On a Mac it’s Command + f ! 🙂
For the record, it does NOT work with fresh coconut. I used dessicated today though, and it worked but just took a while.
I started eating Paleo just three weeks ago & have already lost 12 pounds! I am so excited! I bought a wonderful Paleo cookbook & saw that it calls for coconut butter in a lot of the recipes but almost had a heart attack at the health food store when I saw the cost for a jar of their butter! For a little under $2.00 I bought enough unsweetened, shredded coconut to make my own! THANK YOU! Your site was very helpful to me because when I made mine it got pretty runny & I thought I ruined it somehow, but will just pop it in the fridge to thicken it for a little while. Cannot wait to try it!