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Ever wondered how to make your popcorn taste like the one from the movie theater? This homemade butter-flavored coconut oil is the secret. Three ingredients, ready in under 10 minutes, and it works across sweet and savory cooking. All the buttery flavor, zero dairy!
Some recipes are so simple yet become so indispensable that you wonder why you didn’t make them sooner. This is one of them.
Butter-flavored coconut oil isn’t available where I live, so I made my own. It smells heavenly and does wonders for homemade popcorn! It works equally well in sweet and savory recipes: cookies, sautéed vegetables, breads, cakes, or anywhere you want to add a buttery aroma. I tried it in cookies recently, and they turned out so buttery that Vân couldn’t tell there was no butter in them!
The best thing is that it keeps for months at room temperature.
⭐️ What Makes It So Good
- Buttery flavor without the dairy. This infused oil has a sweet, slightly nutty aroma. It smells so good, you will want to use it everywhere!
- You can use it everywhere. It doesn’t stop at popcorn! You can use it to make cookies and sweet cakes, sauté potatoes, caramelize onions, or even roast nuts!
- It keeps forever (almost). The advantage of this butter-infused oil is that you can keep it in your pantry for a long time, so you always have it on hand!
🧈 What You’ll Need
- Refined coconut oil – Deodorized coconut oil works best here as it doesn’t overpower the butter flavor.
- Butter flavoring – The key ingredient that infuses the oil with buttery notes. I went with 1 teaspoon of flavoring per cup of coconut oil. This amount, in my opinion, adds enough butter aroma without being overpowering. You’re free to adjust it to your liking, though!
- Coloring – Optional. Three ways: You can use either orange food coloring, the powder from a beta-carotene capsule, or sauté annatto seeds in a few tablespoons of coconut oil to get a natural orange color. I went with the latter option.
➜ Where to buy annatto seeds? They are available in Latin American and Asian supermarkets. You can also buy annatto seeds online.
📔 Pro Tips
- Give the oil a good stir as it cools. Since the butter flavoring can settle at the bottom of the oil, I recommend stirring the oil from time to time as it cools and starts to harden to ensure the flavoring is well mixed. If you’re living in a hot climate where coconut oil is always liquid, just give it a quick stir before using.
- Do not overheat the coconut oil. Simply melt it over low heat. It should be just warm when you stir in the butter flavoring.
- The color of your oil will lighten once cooled. Melted, the coconut oil will have a golden-orange color. It will turn a yellow color once it has solidified.
🥣 How to Make It
- Sauté the annatto seeds. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, add the annatto seeds and cook for 2 minutes.
- Let it rest and strain the oil. Turn off the heat and allow the seeds to rest in the oil for 10 minutes. Then, strain the oil and discard the seeds.
- Melt the coconut oil. To the same saucepan, add the remaining coconut oil and melt it over low heat.
- Stir in the flavoring. Once the oil is melted, turn off the heat and stir in the butter flavoring.
- Transfer to a jar. Pour the melted coconut oil into a clean glass jar and store at room temperature.
🍿 How to Use It
Popcorn
For one serving: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter-flavored coconut oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Once melted, add 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels and toss to coat. Cover with a lid and wait until the kernels start popping. Shake the pot once or twice after 20-30 seconds. Once the popping has stopped, transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tbsp melted butter-flavored coconut oil. Season with salt and enjoy!
Note: The popcorn will get most of its buttery flavor from the topping. That’s why you should drizzle it with an extra 1-2 tbsp of melted butter-flavored coconut oil AFTER popping. Of course, if you can get your hands on some Flavacol, your popcorn will taste even closer to the one sold in movie theaters!
For crispy sweet-and-salty popcorn: Combine 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp water, and 1/8 tsp salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat for about 1 minute or until the sugar is melted. Drizzle over the popcorn and toss to coat it well. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Baked Goods
You can also use it to add a rich buttery flavor to sweet breads, cookies, pancakes, waffles, etc.
And More!
- Potato wedges & fries: Toss potatoes with the oil and bake or air-fry them to infuse them with buttery notes.
- Curries: Replace the butter or ghee in your favorite curries.
- Roasted nuts: Toss the nuts with melted butter-flavored coconut oil, season with salt, and roast until golden brown.
- Sauces: Sauté shallots and garlic in the coconut oil, then deglaze with white wine, add a splash of plant-based cream, and a generous pinch of salt to make a delicious pasta sauce.
❄️ Storing
You can store this coconut oil for over a year in a cool, dark place.
💬 FAQs
Yes. Annatto seeds do not impart any flavor. They are just there for color, so feel free to omit them.
No. Virgin coconut oil has a strong coconut flavor that would overpower the butter flavoring. Use deodorized coconut oil for this recipe.
No. Coconut oil has a higher fat content than vegan butter, so you will have to replace the butter with about 80% coconut oil and 20% water. Just keep in mind that this combination may still produce slightly different results than using butter.
It depends. Not all brands are vegan, so always check the label.
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Butter-Flavored Coconut Oil
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) deodorized coconut oil
- 1 tsp annatto seeds (or 1/4 tsp orange food coloring)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) butter flavoring
Instructions
- Prepare the natural coloring. Heat 1/4 cup of the coconut oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, add the annatto seeds and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the seeds to rest in the oil for 10 minutes. Then, strain the oil and discard the seeds. Transfer the oil back to the saucepan.
- Melt the remaining coconut oil. To the same saucepan, add the remaining coconut oil and melt it over low heat.
- Stir in the flavoring. Once the oil is melted, take the pot off the heat and stir in the butter flavoring. Allow the oil to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a jar. Pour the melted coconut oil into a clean glass jar and store at room temperature. You can store this coconut oil for over a year in a cool, dark place.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
I understand that coconut oil is even worse for saturated fat, that clogs arteries, than even butter, which is almost pure saturated fat.
Your source of information?
Amount of saturated fat indicated on labels of food indicating that the food containscoconut oil.