what's the deal?

            My recent obsession has been studying and making coconut butter (as you could probably tell from my earlier post). I never really was sure exactly what it was, but I never bothered to find out either until I read a blog post about using coconut butter on toast. It inspired me to do some research and find out what that delicious looking butter really was.
           Boy was I shocked when I found out that coconut butter is really just ground up coconut flesh! And it’s so simple to make. Just put two cups of unsweetened finely shredded coconut flakes in a food processor and let that thing run for twenty minutes… next thing you know, POOF! You have coconut butter. It’s really versatile, too. Add a tablespoon of coco powder for a chocolate coconut butter, add some lime zest for lime coconut butter….the options are endless.

           But what is the difference between coconut butter and coconut oil? Well, coconut oil is pressed from the flesh of the coconut, has a mild coconut flavor, and is a high-heat cooking oil which makes it great for frying or sautéing. It comes in refined and unrefined versions, so you can choose if you want the oil to have a strong coconut flavor. It is a liquid when the weather is hot and a solid at room temperature. Coconut butter, however, is the coconut flesh that has been all ground up into a smooth, buttery spread. It’s a liquid when it comes out of the food processor, but it firms up after sitting at room temperature for a while. It has more fiber, carbs, and sugar than the oil does, because it actually contains the flesh itself in the butter. It’s great for baking or spreading on toast and resembles nut butter in texture.
           Plus, coconut butter has so many great nutritional qualities! Get this: it has no cholesterol and is made up of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs), which means that when they are digested, the body breaks them down and the liver converts them into energy! That means these fatty acids are not stored in the body as fat, which is a happy thing for you. No fat going straight to your hips and thighs. Boy, does that make me excited! There are a multitude of other health benefits as well, including:

    -High in Omega-6, which is vital for brain function, normal growth and development, maintaining healthy bones, aiding the reproductive system, and regulating metabolism.

-Fights bacterial infections

-Contains lauric acid with boosts your immunity and fights against infections and diseases

-Assists weight loss (it boosts your metabolism, which means your body will burn calories faster!)

-Helps treat skin diseases

-Provides moisture to your skin

         No wonder Scott Pilgrim said that vegans have superpowers. We eat plant-based foods that give us energy and help us naturally lose weight! I’m down with that.

          If you’re looking for ideas on how to use coconut butter, I have a few for you. Use it in curry, mix it in soup, put a spoonful on hot oatmeal, make cookies, blend it into smoothies… the options are endless! Personally, I think I’m going to try a coconut butter and jelly sandwich – I feel that that could be pretty darn tasty.

         The moral of my article is this: coconut butter, and oil, is extremely nutritional and delicious. Try incorporating more of both of them into your diet to glean all the nutritional benefits. That being said, go dig your food processor out of the cabinet and make some sweet, sweet butter.