Cupuaçu butter: uses, benefits and best substitutes

Cocoa butter is a well-known and widely used product in confectionery, home skincare, and herbal medicine. However, its «distant relative» — cupuaçu butter — still remains underrated and often overlooked.

Cupuaçu butter is a light brown (beige) plant-based butter with a delicate, subtle aroma and a unique flavor profile featuring notes of anise, mango, banana, pear, and pineapple.

What is cupuaçu butter and how it is made

Cupuaçu butter is derived from the fruit of the cupuaçu tree (Theobroma grandiflorum), a tropical plant native to the Amazon rainforest.

The fruits are large (up to 2 kg), oval-shaped, and resemble melons with a thick brown rind. In Brazil, they are traditionally used not only in cooking but also in natural medicine, wellness, and cosmetic applications due to their high antioxidant content and rich nutritional profile.

The butter is produced by cold pressing the seeds found inside the fruit. This results in a 100% natural, unrefined plant fat free from artificial fragrances, preservatives, stabilizers, or additives.

Key characteristics are high absorption capacity, smooth, creamy texture and excellent skin compatibility.

Cupuaçu butter benefits and uses

One of the main advantages of cupuaçu butter is its balanced fatty acid composition, making it highly effective for both skincare and health applications.

Composition:

• 45% Omega-9 (oleic acid);
• 9% Omega-6 (linoleic acid);
• 35% saturated fatty acids (stearic and arachidic acids);
• Phosphorus;
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid);

It also contains beta-sitosterol, a plant compound structurally similar to cholesterol. This substance helps reduce LDL («bad») cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, cardiovascular disorders.

Cupuaçu butter is hypoallergenic, making it ideal for sensitive skin. It is widely used in natural cosmetics, vegan chocolate production and moisturizing skincare formulations.

Key skincare benefits are deep hydration and nourishment, strengthens the skin’s hydrolipid barrier, prevents moisture loss and dehydration, improves skin elasticity and firmness, soothes irritation and redness.

Due to its relatively low melting point (23–25°C / 73–77°F), it should be slightly warmed before topical application.

You can use cupuaçu butter as a standalone product, mixed with other natural oils, added to creams and lotions, for hair and scalp oil treatments and for delicate areas like under the eyes.

The main drawback of cupuaçu butter is its limited availability — it can be difficult to find in stores or online marketplaces.

However, several natural oils can serve as effective alternatives like flaxseed oil, almond oil or  apricot kernel oil. These oils offer excellent moisturizing properties, skin-softening effects, suitability for dry, sensitive, or aging skin.

They can be purchased online or even made at home using oil presses and high-quality raw materials such as seeds, nuts, and kernels.

Oil press equipment by CraftOil

CraftOil offers high-quality, certified equipment for cold-pressed oil production at home or for business. Available oil presses 20-ton channel press, 20-ton sheet press, 30-ton dismountable hydraulic press, dual presses (30/30 and 30/50 tons). These models are ideal for home use and allow you to extract fresh oils from virtually any plant raw material.

For commercial production, CraftOil also provides high-capacity oil presses (50–75 tons), such as 70-ton «Austrian» press and 50-ton Combo press.

Raw materials available sweet almonds, flax seeds (brown and golden), apricot kernels, chia seeds, hazelnuts, amaranth.  All raw materials are guaranteed to be fresh and premium quality.

To learn more about DIY oil production and cold pressing technology, submit a request on the CraftOil website.