Can You Make Coconut Butter in the Ninja Blender?
I love coconut, in all forms and fashions. Add in some mango and pineapple, and I could be set for days. Perhaps I missed my calling and should really move somewhere more tropical. The Pacific Northwest is not exactly known for its tropical fruits, after all.
Of the many creations that are made from coconut, I think the most decadent coconut treat is coconut butter. It’s a little thick, and requires heating to be spreadable, but is really so good! Most people spread this on toast or other baked goods – but honestly, I usually just eat it straight out of the container on a spoon.
Reader Janis left me a comment a while back about the feasibility of making coconut butter in the Ninja Blender and a question about the best pitcher to use. Surprisingly, I had never tried this! It only takes one ingredient (unsweetened shredded coconut), and could save significant money over store bought, so I thought I’d give it a shot.
Top Line: The fact is, it is possible if you have one of the “Kitchen System” models with a food processor bowl, but it takes a while.
Update, 5/22/14: Be sure to read the comments on this article, as there are several folks who have had success making coconut butter, including Charee, who uses the single serve cup option.
I referenced this article from The Kitchn for guidance in my project, and started with the 72 ounce pitcher to answer the specific question Janis had. I used this coconut:
Sadly, even following directions from The Kitchn, I just couldn’t get it to work out with the 72 ounce pitcher, even with frequent pushing down, because it kept getting caught in the corners. I used slightly more than called for in the original article — 2 & 2/3 cups, because that’s how much was in my bag, and, more is always better with the Ninja. After 5 minutes, it wasn’t much different than it was after one minute.
As you can see, it sort of holds together, but is fairly grainy.
So, I switched to the 64 ounce bowl of the Ninja Mega KS, and I started seeing the results described in The Kitchn’s article. You can sort of see that the bottom of the bowl is a smoother consistency than the top.
I blended and pushed down a bit more, and finally gave in and added 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. After about 7 or 8 minutes in the food processor bowl, I finally got as much of a butter as I thought I was going to get.
In the end, I had a fairly decent coconut butter, but it is still a bit grainier than what you might buy. After reading a bit on the topic, there are mixed opinions as to what is the best device to make coconut butter. So people say Vitamix; some people say the Vitamix can’t do it. Some people have said Blentec. Some think a traditional food processor is best.
Since I don’t have those other items, I can only say that it is possible with the food processing bowl of the Ninja Blender, and will probably work best in the mini-prep bowl, if you have it. I wouldn’t recommend trying this if you only have a 72 ounce bowl. It could probably work with the Ninja Pulse as well, since the pitcher is round.
Have you tried this before with success? Let us know!
