Cacao Butter
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What is cacao butter?
- RAW Cacao butter is edible and possesses an extraordinarily rich, delicious chocolate aroma.
- Cacao butter, also known as cocoa butter, is a pure vegetable fat that’s extracted from the cacao bean.
- Cocoa butter is one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years.
- Add a piece of this butter to your favorite smoothie, dessert, ice cream or chocolate creation. Because it has not been damaged by heat, cacao butter melts easily and blends nicely into any type of recipe.
- In its solidified form, cacao butter looks like white chocolate, minus the sweetness.
- Cacao Butter may be used as a skin moisturizer. It may be used as (or in conjunction with) a massage oil.
- Stir some into agave syrup, maple syrup or honey for a luscious raw chocolate syrup, or make a remarkably rich pudding by combining a tablespoon of raw cacao butter, two tablespoons of cocoa powder, a medium avocado and a few drops of vanilla extract in a food processor.
Where does it come from?
- It is the pure oil of the cacao bean.
- Cacao Butter is the source of white chocolate.
Rev up the Neurotransmitters!
- Serotonin – Cacao raises the level of serotonin in the brain; thus acts as an anti-depressant, helps reduce PMS systems, and promotes a sense of well-being.
- Endorphins – Cacao stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the “runner’s high” a jogger feels after running several miles.
- Phenylethylamine – Found in chocolate, phenylethylamine is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. Acts as a mild mood elevator and anti-depressant, and helps increase focus and alertness.
- Anandamide – Anandamide is known as the “bliss chemical” because it is released by the brain when we are feeling great. Cacao contains both N-acylethanolamines, believed to temporarily increase the levels of anandamide in the brain, and enzyme inhibitors that slow its breakdown. Promotes relaxation, and helps us feel good longer. (source)
What can I do with raw organic cocoa butter?
- Make chocolate candies and bars.
- Create creamy chocolate ice cream.
- Mix it with raw cocoa powder and dip berries in it.
- Combine it with raw agave nectar or honey for chocolate syrup.
- Make chocolate pudding by blending it with cocoa powder & avocado.
- Add it to your superfoods (goji, maca, etc.) for an extra nutrient boost.
- Massage it into your skin.
- And much more!
How to use raw cacao butter:
- You will need to melt the cacao butter before adding it to any recipe. The best way to do this is by grating it into small pieces. This will speed of the melting time since it will all be the same size.
- Place the grated butter in a glass dish and slide into the dehydrator. Set the temperature to 145 degrees (F). it won’t be in there too long so that temp will be ok. If you are comfortable with that temp, reduce to 115 degrees (F).
- Check on the butter occasionally and give it a quick stir.
- Once all melted, it is ready to use. It will reharden once it cools off.
- 1 cup of shredded cacao butter = 1/3 cup melted.
Please keep in mind this is an ingredient and not meant to be eaten as is.
© AmieSue.com
Hi there. I have been wanting to buy some cacao butter but am very confused on what to buy. I ordered 3 pounds from amazon then realized it was cocoa butter. It did say it was raw but I was concerned about the reviews which stated product had been received in non-labeled plastic bags when it was supposed to be in tubs. Do you have a trusted source for buying cacao butter??
thanks much for your time :)
Hello Lori…. I understand your confusion in this matter. It can be tricky sometimes. Some places sell coco butter that is like cosmetic grade rather than food grade. I am not sure what you got and in the past I have received some questionable cacao butter too. So, over time, I stick with the brands I know and have successful luck in that. These are the ones that I now order….
http://astore.amazon.com/nouraw-20/detail/B002PAAWQU
http://astore.amazon.com/nouraw-20/detail/B002US55K0
Good luck Lori. Happy New Year! amie sue
Hey Amie Sue! Just want to know if I can substitute cacao butter for coconut oil in recipes since it says cacao butter can be used to substitute coconut oil. I am wanting to make one of your cheesecakes and don’t have cacao butter. Thanks.
