Coconut butter!

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine started talking about coconut butter, and basically how it is the nectar of the gods. Unlike many people I know, I don’t hate coconut. I just don’t generally go out of my way to eat it. So this coconut butter intrigued me, but I had low expectations. Actually, I thought it would taste a lot like the filling of an Almond Joy. And actually…that prospect was enough to get me to make it.

First of all, this stuff is SO EASY to make. (I’ll get to that in a second.)

And secondly, this stuff IS like godly nectar. I made the mistake of putting it in the fridge because it was so liquidy at first (don’t do this), and then it solidified, and I had to let it soften before I could use it. But it’s good enough to eat by the spoonful, and I’m sort of obsessed with putting it on my oatmeal in the morning. The best part is, just like butter, it starts as a nice and creamy solid and then, as the cereal warms it, it melts into a delightful pool of coconutty, silky goodness. OMG!!!

If you’re not a coconut fan, I’d still say you should try this. While it does taste of coconut, it actually tastes more nutty than coconutty. I’m sure that makes little sense, but it will when you try it. It has that delightful stick-to-the-top-of-your-mouth quality that peanut butter has, and it’s good on myriad things. Just…try it.

All you have to do is:

Get yourself some unsweetened coconut and some coconut oil.

The ingredients—so simple!

Melt a bit of coconut oil,

Just a bit of coconut oil.

and then put your coconut in a good-quality blender or food processor,

Coconut into the blender!

and then pour your melted coconut in over it.

Pour in the melted coconut oil.

Then, start blending.

Start blending.

Be patient, and keep blending.

That's better.

And then that’s it!

Dunzo!

Scrape it out of your blender and ENJOY!

Om nom nom nom nom!

Coconut Butter

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (NOT to be confused with 1 cup) of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Directions:

For the basic coconut butter, place both ingredients into a blender or food processor that can handle high speeds and will not overheat. Begin to blend, moving to a puree or liquify setting. Remain at the highest setting for approximately 5 minutes, or until the butter is smooth and liquified. The mixture is often hot enough to be steaming after this (and your device will be pretty warm, too).

Store in an airtight container, and DO NOT refrigerate. The butter will become a ghee-like soft solid at room temperature, and will melt when warm.

While the coconut butter is utterly delightful plain, add a bit of vanilla extract for flavoring, if desired. Other variations that I’ve tried include an Almond Joy, with a few drops of vanilla-flavored liquid Stevia, a few teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and a few drops of almond extract.

This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of coconut butter. One serving is 2 tablespoons, and for my WW peeps, that’s 5p+, or 1p+ for a teaspoon. Yum!