I wasn’t sure what to expect from coconut jam but even so, what I received wasn’t what I imagined. Based on my experiences with coconut oil, I had pictured something white and perhaps lumpy or granular like a thick fruit jam. In reality, Buko Organic Jam was far more enticing.
I sampled the original, sea salt and chocolate varieties, each a shade of dark, caramel brown with the consistency of Nutella. At first, I couldn’t distinguish a difference in flavour between the three, but after some more extensive tasting (read: eating half a jar of each) I could detect the subtle differences. Sufficed to say, you probably wouldn’t need to keep all three in the cupboard but they were all equally delicious.
Better still, Buko Organic is an ethically minded company. Their products are not only vegan, gluten free and non-GMO, but the company is also approved by the Soil Association and work in partnership with Cuipo. Cuipo is a lifestyle brand tied to a non-profit foundation which uses the revenue from their own products and their partnerships with companies like Buko Organic to purchase land in the rainforest and permanently preserve it. So for every product Buko Organic sells, one metre squared of rainforest will be protected – and you can see exactly where, using the code on the side of the jar or bottle.
But what to do with coconut jam? Eat it off a teaspoon! It’s hard not to, actually, being sweet and moreish but pretty darn healthy: simply coconut oil and coconut nectar, there’s no sugar or preservatives. It lasts for ages in the cupboard too – if you let it. We plopped a dollop into steamed milk for a hot chocolate effect; stirred it into coffee in lieu of sugar; spread it on toast and added it to strong, hot Asian curry to balance the fire and fish sauce.
But best of all, we used it in banoffee pie. In this recipe, coconut jam acts as a healthier alternative to condensed milk, butter and chocolate whilst lending a tropical flavour to a classic. Ideal for using up overly ripe bananas, it’s an easy midweek treat or the perfect prepare-in-advance dessert solution for dinner parties with a complex main course.
- 12 Digestive biscuits, crushed or bashed in a bag to create small chunks (and a lot of dust...)
- 6 tbsp chocolate Buko Organic Coconut Jam
- Half jar sea salt Buko Organic Coconut Jam
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 250ml double cream
- 4 squares milk or dark chocolate for grating
- Melt approximately 3 tbsp chocolate Buko in a small saucepan on a low heat.
- Stir half of the crushed Digestives into the melted coconut jam, adding more biscuit and Buko as you go until a paste is formed.
- Line a 6” round cake tin and add the biscuit mixture. Pat down firmly until a thick layer completely covers the bottom of the tin. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or more.
- Spread the sea salt Buko in a 1cm high layer over the biscuit mixture and top with sliced bananas, covering all gaps to form a good layer of banana. Dust with cinnamon.
- Whip the double cream and top the bananas to create another layer.
- Grate chocolate over the top for decoration. Refrigerate for a further 20 minutes or more before serving.
Amy tried Buko Organic at their invitation.
Buko Organic
Follow Organic Buko on Twitter
Follow Organic Buko on Instagram
Hi Amy,
Nice recipe! Just wondering where in Edinburgh you bought the coconut jam? I have been looking for some. Thank you!
Hi Kenya! You can buy it on Amazon, and at their stockists (http://www.bukofoods.com/stockists/). Hope you get your hands on some and that you enjoy it!