Coconut butter is delicious. But which is better, Artisana’s Coconut Butter or Nutiva’s Coconut Manna? Ever since I first tried Nutiva’s Coconut Manna, I’ve wanted to compare it with Artisana’s Coconut Butter. The thing is, the Coconut Manna was so tasty that I ate way too much of it, and kinda grew tired of it. So, two things needed to happen for the coconut butter showdown to take place: 1) I needed to take a break from OD’ing on Coconut Manna, and 2) As a matter of principle, Artisana needed to go on sale – that stuff’s expensive! Well, the stars have finally aligned – here’s a comparison of these two wildly popular products: Artisana Coconut Butter vs. Nutiva Coconut Manna.
What is Coconut Butter?
Coconut butter is basically whole mature coconut meat (the white stuff) that is dehydrated and then pureed into a “butter”. So you get the oil, fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals – everything that you would when you eat coconut (in dehydrated form). Coconut butter can be used as a dip, spread, in smoothies and sauces, and baked goods. I simply eat a spoonful of it as a snack. Coconut Manna is just Nutiva’s brand name of coconut butter.
Ingredients
Nutiva Coconut Manna: Organic whole coconut
Artisana Coconut Butter: Organic raw coconut
The difference is the processing. Nutiva’s Coconut Manna is not raw, whereas Artisana’s Coconut Butter is (it is dehydrated at a low temperature). This probably also at least partially explains the higher price point. Both are non-GMO. Artisana’s labeling, however, states:
“Made in a peanut-free facility on shared equipment with tree nuts, sesame, and soy. Absolutely no GMO’s, Gluten, or Dairy.”
Comparison
Artisana Coconut Butter is much lighter in colour. There are many more “specks” in the manna, which are just coconut fibers. The taste is very similar between the two. The main difference is that Artisana’s Coconut Butter is smoother and silkier in texture. By comparison, Nutiva’s Coconut Manna is noticeably gritty. Based on the mouth feel, I would’ve expected the manna to have more carbs/fibre, but according to the nutrition facts, that’s not the case. The labels are very similar. The only real difference is that for some reason, Artisana has double the sodium, but considering it’s only 10mg per tablespoon (0% of the % Daily Value), that’s hardly worth noting.
The Verdict
Honestly, I like them both. If the price were the same, Artisana would be the clear winner since it goes down smoother, and it’s raw. It’s considerably more expensive where I buy it though, so value definitely comes into play. I’ll probably buy Artisana when it’s on sale, and Nutiva otherwise. You can’t really go wrong with either – coconut butter makes a great paleo/primal snack. Just don’t overdo it like I did :P
Have you tried either of these coconut butters? Or perhaps another brand? Let me know in the comments which you prefer and why.
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Artisana always tastes better to me (more coconutty, less gritty and I prefer organic)but I wind up buying the Manna because of the price. I also mix it one to one with coconut milk or other liquid to thin it out and use it as a spread. Love it but have to hide it in the pantry because I can’t resist it!
Hey Laura. The Nutiva Coconut Manna is organic also, which is great. That’s a neat idea about combining it with coconut milk! Oh, and the pantry is not a good enough hiding spot for me :P
how do you mix the manna with coconut milk? thanks, by the way, for this comparison-i just purchased for the 1st time yesterday and had on oatmeal this am-yum! judy
How do you get the Nutiva Manna soft enough to eat? Mine is rock hard, and it doesn’t melt when put in a hot water pan.
Beth – I stick the coconut manna jar in a deep bowl full of hot water. When the water starts to cool, I empty the bowl and refill it with more hot water. It usually takes 2 refills to get the manna to melt, and then I stir the manna with a butter knife. Also, I don’t store my coconut manna in the fridge. Hope this helps?
I let the manna sit on the top of the stove while I have something in the oven. It’s easy to stir together after that.
Hi there!
Thanks for the information! I’m just wondering if coconut butter ever goes bad? I have a jar that is way expired, but I’m generally not scared off by “best by” dates. What are your thoughts? Will I be crippled by a digestive rebellion if try to eat this stuff?
Well, if you do eat it and things don’t go well, don’t blame me :P….. but. there’s not much to go bad in there, and it’s pretty shelf stable as it doesn’t require refrigeration.. having said that, all foods probably go bad eventually. Check if it’s changed in smell/look/taste and proceed with caution.. personally, if it passes those tests, I’d eat it. (I’m assuming here that it hasn’t been years or anything like that). Good luck!
I never tried the nutiva coconut manna .
the artisana coconut butter taste the best when u mix with raw honey. it is BANGIN!!!. it taste like candy. everybody must TRY
I shall give it a whirl :)
Holy cow, I feel like an idiot.
