The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (2024)

by Debbie Chapman

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

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.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (6)

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

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (7)

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.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (8)

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.

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (11)

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!

Previous PostHow to Make Paper Umbrellas
Next Post Funfetti Cake Batter Pancakes Recipe

More from One Little Project

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (13)

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.

More by Debbie Chapman

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

Love to cook, bake, craft, create?

Join the e-club for the latest

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

Older Comments

The BEST Monkey Butter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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!

What is the history of monkey butter? ›

A slang term for peanut butter in World War II was "monkey butter".

What do you do with compound butter? ›

Using Compound Butter

Compound butter adds richness and pungency to simple grilled meats, fish, vegetables, beans, pasta, breads and eggs. A few ways to use it: Spread it on baked goods such as bread, rolls and biscuits, …

What is the best heavy cream for making butter? ›

Jersey cream makes churning faster, due to larger butterfat globules. Just using run of the mill cream from the store probably means that you are starting off with better ingredients than the average butter. But if you can find non-ultra heat treated cream from pastured cows, that will vastly improve the flavor.

What is the best cream to make butter with? ›

Always buy heavy cream or whipping cream for churning butter. Any brand will do. You need the higher fat content. Heavy cream is approximately 40% butterfat and 60% milk solids and water.

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.

How is Amish butter made? ›

Amish butter typically only has two ingredients: pasteurized cream and salt. However, it can be found in both salted and unsalted varieties, just like stick butter. Its slow-churning method creates a creamy and rich flavor. Amish butter is low on carbs, vegetarian, and gluten-free.

Why is peanut butter called monkey butter? ›

Peanut Butter Slang

The slang term for peanut butter in World War II was “monkey butter.” A monkey visited the lab at Kellogg's one day and dipped his banana in a jar of peanut butter, and he's been ape over the combination ever since.

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. However, not all milk-producing animals can join the butter party – which is why you'll never get butter made from a camel.

What culture invented butter? ›

Elaine Khosrova traces the invention of butter back to Neolithic-era Africa 8,000 B.C in her book. A later Sumerian tablet, dating to approximately 2,500 B.C., describes the butter making process, from the milking of cattle, while contemporary Sumerian tablets identify butter as a ritual offering.

Can you buy compound butter at the grocery store? ›

You can buy compound butter at the store, but it couldn't be easier to make it at home. Just follow these simple steps: Start with unsalted butter so that you're easily able to control the salt level. Remember: You can add salt, but you can't take it away.

How long does homemade compound butter last? ›

How To Store Compound Butter. You should store compound butter in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. Depending on the ingredients you've added to the butter, it should last in the refrigerator for one week and a maximum of one month. In the freezer, compound butter will last for months.

What is Gordon Ramsay's compound butter recipe? ›

This is Gordon Ramseys recipe which is as follows 200g of unsalted butter at room temperature 1 tsp of parsley 1tsp of chevil 1 tsp of tarragon salt and pepper Mix together until all combined Put it on some gladwrap and roll into a log and then put into the fridge ready for use.

How to make butter in 5 steps? ›

How to Make Butter and Feel Like a Genius
  1. Put cream in a stand mixer. Start by adding 6 cups of chilled heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment or a blender or food processor. ...
  2. Beat the cream. ...
  3. Strain out the buttermilk. ...
  4. Salt the butter (if you want) ...
  5. Store the butter.
Jun 6, 2017

How to make butter at home from milk? ›

How To Make Butter From Raw Milk
  1. Skim Your Cream. First things first, let your milk sit in your fridge for 24 hours. ...
  2. Mix Your Cream. Using your mixer, mix your cream on a speed 5, at a medium speed. ...
  3. Strain Your Butter. Using a mesh strainer, I stained my butter and buttermilk into a bowl. ...
  4. Rinse Your Butter.
Mar 2, 2023

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lidia Grady

Last Updated:

Views: 5494

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lidia Grady

Birthday: 1992-01-22

Address: Suite 493 356 Dale Fall, New Wanda, RI 52485

Phone: +29914464387516

Job: Customer Engineer

Hobby: Cryptography, Writing, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Calligraphy, Web surfing, Ghost hunting

Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.