What is Shea Butter? The Complete Guide to the Edible African Superfood
For centuries, this rich natural ingredient has been treasured across West Africa (and now the West, too) as a skincare staple, cooking fat and general household essential. And it served as a plant-based alternative to dairy butter long before vegan substitutes became mainstream.
Today, shea butter finds itself with the most attention yet, and in this guide, we’ll explore what shea butter is, where it comes from, how it’s produced, as well as the best ways to use it in food.
Where does shea butter come from?
It all starts with the Vitellaria Paradoxa tree, which also goes by the shea tree. The shea tree grows wild across a vast stretch of Africa named the ‘shea belt’ from Senegal in the west to Uganda in the east.
Shea trees aren’t farmed in neat rows, unlike other crops, and it takes years and years to start producing shea nuts (we’re talking 15 to 20 years).
In fact, it’s actually the slow and steady growth of said trees that makes shea butter so valuable and special!
Shea butter isn’t new news, either - people in West Africa have been using and harvesting it for centuries.
Archaeologists have even found evidence of shea butter production dating back over 700 years in the medieval village of Saouga.
Shea butter is also deeply woven into African communities, and women’s cooperatives play a central role in the production of shea butter.
Want to read more on the making of shea butter? Our guide on traditional methods and harvesting can be found here.
Nicknamed ‘women’s gold’, for many families, shea butter is their life and business, whether that be selling shea butter or getting stuck in with the production of it. It’s an important part of both income and communities.
Star Shea, for example, works with women’s cooperatives to create its Organic Vegan Butter, like the Morning Star Integrated School (a school set up for women who are unable to qualify for higher-level education), to create a gloriously creamy, nutty and perfect for baking shea butter.
How is shea butter made?
From harvesting to processing, let’s dive into how shea butter is made…
The harvesting of shea butter usually takes place during the rainy months between May and August, as this is when the shea tree reaches peak maturity and produces fruit.
After the harvesting phase, shea butter then goes through a series of processing steps if it’s being made the traditional way.
1. Nut separation and cleaning
The outer fruit pulp is removed to reveal the shea nut inside, and they’re also washed to remove any dirt.
2. Drying
The shea nuts are then laid out in the sunshine to dry naturally to prevent spoilage.
3. Crushing
Crushing often happens in groups, and it’s a real community activity - this is to release the kernels.
4. Hand extraction
The crushed paste is then mixed with water and kneaded by hand.
5. Natural filtration
For the final step, the shea butter is gently boiled and skimmed to remove any impurities. It will then solidify into the creamy and hard texture we know and love!
However, on an industrial scale, things can look very different. Some manufacturers use high-heat refining or solvent extraction methods to speed up the production process.
Yes, it does create a more uniform product, but the downsides are that it can also strip away some of the natural richness and flavour.
That’s why the production method of shea butter matters, as it affects everything from its taste and texture to the nutrients it retains.
What is shea butter made of?
Shea butter is a completely natural ingredient, which means it’s made from one thing and one thing only - the seeds of the shea tree fruit.
It’s also a triglyceride fat derived from stearic and oleic acid and is made almost entirely from fat (around 99-100% total fat), with a high proportion of saturated (36-50%) and monounsaturated fats (40-50%).
As for vitamin profiles, shea butter is high in vitamins A (for vision, immune function, and skin health) and vitamin E (an antioxidant). You can also read how it compares with shop-bought dairy butter here.
Food-grade vs cosmetic-grade shea butter - What’s the difference?
Even if you have no idea what edible shea butter is, you might recognise it in the ingredients of your skincare staples.
That’s because not all shea butter is for eating, and you can find a helpful grading system to work out which is for eating and which is not.
Grade A shea butter is raw or unrefined, making it the least processed, and the lower down the grading system you go, the more refined or chemically treated the shea butter becomes.
For food, you’ll want to stick to raw, grade A shea butter, which is typically extracted using water and the traditional methods we touched on earlier.
As for cosmetic-grade shea butter, this type might be refined using heat or chemical solvents like hexane to remove all scent and colour.
Cosmetic-grade shea butter might smell great and do wonders for your skin, but it’s not what you want to cook with in your kitchen.
- Food-grade shea butter: Raw or unrefined (grade A), water-extracted and safe for eating.
- Cosmetic-grade shea butter: Often refined, neutral in scent and colour and designed for cosmetics and external use only.
