Monkey Butter
I looked at about four different monkey butter recipes online, then made this my own way. Consider it “rebel canning.”
Why I Make It
I didn’t start with one recipe and follow it exactly. I compared several versions, figured out what I liked, and created my own batch. That’s part of what I enjoy about cooking — taking an idea and making it work for us.
Read the story behind that summer →
Monkey Butter
Servings: 7 half pints
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas no brown spots (about 5-6 medium)
- 20 oz crushed pineapple whole can, with juice
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 3 1/4 cups sugar up to 1 cup can be brown sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice bottled, not fresh
- 1 box powdered pectin optional, for a thicker set
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the crushed pineapple (with juice), coconut, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the mashed bananas on top last, rather than stirring them in right away.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, use a potato masher to break down the bananas and bring everything to an even consistency.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until it reduces to your desired thickness. No pectin needed for this version — the texture comes purely from simmering it down.
- If you’d like a thicker, more spreadable set, stir in the box of pectin and boil hard for 1 minute before removing from heat. Otherwise, skip straight to jarring once it’s reduced to your liking.
- Ladle hot into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, seal with lids, and process in a boiling water bath.
Notes
This is considered a “rebel canning” recipe. Your kitchen, your rules.
Deb’s Tips
- Add the bananas last, on top of everything else, then mash with a potato masher once it starts boiling
- No pectin needed — simmer it down until it reaches the thickness you want
- Want it firmer? Stir in a box of pectin and boil hard for a minute before jarring
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