The best-tasting vegan butter! It's plant-based, super buttery, smooth, rich & creamy & can be made in minutes. Use it for all of your spreading, baking and frying needs. This is a real reader favourite with hundreds of five-star reviews. No fancy ingredients are required and it is palm oil-free.
This vegan butter recipe is tried and true. It has been one of my most popular recipes since 2015 and it comes with hundreds of five star reviews. And if there is just one new vegan recipe you are going to try this month, let it be this vegan butter. It is life-changing!
Make it in your blender in minutes and then use it just like regular butter for all of your spreading and baking needs.
Reader feedback
Here is what some of you have had to say about this plant based butter recipe:
"This is so delish and super easy to make . I cant believe its not real butter! When I first saw this recipe I was skeptical . Like, how can this combo of ingredients work? But wow I'm super impressed . Im making a quart of this spread next week ! And it tastes even better than the vegan spread from the store. My whole vegan family loves it!" - Carol ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Absolutely, hands down, the best vegan butter ever! Sooooo much better than any store-bought I have tried. It really does taste and behave like butter. I love it! Thank you so much for the recipe! " - JP ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I have to admit I was skeptical about how this was going to taste, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This tastes EXACTLY like butter. And super easy, which is a big plus!" - Laura ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I’m a dairy-lover turned vegan in the last year along with my hubby. I just made this butter and WOW wow wow wow wow! Halfway through, it turned into a double batch, like no way was a single batch of this going to cut it haha. Holy butter it looks, smells and tastes so good! It’s really amazing- I would say this rivals our favorite store-bought vegan butters. Thank you so much for the recipe!" - Kelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What is vegan butter?
Vegan butter is a dairy-free alternative to regular butter, which is most commonly made from cow's milk, but also sometimes sheep, goat, yak or buffalo milk. Vegan butter is made from plant based milk and it has a very similar texture, mouthfeel and flavour to butter made from animal's milk.
Is it like real butter?
A slice of no knead sourdough bread or light whole wheat bread just isn't the same without a thick layer of butter and when you make your own you can avoid the palm oil, emulsifiers etc that are in most store bought vegan butters.
This easy vegan butter is so unbelievably smooth, rich and creamy. It spreads beautifully and melts perfectly.
Is there anything better than warm, crispy toast slathered in drippy, melty butter?
Obviously it isn't identical to regular butter made from dairy but this plant based butter recipe tastes as good, if not better than most store bought vegan butters and looks the same, melts the same, behaves the same and bakes the same as dairy butter. Try it in my vegan butter tarts!
What is vegan butter made of?
Homemade vegan butter is made from just 8 easy to find plant based ingredients. Here is what you will need and why:
- almond flour - This is crucial for the best buttery flavour and emulsification.
- non-dairy milk - For creaminess and emulsification.
- nutritional yeast - For a buttery depth of flavour
- salt - flavour. Salt makes everything better!
- apple cider vinegar - It needs some acid to balance the flavours and apple cider vinegar is milder than most other culinary acids.
- refined coconut oil - For setting. Note that it must be refined (i.e flavourless and odourless). Without it the butter will stay liquid so it is absolutely essential.
- olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil - Essential for texture and spreadability
- turmeric - For colour. This is the only ingredient you can safely omit.
How to make plant-based butter
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
This vegan butter recipe takes literally a couple of minutes to make, plus some time for it to set.
Here's how it's done:
- Step 1 - Add all of the ingredients except the oils to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Step 2 - Add the refined coconut oil and the olive oil and blend again until incorporated and light and airy.
- Step 3 - Pour into a lidded container and place in the fridge to set.
Success tips
- Measure everything carefully and don't omit or change anything (except the turmeric which can be safely left out if you don't have it because it is only used for colour).
- You must use refined coconut oil. It's sometimes labelled as "deodorized". You absolutely cannot use unrefined or virgin coconut oil because your butter will smell and taste of coconut. If you arne't sure if yours is ok, check the label. It will say somewhere. Or give it a sniff and taste. If you can smell or taste any trace of coconut it is not refined and not suitable for this recipe.