My healthy home market has both of these brands, and I am almost out of my artisana butter, which i eat a spoonful at a time straight out of the jar. I love the stuff, but yes, it’s a little expensive ($12) and slightly chalky, but i love the sweet coconut flavor. So I just went to the store to try it’s competitor Nutiva, opened the jar (completely ignoring the (“heat and stir to mix the oil that rises to the top” part of the instructions) and basically ate raw coconut oil and wondered why in the heck it didn’t taste the same. Because I am dumb. But low and behold, I scooped my way down a layer and there was the butter! And I like it! It might be less chalky than the artisana, but I’ll see once I get it mixed up. Either way, it’s a real treat, and the last jar lasted me 1-2 months, so to me it’s worth it.
I’m currently doing the Whole30 (Day 5!) and this is basically my dessert, so when it runs low I start to panic. :-)
Timely post, thanks!
That was my dessert too when I was doing the elimination diet so I get your sense of panic :p Your comment just gave me an idea… Next time I’m halfway through my jar, when it starts getting “chalky” – I’m going to warm it up and stir in some more coconut oil. That should work really well. I’m excited to try it out!
Artisana is better. Hands down. I had Nutiva a few weeks ago and it was very good. But I had Artisana yesterday for the first time and it was delectable…heavenly. Maybe the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth!
High praise! :)
I like both, but usually buy Artisana, as I prefer a raw product. However, recently I have started making yogurts by diluting the Artisana coconut butter with water to a cream consistency (not adding any sweetener, as it is sweet enough), then heating the milk to 182 degrees to sterilise it, then cooling to 105 – 110 degrees and add the yoghurt starter, put in a yogurt maker for 10 – 12 hours (I don’t strain it at all) and it makes a lovely creamy yogurt. I also tried this with Nutiva and the yogurt was more grainy and I got an upset stomach afterwards (that may have just been a co-incidence though), but I always use Artisana now!
Thanks for sharing how you make coconut manna yoghurt! Sounds very interesting.
Has anyone tried to mix it with coconut oil… I never have but there is so much info as to how good the oil is, why ?
Can anyone give me some feedback on this… tks
Coconut oil is incredibly healthy. Sometimes the manna/butter can get a little dry, especially near the bottom of the jar, so adding in some extra coconut oil would remedy that.
The oil is reported to have anti bacterial, anti viral, anti parasite and anti yeast properties. It is one of the few things that kills the bad guys without killing the good ones. One of the remedies for Candida is Caprylic acid which comes from coconut oil. Coconut butter does have some of the oil still in it, but my personal feeling is that the oil works better raw than heated (that’s only my opinion so may be wrong), so I would think maybe that the Artisana raw coconut butter would be slightly better than the Nutiva from that point of view, as Nutiva has been heated. However coconut oil is incredibly stable when heated, unlike most other oils, so doesn’t go rancid.
Would anyone know if there’s a grocery store in Whistler that carries coconut butter?
Not sure, but if there are any health food stores there, I’d check those first.
we carry a Coconut butter which we make in house an will be selling at the Whistler, Squamish and North Vancouver markets throughout the summer. Made from a sun-dried raw organic coconut. $6 for 250ml and $11 for 500ml hope to see you there!
Cool, thanks for letting me know!
Did you find those butters in store in the Vancouver area? Where?
I couldn’t find it in store anywhere, and now I’m struggling to find it online where they’ll ship to Canada.
Thanks!
Choices sells both, and Whole Foods sells the Artisana brand. Other health food stores may sell them as well.
Donald’s Market sells Artisana and Well.ca sells Nutiva’s
I discovered coconut butter last year! Delicious! I make my own using organic shredded coconut. Put it in your food processor and puree! I found the recipe on “Rawmazing”. It’s much cheaper but you have to make sure your processor is up to the task.
Awesome. Homemade is likely the best. I’ll have to give it a try sometime.
I had to heat the manna in order to mix it. Does the butter seperate also. the manna is delicious.
I have only eaten the Artisana Coconut Butter so far. It’s almost too good, have to think moderation when I eat it! Coconut, as said above, has caprylic acid (fatty acid) in it which helps destroy harmful gut microbes, fungal/bacterial/parasitical invaders brought on by poor diet, antibiotics, etc. I can get Artisana at my Co-Op right now for $7.49 as it’s on sale. Normally it is $11. and some cents. I let it melt on top of a hot cereal like quinoa for a desert. Yum!
Yah, when I first discovered it, I found it hard to put down!
I agree with everything said here! The slight sweetness or something makes me want just one more spoonful again and again. Also, it seems like you don’t have to mix the artisana as much for some reason (when you first open it).
Also, if you’re a part of an Azure Standard group/drop point you can order it there and both are on sale right now! Anybody tried Aunt Patty’s yet? I wonder if that’s raw.
Good point. I try to go for raw when possible, but as you say the smoke point of coconut oil is quite high. Although really if someone is after the medicinal properties of coconut oil, then eating coconut oil itself would be a better bet.
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