Have you ever tasted coconut butter? It’s a slightly gritty ‘butter’ or paste in the same sense that peanut butter and almond butter are ‘butters’. My youngest grandson has a dairy allergy, so at my daughter’s request, I created this recipe as a natural alternative to dairy butter for spreading on his toast or making into little cookie treats, and I like it too. Actually, you might find me eating it with a spoon out of the jar on occasion!
Many of the ‘dairy free spreads’ widely sold in supermarkets contain various additives and refined vegetable oils that my daughter and I want to avoid, so homemade organic coconut butter is a perfect alternative. It can also be used in many recipes such as raw coconut fudge, chocolate coconut butter, cookie bites (see 4th tip), and cakes, as well as stews, soups or curries. I even use it as a substitute for cheese in my recipe for Kai’s Biscuits.
This recipe is suitable for Thermomix TM6, TM5 and TM31.
Method
- Taste your dessicated coconut before making coconut butter. It should taste like fresh coconut and slightly sweet. If it smells or tastes stale or rancid, do not use it, buy a fresh supply. Grind coconut 30 sec/speed 10.
- Scrape down sides of TM bowl with spatula, then blend 1 min/37°C/speed 3-4, gradually increasing to speed 4 over the first 5 seconds.
- Scrape down sides of TM bowl with spatula again, then blend 3 min/37°C/speed 3-4.5 gradually increasing to speed 4.5 over the first 5 seconds, pausing occasionally to scrape down sides of TM bowl if the sound of the TM changes and indicates the mixture is all on the sides.
- Remove TM lid and have a look – it should look like a slightly rough buttery paste with an oily sheen – if it still looks very dry, add optional coconut oil now. Blend 1 min/37°C/speed 6 then transfer to a sterilised jar and cover with a sterilised lid. The coconut butter will thicken as it cools.