Coconut butter

What it is: coconut butter (also called creamed coconut) is simply dried coconut flesh that’s finely milled until it becomes a smooth paste. Because it includes the whole meat, it’s solid at room temperature and melts when warmed, and it retains a bit of coconut’s native fiber and minerals. The fat profile mirrors coconut oil: roughly 90% saturated fat with lauric acid as the largest share. This lauric‑rich profile is often labeled “MCT‑rich,” but for cholesterol effects lauric still behaves like other saturated fats. In short, coconut butter is minimally processed but very high in saturated fat. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamed_coconut)) What the studies say: controlled trials and meta‑analyses show coconut fats raise LDL cholesterol compared with non‑tropical liquid vegetable oils, although HDL can rise modestly too. Major cardiology and heart‑health groups recommend limiting saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats to reduce cardiovascular risk. Safety topics are mostly about good manufacturing: dried coconut has had Salmonella‑linked recalls, and fatty foods can pick up mineral‑oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) from recycled paper/ink unless barriers or clean materials are used; refining/deodorization can reduce some MOAH in coconut oil, but coconut butter generally isn’t refined. U.S. allergen labeling also changed in 2025—coconut is no longer a major allergen under FDA guidance—though it must still appear in the ingredient list and older labels may show coconut in “Contains.” Overall, coconut butter is a flavorful, functional fat best used in moderation, with sourcing and packaging quality mattering for safety. ([acc.org](https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2020/01/23/14/36/The-Effect-of-Coconut-Oil-Consumption?utm_source=openai))