I think it's uber (and when I say uber, you know I'm serious) that readers know bloggers are far from perfect.
We get frustrated.
We eat junk food.
We poop (I'm sorry, but it's the truth).
We are human.
And part of being human involves bribing our children with small chocolate candies to get them to learn to use the toilet. I ain't ashamed. I totally bribed. But it wasn't nearly as good as this kid friendly candy alternative recipe.
Now that we're a good four months into being potty trained, G-love is slowly being weaned off the M&M or jellybean she is allowed as a ‘treat' after going – if she forgets to ask, I don't bring it up. But for the time being, I'm still okay with her getting one for a successful…ya know…poo.
That being said, while I don't mind giving her a ‘treat', I am pretty sick and tired of having all that corn-syrup laden, artificially-dyed bag of goodies sittin' around. If it's not here, we can easily go without reaching into the bag…but once it's in the house, all bets are off. That's what I simply DON'T BUY CANDY EVER! Hence the kid friendly candy alternative recipe.
What I'm getting at is simply this: I'd like a better option for her treats.
And for a Weston A. Price whole-foodie, such as myself, I see no better option than butter buttons.
My friend Courtney brought these up again to me, though I remember making something quite similar in the past. Once I got the idea in my mind, I couldn't let it go. So instead, I gave in to the delicious, healthy-fatty-goodness. You should too.
Kid Friendly Candy Alternative Recipe (AKA: Butter Treats)
You will need:
– 1/2 pound of grass-fed butter, chilled (use the highest quality butter you can find, like Kerrygold)
– 2-3 teaspoons high-quality cinnamon
– 3-4 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
Step One: Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor or mixer.
Step Two: Use a spatula to scrap the butter mixture into a small, plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag and slowly squish the butter out, like piping on a cake.
Step Three: On a plate (be wiser than me and put down some parchment paper!) gently squeeze the butter out of the bag into lil' button size dollops of butter.
Don't worry about making them perfect. Unless you're a perfectionist. Then this may not be the best task for you.
Step Four: Stick the plates in the freezer until the buttons set. Then, gently remove from the plates and store in a mason jar in the freezer.
Georgia loves, Loves, LOVES, LOOOOOVES Kerrygold butter. And I pretty much recognize it as a superfood. I am happy that she can now fill her little belly with this kid friendly candy alternative recipe instead of that nasty candy.
She gets so excited for them after she, ya know…
BUTTER TWEAT!!! BUTTER TWEEEEEEAT!!! she shouts with enthusiasm.
And, truth be told, I've been known to slip a few butter buttons into my morning cup of coffee. It adds a nice little fatty flair of which I am quite fond.
Fatty flair.
Now those are two words you don't see together very often.
You know you're in a traditional foods kitchen when you do.
For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.
Kid Friendly Candy Alternative Recipe (AKA: Butter Treats)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor or mixer.
- Use a spatula to scrap the butter mixture into a small, plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag and slowly squish the butter out, like piping on a cake.
- On a plate (be wiser than me and put down some parchment paper!) gently squeeze the butter out of the bag into lil' button size dollops of butter.
- Stick the plates in the freezer until the buttons set. Then, gently remove from the plates and store in a mason jar in the freezer.
I wonder if you could mix coconut oil and butter. I might try it….
So, did it work?
Great idea!
Yes! It works with Coconut Oil, as well. I’ve done it. Our family has issues with dairy. We use coconut oil as a substitute for butter all the time.
It was the first thought i had while reading the article. Thanks for sharing – tomorrow morning wil do it 🙂
Interesting. I need to try this out. Thanks for sharing.
love love love this!!!!
Ooh, I love butter! My 8 month old does too… 🙂
Did it! Awesome idea! I saved a little for a treat in the frig so we could have some with bread. 😉
This seems like a better idea than the hard honey candies I tried to make last weekend. It was a disaster! Thanks for the recipe
I was wondering if these are chewy or like hard candy? Can’t wait to make them either way! But would like to know — thanks!!
Wouldn’t it just melt? You know… like butter…
I don’t have a mixer. Anyone done this another way or by hand? How about smashing everything together in a gallon ziplock bag? What do you think?
Sabrina, you and me both…I am with you on that one! Keeping it simple….I am sure this would work well enough. My health is serious right now and I must have simple. 🙂
I think if the butter is room temp there is no reason that it won’t smash up quite nicely if you just put it all in the bag and smash (but be careful not to bust the bag, I’ve TOTALLY done that!)
Yum, Yum! You could easily make these candy shop perfect by using a piping bag with a florette nozzle. I make something similar with butter, dates and cardamom, frozen in ice cube trays – butter fudge without the refined sugar!
could you please share the recipe?? thanks:)
OH dates! Cardamom! Fudge! Please, you’re hurting me here, recipe please??