At Star Shea, our Vegan Butter is sourced from eco-certified farms in Tamale, Ghana, and is crafted using only the best organic ingredients. It’s free from additives, animal products and chemicals, making it one of the most natural shea butters on the market!
Is shea butter vegan?
The good news is shea butter is 100% vegan! It’s made entirely from the nuts of the shea tree, which makes it completely plant-derived with no animal products or by-products involved.
Yes, it may be called butter, but the name just comes from its creamy, rich texture - so don’t get it confused!
What is shea butter good for? The benefits
Whether you use shea butter for its culinary and skincare benefits, it’s definitely not a one-trick pony. Here are the benefits where it really stands out.
Culinary benefits
Shea butter is great for those with a dairy-free or vegan diet, as well as those wanting to make a simple swap to an entirely natural product in the kitchen.
It also has a relatively high smoke point (around 230 degrees Celsius), so shea butter holds up well in frying, roasting and baking.
Shea butter also doesn’t differ too much in texture in comparison with dairy butter. It has a rich, creamy feel that many plant-based spreads struggle to replicate. Why, you ask? because of its high stearic acid content.
Nutritionally, it also contains monounsaturated fats like oleic acid (the same as found in olive oil), which makes shea butter a more balanced option than heavily processed alternatives.
Even though shea butter might seem like a new thing, it’s actually been used in West African cooking for decades, in everything from stews to baked goods.
Skincare and haircare benefits
Our guide to what is shea butter might be more about food-grade shea butter, but it’s worth thinking about its roots in skincare, too.
Leading skincare brand Caudalíe notes key benefits such as the following:
- Deeply nourishes and moisturises dry skin
- Soothes irritated skin
- Promotes a youthful and radiant glow
- Reduces the appearance of scars
- Soothes sunburn
- Strengthens the skin barrier
If you want to dive deeper into all of the glorious skincare and haircare benefits, Caudalíe has its very own detailed breakdown you can read here.
How to use shea butter in the kitchen?
Before using shea butter in the kitchen, you’re first going to have to make sure you’re using high-quality pure shea butter for richness and health benefits.
Let’s begin with baking.
For baking, the natural aromas of shea butter elevate the likes of brownies, banana and chocolate cake and even Nutella and tahini buns.
In terms of substituting dairy for shea butter in baking, a good rule of thumb is 1:1 by weight. That means if your recipe requires 100g of dairy butter, you can substitute it with 100g of shea butter.
Luckily, however, plenty of our Star Shea recipes are already written with shea butter quantities in the ingredients list.
For cooking, the unique fat profile of shea butter gives it high heat tolerance, making it perfect for sautéing and frying.
To make sure you’re getting the most from your shea butter, melt it slowly and avoid extremely high temperatures to retain its natural aroma and flavour.
These are some easy ways to use shea butter in your cooking:
- Vegetables: Gives a creamy, rich coating to any seasonal vegetables you can find.
- Grain dishes: Stir into rice, quinoa, or couscous for added depth.
- Roasted meats or poultry: Enhances browning and adds a gentle buttery taste.
- Sauces and soups: Melts in smoothly, creating a velvety texture without overpowering other flavours.
- Stir-fry: Complements garlic, ginger and spices incredibly well.
Storing your shea butter is also important to really get the most out of it in your kitchen. The best way to keep your shea butter fresh is to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat.
You don’t actually need to put your shea butter in the fridge unless you live somewhere that’s particularly hot.
Unlike dairy butter, shea butter also has a surprisingly long shelf life - it can last around 12 to 24 months if it’s stored properly!
If you’re on the hunt for the best shea butter to use in your baking or cooking, you’re in the right place. Star Shea’s Vegan Butter is crafted with the finest organic ingredients and is free from additives, animal products and chemicals.
Whether you choose to stir it into a curry, add it to simmering vegetables or bake a banana bread with it is entirely up to you!