Hello Lee… caught me right as I was heading to bed. :) For the cheesecake you can most likely use coconut oil instead but can you tell me which one you are wanting to make so I can double check it? It’s not always a straight across the board answer. :) Let me know and I will help you. night, amie sue
I was thinking of making white chocolate caramel cheesecake. But there are many recipes you have that use cacao butter that look so yummy! What recipes do you think it would not work to substitute it for coconut oil and why?
Lee…. here is a sample of what you can do. The original recipe looks like this:
Ingredients for White Chocolate Cheesecake batter:
3 cups of soaked cashews (for a min. of 2 hours)
2 cups almond milk
3/4 cup raw agave syrup
1 tsp liquid vanilla
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp lecithin *added at the very end*
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao butter
Alternative approach…
Ingredients:
3 cups of soaked cashews (for a min. of 2 hours)
2 cups almond milk
3/4 cup raw agave syrup
1 tsp liquid vanilla
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup raw cacao powder (start with 1/4 cup, taste test and increase if needed)
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp lecithin *added at the very end*
3/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao butterThe change is to add cacao powder instead of the cacao butter to keep the chocolate flavor. Since both cacao butter and coconut oil firms up when chilled, you could just increase the normal amount of coconut oil to make up for the loss of volume of the cacao butter. If you wanted you could use 1/4 cup coconut oil + 1/2 cup of coconut butter .
Does that help?
its sure helped me!!! thank you!!
Your welcome Sarah… I am happy to hear that. :) Have a great day, amie sue
Helped me too!
So I bought some of this on amazon and I have been looking up how to really use it. I was wondering if you would know some good skin care recipes? I know I could use it raw but I would like to know if you can use it with more than just it being raw?
Hello Brenda… to be honest, I don’t have many recipes for skin care treatments. I would have to suggest Googling “natural skin care using raw cacao butter” and see what others have done. Sorry. Have a wonderful weekend! amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue, if I wanted to replace coconut oil with cacao butter in my cheesecakes what is the amount needed to replace say 1 cup of coconut oil? Also, would you know if using cacao butter instead of coconut oil in cheesecakes would result in firmer texture and keep better in warmer temperatures? Cheers
Hello Dace,
Yes you can use cacao butter in place of coconut oil…actually I would recommend a bit of both because cacao butter is very rich and strong in flavor. The cacao butter does help a cheesecake firm up more so than the oil and can handle room temp much longer. Warm temps are always the enemy of cheesecakes, baked or raw… so just lean on common sense when dealing with different atmospheres. The amount used will depend on the volume of the whole recipe but I tend to use anywhere between 1/4-1/2 cup of melted cacao butter and 1/2 – 3/4 cup of oil. Have a great day, amie sue
Hi there Aime-Sue, I made som chocolate spread with some cashew nuts, cacao powder, cacao nibs, cacao butter, honey and salt. I put it into the fridge to set and the problem I have is that it set very hard and we can see the cacao butter running through where it separated, is this normal and should it be kept refrigerated? Thanks for your help.
Hello Jenny…can you share your ratios with me? This might give me a better idea as to what happened with your recipe. amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
I’m curious about the properties of cacao and coconut butters, can they be interchangeable in recipes?
Recently I made coconut whip which called for coconut butter, but I didn’t have any on hand, only virgin cacao butter. I don’t think it turned out the way it should have, as it’s not the first time I’ve made coconut whip.
Any knowledge you can part into the two butters would be appreciated. :-)
Thank you.
Hello Natalia,
I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)
No, raw cacao and coconut butter are not always interchangeable in recipes. Number one, flavor… raw cacao butter is bitter all on its own and needs other ingredients to support it. Raw coconut butter can be eaten right off of a spoon.
Raw cacao butter:
…is the pure, cold-pressed oil of the cacao bean – the source of all cocoa products.
…has a melting point of 90 degrees.
Raw coconut butter:
…is made from the meat of coconuts
…Depending on the climate (temperature and humidity), it can be smooth, liquidy, rock-hard, or even crumbly.
…has a melting point of 76F.
There are other factors, but I mainly wanted to point out the difference in flavor and melting point. If you are looking to interchange them in a recipe always sit back and determine the end flavor and texture of the recipe. I hope this helps a little. Blessings, amie sue