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Beef Tallow Soap Recipes (Cold Process)

Beef tallow has made a comeback in 2025 soap making because it creates long-lasting, hard bars with a creamy, stable lather.

It’s affordable, easy to work with, and perfect for both beginners and experienced soap makers.

Below are three high-quality tallow recipes you can make today.

Recipe 1: Classic Beef Tallow Soap (Beginner-Friendly)

This is the easiest and most traditional tallow recipe. It produces a firm, gentle, long-lasting bar with a stable lather.

Oil Percentages

General Batch Size

For a 2 lb (900 g) batch of oils:

  • Tallow: 540 g

  • Olive Oil: 225 g

  • Coconut Oil: 90 g

  • Castor Oil: 45 g

(Always run your numbers through a lye calculator.)

Lye & Liquid

  • Liquid: distilled water or milk (33% lye concentration recommended)

  • Sodium Hydroxide: per your calculator

Instructions

  1. Melt the tallow and coconut oil together.

  2. Add olive and castor oil and cool to 95–110°F.

  3. Mix lye and water (always add lye to liquid). Let cool.

  4. Blend oils and lye mixture to light trace.

  5. Add fragrance if desired.

  6. Pour into mold and insulate.

  7. Cure for 4–6 weeks.

Best Scents

Lavender, sandalwood, cedarwood, rosemary, frankincense.

Recipe 2: Beef Tallow & Cocoa Butter Luxury Bar

A richer, more moisturizing bar with a creamy, silky lather. Perfect for face and body.

Oil Percentages

  • 50% Beef Tallow

  • 20% Olive Oil

  • 15% Coconut Oil

  • 10% Cocoa Butter

  • 5% Castor Oil

Benefits

  • Cocoa butter improves hardness and glide.

  • Coconut adds cleansing and bubbles.

  • Castor improves lather strength and creaminess.

Batch Size Example (900 g oils)

  • Tallow: 450 g

  • Olive Oil: 180 g

  • Coconut Oil: 135 g

  • Cocoa Butter: 90 g

  • Castor Oil: 45 g

Instructions

Follow the same steps as Recipe 1.

Best Scents

Vanilla, amber, orange-spice blends, rose, patchouli.

Recipe 3: Rustic Coffee & Beef Tallow Kitchen Soap

This recipe is perfect for removing food odors like garlic and onion. Coffee grounds add exfoliation and tallow gives a super-hard, long-lasting bar.

Oil Percentages

  • 55% Beef Tallow

  • 20% Coconut Oil

  • 15% Olive Oil

  • 5% Castor Oil

  • 5% Sweet Almond or Sunflower Oil

Additives

  • Brewed coffee instead of water (cooled)

  • 1–2 tablespoons coffee grounds per pound of oils

Batch Size Example (900 g oils)

  • Tallow: 495 g

  • Coconut Oil: 180 g

  • Olive Oil: 135 g

  • Castor Oil: 45 g

  • Almond/Sunflower Oil: 45 g

Instructions

  1. Brew strong coffee and cool completely.

  2. Slowly mix lye into the coffee (it will darken).

  3. Melt tallow & coconut oil.

  4. Add remaining oils and cool all to about 100°F.

  5. Blend to light trace.

  6. Mix in coffee grounds.

  7. Pour, cure 4–6 weeks.

Best Scents

Coffee essential oil, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, hazelnut.

Tips for Making the Best Tallow Soap

  • Use fully rendered tallow for a cleaner scent and better texture.

  • Tallow speeds up trace slightly—work steadily.

  • Cure time is important; tallow soaps become incredibly hard after a few weeks.

  • Add sugars or honey for more bubbles, if desired.

  • Beeswax (1–2%) can make the bars even harder.

Want More Recipes?

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