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!)
Niki says
I really want to try coconut butter… but I don’t like the taste of coconut! I use coconut oil for cooking all the time, but I always get it refined because it has no odor or taste. So what exactly does coconut butter taste like?
Julie Dove says
Kind of like shortbread.
Mary lu says
Artisana coconut butter is my favorite. It is so delicious I have to stop my self.
Linda Shute says
This sounds good. Going to give it a try today
Deane Kogelschatz says
Katie, your tip about using the CONTROL key to find a word on your web page is incomplete. You have to hold down CONTROL and then touch the letter F… (for ‘Find’) …and then type the word you’re looking for in the dialogue box that comes up, usually in the lower left corner of your screen. Just pushing on the CONTROL key won’t do anything by itself. Sure would be nice to have a PRINT RECIPE box next to the recipes you present. Tried to print the Cream Cheese Blueberry Muffin recipe, but had to cut and paste from your web page to my Word file so I could print it. As another suggestion, it would also be nice if the printed recipe would have a small picture of the item at the top so someone looking at the recipe could see what it looks like.
Sure do love your stuff!
Jason Sanford says
Hi, all recipes as of 2015 I think have print option.
Melissa says
Sounds to me like your just nit picking. I saw where she wrote control f, not sure how you missed it. Can’t you just say thank you for the recipe!
Deane Kogelschatz says
Yup. I missed it. Jumped the gun and I apologize. I appreciate Katie, her recipes and the work she goes through for all of us. Thanks, Katie!
anne says
Mine tastes gritty like coconut flour and coconut oil. My Vitamix was threatening to overheat and I stopped. Should I have let it rest and continue to come back to it? Louisiana summer, plenty warm.
Austin Abigail says
Can I use a regular blender for blened my dried coconut, because that’s my project work in school and getting a food processor is a little bit hard
cindy LAROCQUE says
did not work , not sure what happened I tried twice, food processor , unsweetened coconut for twenty minutes and still did not work:(
Amber S says
I have read before that coconut butter is the same thing as coconut cream, which is the solid part at the top of full-fat coconut milk if you put it in the fridge overnight. Is this true? Can they be used the same way?
Becki Cosford says
Does anyone put a little coconut butter in lattes?? I have heard just 1/2 tsp will make it creamier…. So i bought some to try and i didnt notice a difference.
Susan says
I have tried making coconut butter. I used a food processor and blended for more than 15 minutes. I did have to add some coconut oil but it never did get creamy. I did get liquidy and the longer I process the more liguid it gets – but it has a gritty texture. I’m assuming its the coconut I used. We leave far from whole foods or anywhere like that – so I used a full back of organic unsweetened that I found at Meijer. Any other suggestions?
Tami says
I buy Nutiva coconut manna, it’s delicious. Also nuts.com has almost and kind of exotic baking ingredient you could ever want. Love their organic nuts,needs too! Thanks Katie!
Barbara says
Thanks for mentioning nuts.com Tami…
Jamie says
Hi Katie
I have tried many of your recipies and have loved them all. Anything chocolate and everything dark chocolate is my motto. Love it all!
I did make the coconut butter and also lived it but the only problem I had was it turning hard as a rock and me having to continue warming it up. Is this normal? Do I need to do something else to it?
Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipies!
Jason Sanford says
Coconut butter hardens when chilled. That’s normal 🙂
Catherine Harris says
Hi! I have a jar of coconut butter to make chocolate, I have immersed the jar in hot water to melt it enough to get some out twice, that was a month ago. I still have some left in the jar, is it alright to use, considering it’s been melted twice?
Many thanks
Susan says
THANK YOU, Thank You, Thank you a million times over! I’ve been searching for something just like this for several years. We are a family with several highly nut allergic members. 4yrs ago we discovered our eldest granddaughter(now age 12yrs) is also allergic to most edible seeds as well. She has missed so many baked treats & now can’t even enjoy SunButter as a sub to make her once beloved PB&J.
I just recently tasted coconut butter filled cookies & fell in love. As an epi-pen carrying nut allergic ancestor, I have always felt a bit guilty for this nasty little genetic fault. So, you can imagine my pleasure at finding this new treasure, as our dear granddaughter has NEVER reacted adversely/allergically to coconut or it’s derivatives.
Now I have signed up for your recipe email notifications & can’t wait to try making my 1st batch of butter. I have seen organic unsweetened [email protected] Fresh Foods & Farmers’ Market where we get special food for our grandchildren.
Jason Sanford says
Oh have fun with it. Coconut butter is soooo good ?
Pat says
Is coconut manna coconut butter?
Jason Sanford says
Yes!
Pat Williams says
When I received my butter it was separated into white layer and beige layer, can I heat it and remix it?
Jason Sanford says
You can! That’s just the oil on the top 🙂
rohit aggarwal says
thank you chocolatecoveredkatie for giving me wonderful information
Mr Rueben Derrick says
wheres the recipe…so much fluff and no substance.
CCK Media Team says
This post was not written as a recipe post. It is an informational post meant to answer the common questions Katie receives about coconut butter. A link to the recipe is linked in the post though. Here is the link https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/how-to-make-coconut-butter/
mira says
is coconut butter bad for cholesterol? The studies seem split?
Klaus Schmidt says
Can you substitute coconut fat with coconut butter? and if so by the same amount?