I just made these for the second time. This time I used molasses instead of honey, we really love it… this has me wondering about maple syrup ones
Favorite quote: “Don’t worry about making them perfect. Unless your a perfectionist. Then this may not be the best task for you.” LOL
“Don’t worry about making them perfect. Unless your a perfectionist. Then this may not be the best task for you.”
Excellent.
Haha! Fatty flair! Love it! Can’t wait to try these!!
This is TOO funny. I am in the middle of potty training my son and refuse to buy candies to bribe him. However, I am not beneath MAKING something treat-like for him. I remembered seeing this post on FaceBook somewhere and Googled it. And you use these for potty training treats too!! How neat! Do you have to use unsalted butter?
i use 1/2 salted kerrygold and half coconut oil…i just cannot find the unsalted kerrygold in my town…good butter makes all the difference.
Tag this for pregnant ladies! My nutritionist (also a Weston A. Price uber-fan) had me putting Kerrygold on everything and anything pre-conception and during pregnancy and still, during breastfeeding. Also, I’m low on Vitamin D, and the D in Kerrygold can’t hurt!
Oh this is exactly what I needed to see today. I’ve accidentally gotten my girls addicted to mini-marshmallows
I wish I hadn’t done that, either!
Finally made these last night; they are addicting! I used salted Kerrygold butter, 2.5 tsp cinnamon and 3.5 tbsp honey and they were too strong, so I added 6 more tbsp of butter and they are great! Still darker than yours, though. I see a lot more batches of these in my future 😉
These look amazing and so easy to make. We’re definitely trying these! Thanks!!
I’m making these today, but instead of cinnamon, I’m going to use peppermint essential oil to make them like butter mints! Can;t wait to taste them!
How did these turn out using mint extract? How much did you use? Thanks!
Can u make other flavors for this like butter mints ?
Ohh, mint would be good!
I like to remind moms that it’s only a BRIBE if what you’re trying to get them to do is unethical! If it’s not, it’s just an incentive!!! Now, don’t you feel better!! :- )
I like to refer to it as ‘positive reinforcement’ 🙂
Aww… perfect! 😉
What could you subsitute for the honey. My 9 month old loves kerrygold butter but I do not feel comfterable giving her honey just yet.
Maple syrup is usually a good substitute for honey–REAL maple syrup, not maple flavored junk! 😉
Kudos to you for taking a natural approach to candy. However, butter ( no matter how the cow was raised) is a BAD and unhealthy fat. Soy, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, these are good fat sources. This treat is natural – yes! healthy- no! Here is more info on good and bad fats: http://www.m.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats?page=6
Alta, respectively, I very much disagree with that 🙂
That is a complete myth!
Here are a few articles that may shed a little insight http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/principles-of-healthy-diets, http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/skinny-on-fats, http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/good-fats-bad-fats-separating-fact-from-fiction, http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/ploy-of-soy, http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/myths-and-truths-about-soy
You’re on the wrong page if you think soy is a good fat source and that butter is a bad source of fat…www.westonaprice.org
I actually laughed out loud when I read this. Soy is a good fat source? Yowza.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter???
I’ve been using elimination communication with my second child since he was 6 weeks old. He was signing to go to the potty at 4 months, almost completely trained at 18 months (but some regression during the summer). I’m sure he will finish this fall around his second birthday. I will NEVER go back to American potty training. It has been awesome, and no bribes necessary! Look forward to trying the candy.
So, it’s basically just frozen honey butter with cinnamon. Around the holidays, I sometimes make honey almond butter. You would just use almond extract instead of cinnamon. I may have to try this for my little butter thiefs who like to take the tub of KG and hide under the kitchen table. lol
Just whipped a bit of this up as a treat last night, amazing! Unfortunately it confirmed that right now I can’t tolerate butter, but hopefully someday! So, so good. Thanks for this idea!
Try coconut oil instead of butter.
Because I have serious sugar issues (borderline diabetic) I have to decide carefully about Honey etc. However, for those with bovine dairy allergies,
Try Meyenberg goat milk butter. SOOOO delicious and very high in MCTs, which means it also gets very soft on the kitchen counter. It only comes salted, and it is very delicious.
I absolutely love this idea! I just whipped some up using vanilla extract instead of cinnamon (didn’t have any). I can’t wait to share them with my little ones tonight! Thanks for such a sweet idea!
