Coconut-Pecan Butter

Today is my 23rd birthday. Today, my goal is to celebrate the incredible ~8,400 days that have shaped the person I am today. Today, I will not fret about the future or complain about getting older. Today, I will eat whatever I want and enjoy the bejeesus out of it.

Starting with this:

I first made this back in September to top my German Chocolate Baked Oatmeal. At the time, my lazy bum did not actually tell you how to make the coconut-pecan butter. My directions were the charismatic equivalent of "Figure it out yourself." For your convenience, I've included two recipes below: one for basic coconut butter, and another for coconut-pecan butter.

This morning (shortly after making myself a bowl of Fudgy Banana and Peanut Butter Oatmeal [birthday-worthy breakfast, methinks]), I felt an unusual ambition to break out the food processor. The thought of licking off a spoon of this treat gave me the all the motivation I needed. It's better than frosting, I swear.

Question: What oatmeal recipe would YOU pick for your birthday breakfast? :)

Basic Coconut Butter

Required Ingredients

unsweetened coconut, shredded or in flakes

1. Dump coconut in the food processor and let it blend for close to 10 minutes, until it becomes "buttery" and creamy. You may have to stop it now and then to wipe down the sides. The amount of coconut you use depends on the size of your processor. If you have a mini one, you will need at least 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. If you have a more standard size, you will need at least 1 full cup.

Coconut-Pecan Butter

Required Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded or in flakes
1 cup raw pecans, unsalted
pinch of salt (optional)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1. Dump coconut in the food processor and let it blend for about 5 minutes, until the pieces have turned to "wet sawdust," as I lovingly describe it. You may have to stop it now and then to wipe down the sides. 
2. Add pecans and process again for another 5 minutes, until it's buttery and creamy.
3. Leave as is, or add optional salt and/or vanilla extract and give it another quick whirl in the processor. I've made it with just the two required ingredients before and still found it absolutely magical!

P.S. Feel free to play with the ratio of coconut and pecans. 1:1 works fine, but if you want a stronger coconut flavor, use extra coconut or less pecans, and vice versa.

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  Thanks!