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!)
Can I use coconut butter in place of cocoa butter or shea butter in recipes?
I guess it would depend on the recipe.
i think the blender should be stronger and set to “whip” to make the butter consistency.
Any tips on what coconut butter should taste like? I’m well acquainted with the oil, but I’ve never tried butter before. The butter I made makes my mouth go really dry, but that was also tasting it while it’s still liquid. I live overseas now so I used the unsweetened coconut I could find at the store, which tasted similar to what I got in the states, but I’m wondering if I got it right. Anyone have any advice?
Have you ever “burnt” yours? I think I may have blended mine to long because it is sort of brownish color 🙁
Okay, I read through oodles of comments, the FAQs post, & the comments on the FAQs post but still don’t know exactly what the consistency should be like (thin like store bought chocolate syrup – I know, **gasp** but I don’t know what else to compare it to! LOL – or thicker like say whipped coconut oil that is creamy & has no lumps, etc. when room temp isn’t too warm), nor what speed do you use for your Vitamix, & should the Vitamix actually cook the coconut where there is steam coming out of the blender cap vents??
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Compare it to peanut butter texture when soft. Use high speed, but no there should not be smoke.
Great!! TY for saving my sanity!! LOL
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Skinny Coconut Oil is the only 100% raw product on the market! It has so many uses. I substitute it for butter everyday. It is actually made from coconuts in Vietnam. Check out the website & join the movement to a healthier lifestyle! 🙂
Just located your recipes which sound great. But being in Australia, I will need to be innovative in trying to locate some of the ingredients you use. To make coconut butter, you say to use unsweetened coconut. We can buy fresh coconuts, dessicated coconut in the bag, which I assume would be sweetened, and shredded coconut (again in a bag). Not sure where I would find unsweetened coconut but I will do a search on the net. Thanks for the recipes.
Keryn
I’ve been using coconut oil for my skin recently and it works wonders! Can you still use the butter for your skin or is the oil better for that? Thanks so much!
I wish I had searched and found your website before trying to unthaw my rock hard coconut oil concentrate in the microwave….32 oz jar. Yes, it did burn and turn mostly brown. Is it of any use for anything? I use it on my hair; which is the best treatment my hair has ever had. I hope you have recommendations other than throwing it away because it wasn’t cheap. Otherwise, I will have learn an expensive lesson. Thanks for your knowledge.
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Hello,
I am also into Coconut Miracle natural coconut butter spread…it is delicious
Can you use coconut manna/butter instead of fresh coconut flesh? For example when blending to make a pudding?
Hi, can you tell me the difference bwtween coconut butter and cocoa butter?
Hey Katie, just thought I’d bring this post to your attention…
http://ohchocolat.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/pate-a-tartiner-100-noix-de-coco/
You might want to have them take down your picture…
Can you believe that they had the nerve to add a watermark to a picture that doesn’t even belong to them? This infuriates me to no end!
Hi ! I find coconut oil in most recipes, but I just can’t find it where I live. Can I substitute it with applesauce (if I don’t wanna use any other oil) ? Thank you. 🙂
Hi Houda – I get all my Coconut Oil from Amazon because it is hard to find where I live too. I get the “Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil”. It is free shipping in the US, but I know they ship internationally too. Hope that helps. Elysa