Mommy and Her Latte: Toasted Coconut Butter

Today's post is more of a "how to" than a recipe. I have been making my own coconut butter (sometimes called coconut manna) for sometime now. It is great in baking or slathered on some waffles, and is a simple way to make your own coconut milk. You can simply mix a few tablespoons with a cup of water and it is instant coconut milk. The process is simple enough; you blend unsweetened dehydrated coconut shreds or flakes in a food processor for about 10 minutes until it turns into liquid deliciousness. I came across the idea of making toasted coconut butter while reading one of my favorite blogs. I have made this several times now and always find myself eating scoops of it straight out of the jar. Toasting the coconut gives it a nutty flavor which is a nice change from our usual almond butter. I have also been serving it in place of peanut butter for "ants on a log", and I made some AMAZING cookies out of it (check back for the recipe later this week). I recommend making a lot of this at once as it will store for a long time. Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Butter

Gluten Free, Vegan
Makes about 1.5 cups

Ingredients
5 cups unsweetened coconut shreds

Spread the coconut shreds onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The kinds with sides is easier.

Baked on 350oF for about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon and bake an additional 3-5 minutes. You want almost all of the coconut to be browned and smell fragrant but watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Oven's are all different so I recommend checking it every couple of minutes the first time you make it.

Let the shreds cool.

Add the toasted shreds to a food processor and begin blending. After 1-2 minutes scrape down the sides and continue blending.

Repeat until a smooth liquid butter forms. Mine only took 4 minutes and then I blended a minute longer to get it extra smooth.

Pour into a mason jar for storage.

You can store this on the counter for a few weeks or much longer in the fridge. It will get very firm in the fridge so I recommend keeping a small jar on the counter and extra in the fridge.

Notes and Substitutions

You can make more less by adjusting the amount of coconut shreds, however I don't recommend doing less than 3 cups as it blends better when the food processor is fuller. Also it reduces quite a bit.
This will be very liquid when you first make it but usually firms up at room temperature after a day. If you need it to firm up faster then just pop it in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.
You can add flavors such as vanilla or bacon