The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (2024)

by Debbie Chapman

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This monkey butter is soooooo good. Seriously. I was shocked. You watch the ingredients go in the pan, and then you watch them cook. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably be thinking, “meh, it’s just pineapple and banana, so what?” But just as the banana melts down and the sugar starts to bubble, you’ll find it hard not to sneak a taste. As soon as my mixure was done simmering, I couldn’t resist any longer, and I tried a steaming little spoonful. And then I smiled.

It was so good that it actually made me smile. That’s pretty rare! It was sweet and tangy, with this awesome buttery texture. How have I never tried this before?!

It reminds me of a banana split. And let me just say it would taste AMAZING on ice cream. AMAZING. You know those delicious little pineapple bits that you get in a banana split? It’s always my favourite part of eating a banana split to taste the combination of banana, ice cream and pineapple, all together in one delicious mouthful. Yum! (Guess what I’ll be having for dessert tonight, maybe with a little chocolate syrup drizzled over top?! Mmmm…)

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (1)

Try to use bananas that are perfectly ripe. I was kind of stressing about finding “perfectly ripe” bananas. WhenI went to the grocery store Ipanicked a bit that all the bananas on the shelf this week were either extremely green, or completely covered in brown spots. Go figure!

I’m apparently the crazy person who visits two grocery stores to try to find perfectbananas and ends up buying about two dozen bananas. (Which may sound excessive, but our little family of five goes through a shocking number of bananas in a week…). And then withtwo dozen bananas sitting on the counter, every time my husband would reach forone, I’d yell, “ONLY EAT THE UGLY ONES!!” Yup. I might be losing it.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe | Banana Jam

As far as recipes go, this one is really easy. Only 5 ingredients. The full printable recipe is at the end of this post, but here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bananas
  • Crushed Pineapple
  • Ground Coconut
  • White Sugar
  • Bottled Lemon Juice

So these are the best bananas I could find! (I may or may not have edited out a few brown spots… 😉 ) Ifyou can’t find perfect bananas either, don’t worry about it. These ever-so-slightly under ripe bananas worked perfectlyand I’m sure that bananas with a couple of spots would work as well.

I just don’trecommend using over ripe bananas, or it will end up tasting crazy sweet.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (2)

I used “macaroon” coconut from the bulk store. It’s just ground coconut flakes (unsweetened). If you have any troubles finding it, throw a couple of tablespoons of regular coconut flakes into a small food processor and pulse until it turns into small bits.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (3)

Put all the ingredients into a large nonstick pan.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (4)

Bring the mixture to a boil on high heat, stirring frequently.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (5)

Then reduce the heat to low and simmer it until the banana has completely dissolved and the mixture thickens up. It took about 15 to 20 minutes.

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It ends up having a texture similar to apple sauce. Maybe just a little bit thicker than apple sauce.

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As I said, it would go PERFECTLY with ice cream. Or you could spread it on toast, or serve it on pancakes or waffles. I bet it would taste amazing if you added a bit right to the pancake batter too.

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The lemon juice keeps the bananas from going brown, so it will last in the refrigerator for about 4 to 6 weeks.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (9)

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe

This five ingredient monkey butter is so easy to make and tastes sooooooooo good.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 perfectly ripe bananas no spots
  • 14 oz can of crushed pineapple with the juice
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened ground coconut I used "macaroon" coconut
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice from a bottle

Instructions

  • Chop the banana into thin slices.

  • Combine all of the ingredients in a large nonstick pan.

  • Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.

  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the banana has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly (about 15 to 20 minutes), stirring frequently.

  • Serve warm over ice cream or on toast, pancakes or waffles.

  • Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks.

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This five ingredient monkey butter is so easy to make and tastes sooooooooo good. I was eating it by the spoonful. It tastes amazing on ice cream, or you can serve it with pancakes, waffles or even spread it on toast or english muffins. Yum!

If you’re looking for more delicious banana recipes, check out our pan fried cinnamon bananas. These end up with an ever so slightly caramelized coating. So good!

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About Debbie Chapman, the Author of this Post

I'm Debbie Chapman, founder of One Little Project and author of the book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids. I love creating fun and easy crafts and cooking up delicious recipes for my husband and 3 kids.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts and Sweets, RecipesTagged With: bananas, jam, mason jars, pineapple

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Reader Interactions

Let us know what you think:

  1. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (14)Jeffrey Gray says

    The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (15)
    I made the Monkey Butter recipe today, it turned out to be very tasty. I did one extra step, after I put the butter into canning jars I boiled them for twenty minutes so I can keep them longer than 4 to 6 months and not refrigerate it. Thank you.

    Reply

    • The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (16)One Little Project says

      So glad you enjoy the recipe, Jeffrey! And it seems like a lot of people have had success with canning the Monkey Butter, which is good to know.