These sound interesting. I’m not sure if I could stomach the buttery taste that often, though. My “treat” to myself is a bit of plain coconut manna/butter on a spoon. I’m guilty of diving into the jar with a spoon when I’m by myself… 🙂
If you get addicted to things easily…..DON’T MAKE THESE! 🙂 OMG, they are so freaking good. My 15 month old wouldn’t stop whining for more, and good and bad thing! I also added a little organic vanilla extract. Yummy
What a wonderful idea thanks for sharing, this would have never came to me just fabulous. I just found out about Kerrygold butter a month ago. My local market does carry it not the unsalted version. I’ll ask if they can. When I first tasted it I was so shocked and surprised at how superb and creamy it was. I was blown away. Its all I use now. I have to see if Costco carries it. I will make this tonight, sometimes you need a little treat.
Thanks for the idea … I made them today! Wonderful treat. I only used 2tbsp of maple syrup and they were plenty sweet for my taste.
This sounds so good! I always forget that butter+sugar =icing. I have trouble with dairy but I will try this with tallow. Yum!
Why would you purchase butter to make this if you have your own cow? Agreed, KerryGold is wonderful, but, having your own is the best.
Hey Shaye, for anyone who can’t tolerate butter, suggest to them that they make this with just coconut oil and its still delicious. I make something very similar that is just coconut oil slightly warmed to be easy to mix with a fork, some honey, a bunch of finely chopped ginger and optional hemp seeds or anything tiny for crunch. Mix it up with a fork and store in a glass jar in the fridge to eat by the spoonful, or put in the fridge for long enough to get hard enough to make little balls by hand. put on a plate back in fridge till hard, then put in a container and store in the freezer for treats. I love the combo of ginger and coconut oil and its incredibly healthy as a treat. I do very minimal honey cause the ginger is strong and you don’t need much sweet.
I make something similar. Half honey half coconut oil and cinnamon
Hi, I just tried making these using Kerrygold butter, fresh ground cinnamon, and raw honey. The problem I’m having is that it’s getting really, really watery. What would be causing this?
Weird. Too much honey, perhaps?
amazing years ago we were told not to eat butter now it is regarded as a health food how is that can someone explain how butter is a health food can you not over indulge on to much butter?
It is often about marketing. Take lard and it’s counterpart Crisco for example. Crisco was marketed as the healthy alternative to lard. It was actually the refined, chemical enhanced by product of processing cotton seed. A big named company processed cotton. They were left with cotton seeds. Refined cotton seeds by themselves are poisonous. This big company added lots of chemicals and had a product that looked like lard. They marketed it to housewives. Gave a free cookbook away when a can was purchased and told the country that lard was unhealthy and shouldn’t be eaten. Margarine has a fascinating story. In 1860 there was a butter shortage in France. Napoleon III said he would pay to have someone come up with an alternative. An alternative was found (milk and tallow), food color was added. The fats were changed. Marketing that margarine was the healthy alternative, and BOOM! Butter is bad and margarine is better. If it is marketed enough people will believe it. Last year someone said there was a toilet paper shortage. We all know how that turned out…
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OMG……Kerrygold! My favorite. I wish it was as cheap as it is over in Europe at like 99 euro cents per 500g…..sigh. I may be creating this in the very near future to resolve my sweet tooth.
Alas, I don’t know where you got the information that Kerrygold is 99euro per 500g – just rechecked Tesco/Waitrose prices and it is £5.40 (6.55euro or $8.66)!
I can’t wait to try these with my 2 year old!
And for the record, I LOVE reading you blog. It always feels like you’re just chatting with friends. 🙂
super yummy! thanks for the recipe 🙂
Oooh…. what about an adult savory version with butter, almond butter and pizza type seasonings or curry type seasonings. No honey or maple syrup. Or melted dark chocolate, peanut butter, butter and a little English toffee stevia. I could think of a ton of combinations….
Thank you for sharing this!! I don’t need a treat every time I, you know, lol….but I do need something to help the sweet cravings as I detox from sugar. I think this will be just the thing!!
Do you think this would work/taste the same with ghee?
You could always give it a shot – I have no idea!
Let me tell you something rad about your recipe here. The last time I made these, I had some of the mixture left over and no room to freeze any more, so I kept kneading it in the plastic bag until it was warm from my hands and on the verge of being watery/runny. I had some Coconut Bliss ice cream in the freezer, so I made myself a bowl and poured the mixture on top. It hardened like that old Magic Shell stuff! AMAZING. I bet you could add cocoa or nut pieces of whatever and make different flavors, but the recipe as-is makes a delicious Magic Shell replacement–love it!
Have you made this since you got your own cow? We have our own Jersey cow and make our own butter.
Has anyone tried it with mint yet? If so, how much mint did you use? I think this would be a fantastic butter mint recipe!
Made these today just beating by hand in a bowl and using a teaspoon to ‘blob’ onto a silicone sheet. Realised once I’d softened the butter that my husband had finished off the maple syrup so I used puréed apple instead – turned out fabulous