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!
Lisa Kenyon says
Have you recently changed the recipe? I've been using your great recipe for a while now but I noticed when I came to make it this time that the amount of ground almonds and coconut oil has increased. But the amount of plant milk hasn't? I'm sure it used to be 120ml of coconut oil and definitely much less ground almonds. When I came to step 1 I noticed how the mixture wasn't really a liquid so I added more rice milk. Is there a reason you've changed the recipe?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't changed the recipe. I did double it because people were finding it difficult to blend such a small amount in larger blenders, but all of the ratios are exactly the same. I made a note of that change in the post. I just checked and re-checked it against my original master copy and it is all listed correctly. There did used to be 120mls of coconut oil listed, and now its 240mls because everything has doubled. Same with the milk. It was 5 tablespoons (75 ml) and now it says 150 ml. Almonds were 4 tablespoons and now are 8. So if measured correctly there shouldn't be any changes in the consistency when blending it up.
Lisa Kenyon says
Ah I see, thank you so much! Because I've made it so many times I usually just glance at the ingredients and method to remind myself so must have missed your note about doubling it up! Keep up the good work x
Kim Robinson says
Hello,
I’m looking for a vegan unsalted butter for a recipe. If I use this & leave out the salt fine, but will the nutritional yeast still give it a salty (umami) quality?
Any recommendations?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
You can easily leave the salt out. And yes the nutritional yeast will really help with "seasoning" it. You could give it a quick taste it in the blender when you are making it and add a tiny bit extra if need be.
Corinna says
Hi, can this be made by hand, as I don't have a blender?
A Virtual Vegan says
You wouldn't get it smooth enough. It would end up grainy because of the almond flour. A food processor might do an ok job if you have one?
Patricia Mobbs says
Please can you give precise measurements. Your ingredients are a total mystery to me as tablespoons, mls, cup sizes etc. Can’t wait to make this butter but need correct amounts please.
A Virtual Vegan says
The measurements included are all precise and correct. Tablespoons, teaspoons, cups and mls are all standard forms of measurement, but if you aren't familiar with them, there are many online conversion tools you could use if you wanted to converted the measurements to something else.
Bo says
Hi Patricia,
I live in the UK so can only offer help from this end. I've managed to pick up some universal measuring utensils from the supermarket/Amazon as I was finding more and more online recipes use a mixed style and fewer were using weights and measures. I recommend picking up a pack of 'cups' and a set of measuring spoons; then you should be all set for making without the bother of converting amounts.
BTW, the butter is fantastic and very moorish!
John says
You reckon avocado oil will work in place of the olive oil and how about carton type coconut milk that's neutral taste?
A Virtual Vegan says
Any mildly flavoured unsweetened non-dairy milk is fine to use.
Diana Klingner says
You really are amazing!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Dave says
Tried them all and this is by far the best. Really easy too.
Lina says
Awesome! Can you make Whip Cream for cakes and cupcakes? or will it melt and not hold?
A Virtual Vegan says
You can use it to make frosting for cakes etc with no problem as long as it doesn't get too warm, and it bakes up in cakes etc really well too.
Anne Sanders says
I will try this but am interested to know if you've tried baking with it such as using to make pastry?
A Virtual Vegan says
It bakes up beautifully in cakes and pastry etc. In fact there is a bakery local to me that uses it for their vegan baked goods!
Tina says
I just made this! I'm astonished how buttery it tastes! It's a bit too salty for me -- next time I'll use less salt. Thanks for the recipe! I'm going to love not having to pay $5 every time I need more vegan butter!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Tina. I'm so pleased you like it. It does work out a lot cheaper than buying it ready made!
Pavla says
HI Mel - can I replace the olive oil with avocado oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes, I think avocado oil would be fine.
Lydia Sudyko says
Hi. I am allergic to apple. Is it possible to use rice vinegar or white vinegar for this recipe?
A Virtual Vegan says
I think white wine vinegar would be good alternative. I wouldn't use regular white vinegar. It might be a little harsh. A little drop of lemon juice would work also. it just needs a tiny bit of acidity.
Rachel says
This vegan butter is a dream! After going vegan a couple years back, I was having a tough time finding a vegan butter that did it for me and/or wasn't super expensive to buy, until I came across this magic recipe! This tastes like the real deal, and I no longer miss real butter. My non-vegan family members love it as well. I sub canola oil for the olive oil because I noticed a bitter taste after it was spun at a high speed. I have been making and using this recipe for months now and still can't get over how dang yummy it is. I use this on toast and bagels daily, as well as in my cooking and baking. It is perfect. I plan to start making it in bigger batches and freezing in 1/4, 1/2, and 1 cup increments so I can easily have it on hand whenever I bake. Thank you so much for the recipe! xx
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you are enjoying it Rachel. Thank you!
Sabrina says
I love this recipe! I found that I’m not a fan of cashew milk, does macadamia curdle in the same way as soy?
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Sabrina. Macadamia milk will be fine. None of the other plant milks curdle like soy does for some reason.
Roda says
Hello, i would like to make this vegan butter however I'm allergic to yeast and almond is there an alternative? I would appreciate it if you could help a gal out
Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
You can omit the nutritional yeast but it will take away from the buttery flavour a little. You can also use finely ground raw cashew nuts instead of almonds but it will affect the flavor quite a lot. The almonds are what makes this butter recipe so good.