How to Make Coconut Butter

This recipe for homemade coconut butter requires only one ingredient: shredded coconut. Easy to make and absolutely delicious, this homemade coconut butter is packed with fiber and healthy fats. A great alternative to other nut butters and spreads, this coconut butter is the perfect addition to your breakfast oatmeal or smoothie, or can be enjoyed straight from the jar with a spoon!

Growing up, the only nut butter I ever had was “peanut butter”. Yes, “peanut butter” in quotation marks because it was the store-bought stuff with its unnecessary sugar, oil, and preservatives. And to be honest, I don’t think conventional “peanut butter” actually tastes like peanuts, at least not once you’ve had the real deal! Peanut butter, the natural stuff made from only peanuts, is super rich, creamy, and loaded with tons of peanutty flavour.

Unfortunately for peanut butter, it has lost its number one status as top toast spread and favourite apple dip. These days there are so many varieties of natural nut butters popping up on grocery store shelves: butters made from almonds, cashews, coconut, and combinations of different nuts and seeds are now readily available. And if you can’t find these delicious new nut butters at your local store, you can make them easily at home!

I get a lot of satisfaction out of making my own nut butters because it’s simple, fun, and is generally less expensive than the store-bought jars. I’ve made delicious roasted peanut butter and decadent chocolate hazelnut butter as a treat (so good!), but one our our favourite and most frequently made nut butters is coconut butter!

I had no idea coconut butter (sometimes called coconut manna) was even a thing until my coconut-loving sister introduced it to me a couple years ago. I was sold after the first taste.

Coconut has a very high fat content and is made up of medium-chain triglycerides, fatty acids which can have a positive impact on brain health and healing. Because of the high fat content, the coconut can be broken down and blended into a super rich and creamy coconut butter that’s loaded with fiber and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Coconut butter is really easy to make using the same method as most other homemade nut butters. All you need to do is add the coconut to a high-speed blender (we use a Vitamix) or food processor and let the blades do the work! I prefer to use our Vitamix over our food processor because the Vitamix  transforms the coconut into a smooth and creamy nut butter in a matter of minutes, whereas the food processor has to work much longer (and harder) to achieve the desired consistency.

To avoid wasting any of the coconutty goodness, I like to make a fruit and veggie smoothie right after transferring the delicious coconut butter to a glass jar for storage. Anything remaining on the sides and bottom of the blender container will blend right into your smoothie giving it a tropical twist with added healthy fats!

You’ll want to store your coconut butter at room temperature in a cupboard to help it retain a more fluid consistency. If you live in a cooler climate like we do, the coconut butter may still solidify in the cupboard (especially during the winter months) depending on the temperature inside your home. To soften, place the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to gently warm the coconut butter and bring it back to a spreadable consistency.

I love using coconut butter (and other nut butters) in a lot of my healthy baking recipes to replace butter and oil in traditional recipes. Coconut butter is also great for adding flavour to smoothies, to drizzle over oatmeal, or simply eat straight straight from the jar with a spoon (guilty!).

Do you enjoy coconut butter as much as we do? Or do you prefer another nut butter or nut butter combo? Tell us your favourite nut butter in the comments below!

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