Shea butter vs other plant-based butters
Shea butter differs from other plant-based butters when it comes to its performance in the kitchen. From flavour to smoke point to sustainability, every butter or oil has its strengths.
| Shea butter | Made from the nuts of the shea tree, it has a mild and slightly nutty flavour, with a high smoke point of around 170-230 degrees Celsius. Because shea butter is wild-harvested rather than intensively farmed, it can also be a more sustainable choice when responsibly sourced. |
| Coconut oil | Extracted from coconuts, this oil has a noticeable coconut flavour and works well in baking, frying and dairy-free desserts. It has a good smoke point, but its strong flavour doesn’t necessarily work in all recipes. |
| Cocoa butter | Made from cocoa beans, cocoa butter has a rich chocolate aroma and is therefore best for baking. It’s prized for its texture, saying that, it tends to be more expensive and less versatile than shea butter. |
| Palm oil | Sourced from the fruit of oil palms, palm oil has a neutral flavour and a high smoke point, and it’s known for improving the texture in biscuits and cookies, as well as keeping snacks like crisps, well, crisp. But, unless it’s sustainably certified, palm oil is linked to deforestation due to the need to clear forest space for quick and cheap production. |
| Margarine | Usually made from blended vegetable oils, traditional margarine has a buttery flavour and is often used for spreading and baking. It’s convenient and affordable, but heavily processed formulas may contain additives. |
| Vegan butter spreads | These are blended products made from oils like sunflower, coconut or rapeseed oil and are designed to mimic the taste and texture of dairy butter. |
And so, it’s easy to see why shea butter is such a popular choice, because when it comes to its versatility, natural processing and balance between cooking performance and sustainability, it excels.
How to choose quality shea butter
If you’re buying shea butter in the UK, it’s always best to buy it from specialist suppliers who focus on organic, food-grade A shea butter.
Organic shea butter, especially when it has been properly certified and labelled as 'organic' or approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), is the better option to invest in when compared with non-organic options.
This means it’s been produced without synthetic chemicals, pesticides or shortcuts that compromise quality and ethics.
Star Shea’s very own Vegan Butter ticks these three boxes:
- Food-grade, or grade A
- Organic
- Free from additives, pesticides and animal products.
On top of that, the Vegan Butter is made with only the finest organic ingredients. As an extra addition, our Vegan Butter is sourced from eco-certified farms, supports sustainable agriculture and promotes biodiversity, too!
So, we return to the original question: what is shea butter?
More than just a trending ingredient, shea butter has become the go-to plant-based fat. And, with its traditional processing approach and deep roots in West African food culture, it’s not going away anytime soon.
If you want to get involved in the shea butter buzz, Star Shea’s Vegan Butter is made with only the finest organic ingredients and is free from additives and any nasties you definitely don’t want in your kitchen.
Perfect for those with a dairy allergy, on a vegan diet, or wanting to prioritise more natural ingredients in cooking, our Vegan Butter is rich in nutrients and is wonderfully smooth (and spreadable!). Shop it here.
And so, if you’ve only come across shea butter in skincare, you’re only seeing half the picture, as it has so much more to give - in your kitchen, of all places!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shea butter edible?
Shea butter has been used in West African cooking for decades, and now the phenomenon is slowly but surely spreading to other parts of the world.
Your shea butter will be edible if you opt for one that’s food-grade, grade A or pure and unrefined.
Is shea butter vegan?
Raw and unrefined shea butter is vegan, as it’s a natural fat that comes from the nuts of the shea tree.
If you want to make sure your shea butter is 100% vegan, check the labels for animal-derived ingredients - this is most common in cosmetic shea butter products rather than food-grade.
What does shea butter taste like?
Shea butter is often described as having a strong, nutty flavour. Some people even describe it as having a slightly ‘earthy’ scent and taste too.
If you’re someone who doesn’t love strong flavours in your cooking, there are ways to make sure the shea butter taste doesn’t overpower a dish. For example, mixing it with coconut oil can give your cooking a sweeter taste.
Can you cook with shea butter?
Yes! You can absolutely cook and bake with shea butter, so long as it’s food-grade or grade A certified.
Shea butter is packed with plenty of healthy fats, meaning it works really well in baking brownies and cookies or in cooking stews, soups or fried vegetables.
What’s the difference between raw and refined shea butter?
By far, the biggest difference is how much the shea butter has been processed. The best pure shea butter will be kept as close as possible to its natural state.
Alternatively, refined iterations will go through extra filtering to remove some natural goodness. You’ll end up with a more neutral product, but with fewer naturally occurring qualities intact.
Where is shea butter grown?
Shea butter comes from the nuts of the shea tree, which, if organic, usually grows wild across West Africa.
The nuts are harvested by hand (often by communities of women) from naturally fallen fruit and are then processed using generational methods.
Star Shea’s Vegan Butter has its roots in Tamale, Ghana, and supports local communities and sustainable farming practices.