Homemade Coconut Butter: Complete Guide and Pro Tips

In this post I’ll reveal everything you need to make homemade coconut butter!

One of my favorite parts of food blogging is sharing the tips and tricks I pick up from experiments and mistakes. While some people guard their secrets, I believe sharing helps everyone improve. I’m grateful when others share their knowledge, and I’m happy to pass on what I’ve learned.

What’s your approach? Tell me! For now, let’s focus on homemade coconut butter…

Coconut butter, like other nut and seed butters, is made from dehydrated coconut flesh.

What’s the difference between coconut butter and coconut oil?

I only realized the distinction recently. I used to treat them as the same, but they are different and easy to understand:

• Coconut butter is made by blending desiccated coconut until it becomes a smooth, spreadable paste—similar to peanut, almond, or hazelnut butter. Think of olive paste used to make olive oil: the paste still contains the fiber and nutrients of the fruit. Coconut butter retains the coconut’s fiber and benefits.
• Coconut oil is the fat extracted from the coconut flesh and is used like other vegetable oils or solid fats in baking and cooking. Coconut oil solidifies around 24–25°C, and conceptually it’s like olive oil extracted from olive paste.

That’s the gist of it.

Spreadable coconut butter contains the fibre and benefits of coconut flesh.

Homemade coconut butter: my tips and tricks

If you read my post about making nut butters at home without additives, you’ll notice many of the same problems and solutions I encountered here. I collected mistakes and fixes so you can skip the trial and error—here are the best tips I learned making 100% coconut butter.

Top 3 tips

Tip #1: Lightly toast the coconut

Toasting helps the coconut grind and release oils more easily. Lightly toast the desiccated coconut in a pan before blending—this improves flavor and texture.

Tip #2: Use a small blender or mini food processor

You’re unlikely to make a large batch, so a small blender with a compact jar works best. Smaller containers help the blades reach and grind the coconut more efficiently.

Tip #3: Alternate speeds

Start blending at medium speed to break down the flakes evenly, then switch to high speed in short bursts. If the coconut sticks to the jar walls, stop, push it down with a spatula, and resume.

Practical trick

Every few minutes, stop and let the machine rest for a few minutes to avoid overheating. After about 10–15 minutes of intermittent blending you’ll have a smooth, lump-free 100% coconut butter.

Coconut butter is delicious spread on toasted bread.

How can you use it?

Coconut butter is versatile. Here are some popular uses:

• Add a spoonful to bulletproof coffee for a creamy boost;
• Use it as a topping for porridge, pancakes, or waffles;
• Spread it on toast or crackers;
• Make raw fudges and no-bake sweets that call for a soft fat;
• Incorporate it into cakes and dessert recipes where a coconut flavor and creamy texture are welcome;
• Or enjoy a small spoonful—though be mindful of the high fat content.

If you try this recipe or adapt it, tag me on Instagram or send a photo to [email protected]

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