- Make sure the refined coconut oil is liquid but at room temperature. Don't add it while it's hot.
- Blend until completely smooth but don't let the liquid butter get hot while blending or it could split. If it starts warming up give the blender a break for a minute or two before continuing.
- Let it set thoroughly before using.
- Store in the refrigerator
- Let is soften at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading for ultimate creaminess and ease of spreading.
- Omit the almond flour if you plan to use the recipe for sautéing or frying. More details are in the recipe notes.
Serving suggestions
Slather this vegan butter on everything! Some ideas include:
- on bread or toast
- on homemade English Muffins
- on quick breads like my healthy banana bread, spelt bread, pumpkin bread and zucchini bread
- in mashed potatoes
- on baked potatoes or steamed potatoes
- on popcorn
- in pastry dough
- on steamed vegetables
- on vegan banana scones
- slathered on vegan sweet potato biscuits
- in vegan cream cheese frosting or buttercream
- to cook pancakes and on pancakes like my vegan banana pancakes, giant blueberry vegan pancake and my vegan spelt pancakes
- on oatmeal waffles
- in Risi e Bisi (Italian rice and peas)
- in cakes, cookies or other baked goods
- in my vegan lemon curd
Is vegan butter healthy?
This vegan butter is homemade, contains simple ingredients and does not contain trans fats, hydrogenated oils, additives and preservatives, so in that respect it does have healthier ingredients than most store bought vegan butters. However it is still very high in fat and calories, so like all butters, it should be eaten sparingly.
Is vegan butter the same as margarine?
Vegan butter and margarine are similar but not the same.
Margarine has a really distinctive flavour and a really soft texture that is not like traditional dairy butter. It is also not always vegan. It often contains milk derivatives amongst other things, even the ones that are sometimes labelled as plant-based" so be careful. Look out for ingredients like whey, lactose and casein. Also be wary of lecithin and vitamin D3 which can sometimes be derived from animals.
My vegan butter recipe is more like dairy butter in flavour and texture than store bought margarines.
How to store
Be sure to pour the butter into a container with a lid so that it's easy to keep it covered. I put mine in small or shallow jars mason jars.
You might be wondering how long vegan butter lasts? Store it in the refrigerator and it will keep for about 2 weeks. This does depend to some extent on the milk you use to make it with though. If you use store bought milk it lasts longer than it does if you use homemade milk. That's because store bought milk has preservatives in it and homemade doesn't.
This vegan butter freezes really well. If you make more than you think you will comfortably eat in 2 weeks, or if you want to make a really big batch every couple of months, store it in the freezer where it will keep for up to 3 months.
To freeze in an airtight freezer safe container - When you make the butter pour it into the freezer safe container cover with a lid and put it straight in the freezer. You can also freeze the already set butter if you prefer.
To freeze in a silicone ice cube tray - Pour the liquid butter into the silicone trays. Place them gently and evenly in the freezer. Once the butter has solidified you can wrap the ice cube trays up really well or put them as they are in a sealed freezer bag. Or you can pop the frozen cubes out and store them in a bag or container so you get your ice cube tray back for other things.
How to defrost - When you want some butter remove from the freezer and allow to defrost overnight in the fridge. If you have frozen it in an ice cube tray it will defrost really quickly so you can pop one out and leave it at room temperature until it's ready to use. It usually takes about 30 minutes.
Recipe FAQS
If you use unrefined or virgin coconut oil, your butter will end up tasting and smelling of coconut. It will not taste of butter. Refined coconut oil has no coconut flavor or smell which is why it is essential for this recipe.
I have a few readers who use ground up cashew nuts, sunflower seeds or pine nuts instead of almonds. Almonds give a more buttery flavour but the results are still ok when using these substitutes.
About 2 weeks. See my freezing instructions if you want to keep it longer.
