Homemade Coconut Butter
I love coconut butter. You will notice that in many of my recipes, I use coconut butter instead of coconut oil. Why? Because it has a richer flavor and a better texture than coconut oil. But coconut butter is both expensive and hard for some people to find. The solution? Make your own. But be sure to read the comments at the end of the post. It is good, but it isn’t exactly like Artisana coconut butter, my favorite.
I have seen a lot of posts on making your own coconut butter. I was pretty convinced that homemade coconut butter (made from dried coconut) could never be as good as the brand I like to use which is made from raw coconut. But this post, coconut butter, inspired me to try. I will walk you though the steps.
Homemade Coconut Butter – Visual Instructions. Recipe Follows.
Place dried coconut in food processor. I have a 12 cup processor. If yours is smaller, you can adjust and make two batches.
After 2 minutes
After 4 minutes
After 6 minutes. The oils are starting to release.
After 8 minutes it is looking pretty good.
After 10 minutes it is pretty liquid.
Pour it into a clean jar and let cool. Don’t worry, it isn’t hot, just slightly warm. As it cools it will harden.
Conclusion and Tips
I must admit, I was pretty impressed. It hardened (see first picture) after sitting at room temperature for a bit. It looked like coconut butter and it tasted pretty darn good. And I am very picky about the qualities of my ingredients. What I didn’t like was that it is grainy. Even after a turn in the high speed blender, I could never get the beautiful smooth consistency of the Artisana coconut butter I was comparing it to. But in a pinch, especially in recipes that the consistency would be covered up by other textures, it could work. And oh my, it is a fraction of the cost. My 16 ounces of dried coconut made over 2 cups. Probably the equivalent to a 10 ounce jar of the Artisana.
Note: My food processor is a 12 cup KitchenAid. It is a work horse. It didn’t even bat an eye at making this. But all food processors are different. Keep an eye on yours while running it this long.
Coconut Butter
MAKES 1 Cup
Coconut Butter
- 16 oz dried, non-sweetened flaked coconut
- Place coconut in food processor.
- Process until smooth. (See above photos)
Christie wrote on August 2, 2012
This is one recipe I look forward to make and hoping it is tasty like coconut cream!
Adele wrote on July 21, 2012
Can’t wait to make this. Is the dried coconut the kind you buy in a bag like Bakers?
Susan wrote on July 21, 2012
No…you don’t want to use Bakers. You want to find a dried, organic coconut. Check your coop or Whole Foods. It should be unsweetened.
Kenny Cartwright wrote on July 14, 2012
I have never had coconut butter, so I cannot compare consistency. In my Hamilton Beach (hey- I am single so I have to do the housewife work as well!, it took about 5 minutes to get to liquid state, but was pretty grainy. I went an extra 5 minutes nad it got a lot less grainy- not completely, but barely noticeable. I am very grateful for your instructions- I read about some benefits of coconut butter this morning- now I can try it out with a lot less expense!
Susan wrote on July 14, 2012
Thank you Kenny. Sometimes depending on the coconut, your equipment, etc. you need to alter the instructions a bit. Great job! Cheers!
Diane wrote on June 10, 2012
Hi
Would you use the coconut butter just like coconut oil??
Thanks
Susan wrote on June 10, 2012
I use it in quite a few dessert recipes. It has more flavor and richness. It would depend on the recipe as to if you could substitute it for plain coconut oil. Cheers!
Mandie wrote on May 31, 2012
never got this to work very disappointing
Susan wrote on June 10, 2012
I have made this quite a few times. It could be your food processor or the coconut you were using.
Maria wrote on May 29, 2012
Hi Susan. Amazing recipe! How do you store it? I know you said in a clean jar, but do you keep it out or refrigerate it? Also, how long does it usually last?
Susan wrote on May 29, 2012
I store it in the cabinet just like I store my other coconut butter. It lasts for months. Cheers!
karina hafnor wrote on May 20, 2012
Tried this with coconut flesh, and it did not work. Tasted great though!
Hannah wrote on May 3, 2012
I thought this was used for skin. Is it the same thing?
Susan wrote on May 3, 2012
This is used in Recipes. Cheers!
Le'Sann wrote on April 6, 2012
I am new to all of this, just started using coconut oil. I purchased organic virgin coconut oil, cold pressed…is this what you are talking about that is not good for you? “Coconut oil, the raw kind, not the refined kind is a healthy fat. It is refined coconut oil, which we are not using here, that is not healthy. Coconut oil actually has many health benefits.” I found the oil to be somewhat expensive, but reasonable on line…and I love it.. never seen or heard of coconut butter
Susan wrote on April 8, 2012
Organic, cold pressed is the raw kind, the healthy kind. Cheers!