      Reply

  2. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (17)Liz says

    The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (18)
    This is perfect for dipping coconut shrimp in

    Reply

  3. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (19)Liz says

    The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (20)
    Perfect for dipping fried shrimp or coconut shrimp in 🍤 😋

    Reply

  4. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (21)Popeye says

    My wife detests coconut. From the taste, smell and texture, she can’t stand it. Does it add anything to the recipe that you would miss if it were omitted?

    Reply

    • The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (22)One Little Project says

      We haven’t made it without the coconut, but I do think it would be fine to omit it.

      Reply

  5. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (23)Honi says

    Hi Debbie
    Could you cut down on the sugar at all for this monkey butter recipe ?
    Kind regards
    Honi

    Reply

    • The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (24)One Little Project says

      Hi Honi! Since the texture of the monkey butter is like applesauce/jam, the amount of sugar is important for the consistency (and the taste). But if you don’t mind a thinner sauce that’s less sweet, you can definitely reduce the amount of sugar.

      Reply

  6. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (25)Edith says

    can I make this with less or no sugar ?

    Reply

    • The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (26)One Little Project says

      Hi Edith. You can definitely try making it without the sugar… the ingredients themselves will definitely be tasty together (though if leaving out the sugar I would probably only do a splash of the lemon juice). However, it won’t have the same consistency or flavour without the sugar. You could also try making it with Splenda or another sugar substitute.

      Reply

  7. The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (27)Dayna says

    The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (28)
    Made this today and realized I forgot the lemon juice. I water bathed them. Do you think the bananas will turn brown after being canned or should I re-process with the lemon juice? It’s super yummy!!!

    Reply

    • The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (29)One Little Project says

      Hi Dayna — so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! 🙂

      Since canning removes most of the air, I don’t think that the bananas will turn brown in the jars. That’s just a guesstimate, though, so it’s up to you whether you think it’s worth re-doing.

      Reply

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The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why did my monkey butter turn pink? ›

Or after putting the jam in the jars, you can seal the jars with sealing lids and rings and process in a water bath for 15 minutes. Just a note that if you process the jam in this method, it will turn out to be a little pink instead of the mellow yellow color.

What is monkey butter made of? ›

Monkey butter is a combination of natural, tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples, and coconut. As a result, it is safe for everyone to eat. It is also fun to make. The primary ingredient in monkey butter is bananas!

How do you cook with butter? ›

Butter works great for frying thin pieces of meat or fish where light browning is desired. It also works well for vegetables that have been cut into uniform sizes. To pan-fry with butter, preheat your pan over medium heat and add butter. When it is melted, add your ingredients.

What color is spoiled butter? ›

Discolored or moldy butter is a clear indication that it's time to throw it away. The color of spoiled butter can differ based on how rancid it is, but any change from its natural cream-yellow hue might point to spoilage.

What does it mean when butter turns yellow? ›

Essentially, a natural grass-fed diet will result in a yellow coloured butter while cows that are fed mostly grains will produce a lighter coloured butter. This is similar to free range hens producing eggs with brighter almost orange coloured yolks.

What is butters main ingredient? ›

Heavy cream is the core ingredient in butter, making it a dairy product that contains milk solids, and those solids help distinguish the product's many uses.

What animal did butter come from? ›

Usually butter is made from cow's milk, though goats, sheep and even yaks and buffaloes are used in some parts of the world.

What does monkey butter taste like? ›

If you haven't heard of or tried monkey butter, let us fill you in on how yummy it is; filled with pineapple, bananas and coconut, this tropical, fruity concoction is tasty on so many things!

How do you make butter taste better? ›

Add salt: Salt enhances the flavor of butter and can make it taste richer. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt or flaky salt on top of the butter to intensify its taste. Incorporate herbs and spi.

Does homemade butter taste better? ›

Flavor: Homemade butter is striking: It tastes unbelievably fresh. I tested my first batch of homemade butter against my favorite supermarket brand, and the difference was clear: Freshly made butter tastes FRESH, unlike butter that's sat at the supermarket for a while.

What are 3 steps in making butter? ›

Pour heavy cream into a food processor or blender. Process on high until butter separates, about 10 minutes. Strain off liquid, then press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid. Season with salt.

How can you tell if butter has gone bad? ›

Spoiled butter will have a sour, bitter taste, and may also change in color and give off a subtle, unpleasant odor. It may also taste like the other foods in your refrigerator, as it quickly absorbs the flavors of any strong-smelling ingredients in its vicinity.

How can you tell if cultured butter is bad? ›

The first clue that your butter has gone bad will be the smell. Any sour or off-putting smell means it's a goner. Same goes for taste: If it tastes sour or off, toss it out. 5 And don't worry, a small taste of rancid butter won't hurt you.

What is pink Colour in butter? ›

Some bacteria turn butter pink. And a little slimy. Best to toss it.

What does bad butter look like? ›

Although you should look for mold, you're more likely to see subtle signs of spoilage like changes in color or texture and off smells. And although spoiled butter probably won't make you sick, it certainly won't taste good. If your butter smells or tastes sour or rancid, it's time to toss it.

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