Yes it freezes very well. See my instructions in the recipe notes.
The nutritional yeast helps with the buttery flavour and the butter is at it's best when it is included so I highly recommend using it. However if you omit it the recipe will still technically work, it just won't taste quite as good.
No. Baking yeast and brewer's yeast is completely different to nutritional yeast and will not work in this recipe.
There is no substitute for coconut oil in this recipe. Nothing else will work.
Absolutely not. The recipe will only work with the oil added.
Hungry for more?
For more great vegan dairy alternatives, check out these very popular reader favourites:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Butter
Author:
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 240 mls refined coconut oil , it must be refined NOT unrefined
- ½ cup / 50 grams / 8 tablespoons almond flour *
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons / 150 mls unsweetened non-dairy milk , NOT almond milk. See recipe notes for suggestions**
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch ground turmeric optional but helps make colour a little more yellow
- ¼ cup/ 60 ml ml neutral tasting liquid oil like light olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
Please see the recipe notes before proceeding if you intend on using this butter for frying or sautéing.
- Melt the coconut oil. I put it in the microwave for 20 or 30 seconds but you can also stand the jar in some hot water. Measure it when it's liquid and not when it's solid, then set it aside for a few minutes to cool. Don't use it while it's hot or warm. Allow it to get to room temperature first.
- Place the almond flour, milk, salt, nutritional yeast, vinegar and turmeric into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour in the refined coconut oil and olive oil then blend until velvety smooth. I use the smoothie setting on my blender. Don't let the blender get too warm while it's blending or the butter can split a bit. If your blender does run a little warm then blend in short bursts and give it a break for a minute or two in between.
- Pour the liquid butter into a container, cover and refrigerate until set.
- Let is soften at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading for ultimate creaminess and ease of spreading.
NOTES
- Measure everything carefully and don't omit or change anything (except the turmeric which can be safely left out if you don't have it because it is only used for colour).
- You must use refined coconut oil. It's sometimes labelled as "deoderized". You absolutely cannot use unrefined or virgin coconut oil because your butter will smell and taste of coconut. If you arne't sure if yours is ok, check the label. It will say somewhere. Or give it a sniff and taste. If you can smell or taste any trace of coconut it is not refined and not suitable for this recipe.
- Make sure the refined coconut oil is liquid but at room temperature. Don't add it while it's hot.
- Blend until completely smooth but don't let the liquid butter get hot while blending or it could split. If it starts warming up give the blender a break for a minute or two before continuing.
- Let it set thoroughly before using.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
This recipe was originally published on March 15th 2015. I've added new photographs & some new content and now I am republishing it for you. The actual recipe remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Jani says
I made this last night and had it this morning with flaxseed bread. It's outstanding, and definitely a keeper.
A Virtual Vegan says
So pleased you enjoyed it!
Grego says
Any way to tell the fat content of this butter? For instance any saturated fat, trans fat, poly- and mono-unsaturated fat content per serving?
A Virtual Vegan says
The general fat content is listed in the nutritional information under the recipe and is calculated automatically by my recipe card software. For more detailed info than that you would need to calculate it yourself. There are tools such as Cronometer or My Fitness Pal. Whether they go into the detail you need though I'm not sure.
Danette MacKay says
I loved this butter! I make a lot of vegan cheeses and dairy alternative things, and this recipe is so great, I love that it's spreadable right out of the fridge. Looking forward to baking with it, but so far it's done well in every recipe I've thrown it in. I used unsweetened oat milk both times with a perfect result. Thanks so much for this!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying it and thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review/feedback!
Dee says
Can’t wait to make this! I’m allergic to ACV though.... do you think I could use plain white vinegar, or anything else? Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes just use white. it will be fine!
Mélanie says
Do you think I could use sunflower oil instead of olive to be sure it doesn't taste ? And what do you think about using rice milk still to avoid special taste ?
A Virtual Vegan says
I think sunflower oil would be ok. To be honest though you can't taste the olive oil if you use a regular light olive oil and not extra virgin. As for rice milk I've never used it in this recipe. It's not one I really like much so I never buy it. For the butter to taste nice and "feel" rich, it needs to be a creamy milk. The one time I tried rice milk it was quite watery. It might just have been the brand I bought though. I haven/t tried it again since because I didn't enjoy it. Cashew milk is always my first choice for this recipe.
Sophia says
The nub choice, raw or roasted? I was thinking roasted would give a deeper flavor but maybe too much???
A Virtual Vegan says
Almond flour is made from raw blanched almonds and has a buttery flavour which is why I use it in this recipe. If you're making it yourself and not buying it then use raw almonds and blanche them to remove the skins. I wouldn't use roasted almonds.
Sandra says
Hi! Will this work for making vegan buttercream or used in aquafaba meringue buttercream? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
It works fine in regular buttercream. I haven't tried it in meringue buttercream though. I have read that only palm oil based vegan butters are stable enough for it but whether that's true I don't know.
Noel Martinez says
Will this work for baking pastry, whether Vegan or otherwise? Making the recipe today! Very excited!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it's great in pastry and other baking.
Noel Martinez says
Thanks so much.
Noel Martinez says
I made it today and it was amazing. I actually used the unrefined coconut oil, as I have plenty on hand and prefer a less processed oil. I still love the flavor and think it tastes just like dairy butter. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe. I'll be trying out more of your recipes soon...mmm feta!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy the feta as much!
Korrin says
I just made this recipe as my 3 year old is obsessed with butter and ate the little we had left without bothering to spread it on his toast! We loved it!
Vusala says
Truly, a miraculous recipe! I am always making double batches of this recipe, and then sharing with friends and acquaintances, everyone is in love!
I do think the amount indicated for the total yield is incorrect though - the 1 cup yield reference recipe makes about 2 cups actually (you can even understand it by summing up cups of ingredients in the recipe). So, you might want to correct that. Other than that, thanks a lot for this delicious recipe!<3
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying it! It did originally make one cup but I doubled the quantities of the recipe because people were having trouble blending such a small amount in bigger blenders. I must have forgotten to change how much it makes. It's corrected now. Thank you!
Raquel Aguilar says
Hi. Is it possible to leave out the turmeric?
A Virtual Vegan says
The turmeric is optional. It's only for colour so as long as you don't mind it not being quite so yellow then go ahead and leave it out.
Tyree says
Is there a nut free substitute for the almond flour?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have a few readers who use ground up sunflower seeds or pine nuts instead of almonds. Almonds give a more buttery flavour but the results are still ok when using these substitutes.
Angie says
What?! WOW!! I'm brand new to eating plant based and this website has saved my sanity. Just made a batch today. My son and I drizzled the remnants on some toast and were amazed. This may even fool my picky husband. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Angie! I'm really pleased you are enjoying it. It's so funny how those ingredients taste like butter eh?
Steve says
How is almond milk in this rec?
A Virtual Vegan says
I don't personally use almond milk in any savory recipes as its flavour always comes through a bit in the finished recipe. Other plant milks like cashew and oat and soy don't do that so they are always my preference. I am super picky though and a lot of people are ok with it. If you like almond milk and it's what you keep at home then you'll probably be fine with it.
carol says
This is so delish and super easy to make . I cant believe its not real butter ! When I first saw this recipe I was skeptical . Like , how can this combo of ingredients work? But wow Im super impressed . Im making a quart of this spread next week ! And it tastes even better then the vegan spread from the store .My whole vegan family loves it . I used a vita mix . And from scratch cashew milk (1/2 cup cashew nuts soaked to 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tsp. agave .
I will be trying more of your recipes this week . They all look so yummy that i cant figure out what to make first. Im so glad I found this site !!!!
Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
So many people say the same thing. It's so hard to believe it works, but it does, as you found. Thank you for trusting my recipe and giving it a chance. I hope you enjoy my other recipes as much!