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!
Jill says
Is there a good substitute for the apple cider vinegar? I'm having trouble guessing its role in this recipe, which makes it hard to determine a good substitute.
A good friend of mine has recently had to switch to a super-restrictive diet to control her migraines. Dairy (e.g., real butter) and apple cider vinegar are both on the list of things she has to avoid. All other types of vinegar are fine, though.
A Virtual Vegan says
It just needs a little acid to balance the flavour. You could probably use a little white wine vinegar instead. Even a tiny bit of lemon juice might work. I have only used apple cider vinegar myself though so can't guarantee how well the flavours will balance with substitutes. You could also omit it. It won't make a huge difference and will still be good.
Donna N says
I no longer eat butter ( unless I go out to eat at a high-end restaurant) and I have never had the desire to eat vegan or any other non-dairy butter, but I'm curious and willing to give this recipe a try.
Rhedd says
Delicious, just like butter. Much better than the store bought stuff. Thank you
Liz says
Unbelievably delicious! You won't even miss the dairy version! My super-picky family LOVES this butter! We use it on everything from toast to corn on the cob...and it makes for rather tasty/HEALTHIER mashed potatoes! Honestly, this has saved me from straying from the vegan track! I cannot thank you enough!
A Virtual Vegan says
Oh Liz, that makes me so happy and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Andrea Sear says
Do you think this would work in puff pastry/crossiants? Trying to make vegan crossiants and the current vegan butters in the UK don't cut it.
A Virtual Vegan says
It does. It's really nice and hard like real butter so works really well. A friend of mine runs a bakery that makes some vegan goodies and she makes this butter by the gallon to use there!
Andrea Sear says
Thanks for relpying! Going to give it a go and let you know how I do :)
Kwame says
I am so happy to have found this recipe for vegan butter that does not have emulsifiers, however I am unable to create it for the simple reason that I cant find refined coconut oil can I use vegetable oil instead.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm sorry but you can't use vegetable oil. It needs to be an oil that solidifies or the butter won't set. Refined coconut oil is generally easier to find than unrefined, here at least. If Amazon deliver to your area they will have it for sure. Depending what you are going to use the butter for, you could get away with using unrefined. When spread on things like toast with jam or pancakes/waffles, banana bread etc (sweeter things) the coconut flavour works. It's just if you want to use it for more savoury things it's a bit unpleasant. I hope you manage to try it soon!
Lisa says
FYI...I just picked up refined coconut oil (Dunn's River) at Walmart
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you got some!
Andrea says
I am terribly lazy and just chuck all the ingredients in at once - I don't even use non-dairy milk, I throw in 1.5 tablespoons of cashews plus 5 tablespoons of water. The first time I did this, I just hoped for the best. I have a fairly standard Kenwood blender.
My lazy method works well. We are not vegetarian nor vegan, but my husband has a slight dairy intolerance, and we avoid meat / animal products as much as is practical at home. I split one batch into two containers, and they definitely freeze well. I am very impressed with this recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I like the sound of your lazy method. So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Josefine says
Hi. I Hope it's okay that I ask but I am really curios (and lazy aswell!) Did you use cashews AND the almondflower when you replaced milk?
Donna says
Well it’s taken me more than 6 months to comment and I should have done it sooner! This is THE BEST VEGAN BUTTER EVER!!! it’s actually what helped me stay vegan after my initial months of turning vegan and missing butter. I have given this recipe t9 s9 many people who are all now loving it also having turned vegan and missing butter as shop bought is rank????. Thank thank so so much I love it ????
A Virtual Vegan says
Better late than never! Thank you Donna. I'm so glad you are enjoying it and thank you for sharing it with others and for coming back to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Marie says
I'm allergic to most nuts. It seems I can eat cashews as long as they were not processed with other nuts. They are hard to find but are out there. Anyway can I use cashew milk an raw cashews for the almonds to make this butter recipe??
A Virtual Vegan says
You can. The butter will work the same, however almonds give a more buttery flavour so you will lose a little of that. It will still be good though. Hope that helps!
Erinn says
Apart from cashew milk. Could you use rice milk????? There are not that many choices where I live. I can find soy, almond (which you've said can't be used) rice, and hazelnut.
Thank you. And great recipe
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't ever tried rice milk. I would imagine it would be ok as it must be pretty neutral. Almond works ok, it's just you can detect the flavour a little. If you are ok with that you could use it. Hope that helps!
Ellie says
This looks good, I’m going to try it. I bought some vegan butter at wholefoods and it’s great but it has soy lethicin which I don’t want. Do you have any vegan and gluten and gra8. Free recipes? I don’t eat grains or gluten and I eat low carb.
Ellie says
I forgot to ask if I can make this with a bucket blender? I also have a sunbeam small drink blender that I make whipped cream in, would that work?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have no idea what a bucket blender is but I would imagine the small drink blender would be fine!
A Virtual Vegan says
I hope you enjoy it. I do have quite a lot of gluten free recipes. There is a gluten-free section in my recipe index here https://avirtualvegan.com/category/recipes/gluten-free/ . Of those quite a few are grain free too. I don't avoid gluten and grains though so they are more accidentally gluten and grain free rather than intentionally so. These cookies are one recipe that springs to mind as being gluten and grain-free https://avirtualvegan.com/super-seedy-power-cookies/ .
Heather says
I cannot have dairy and I'm in a 3rd world country so I cannot buy any dairy free butter here. I SO miss butter! My friend gave me this recipe and I'm so excited to try it! However, how do you get the skins off of almonds, haha, and why does the coconut oil have to be refined? I cannot get refined coconut oil here, only unrefined. And do you have any idea of oatmilk will work? I cannot get many dairy free milks here either. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Heather. Ok firstly, if you can't buy ready made almond meal/flour and have to use whole almonds with skins, to remove the skins, cover them in boiling water. Leave for about 5 - 10 mins. Drain and you should be able to slip the skins off with your fingers easily. Then let the almonds dry thoroughly before grinding them up. You could put them on a tray in the oven on a really low temp to hurry that up. Honestly though, if you are only making it for yourself and have a half decent blender, the skins wont affect the taste. They will just make the butter look a bit mottled. If you are ok with that then you don't need to bother skinning them.
As for the coconut oil, you really should use refined coconut oil. If you don't the butter will taste and smell of coconut. That's ok if you are eating it on toast or pancakes etc, or baking sweet things with it, but if you want it with more savoury things the coconut flavour kind of gets in the way. If you use unrefined coconut oil it will really taste like butter. it's kind of uncanny actually.
Oat milk will work to make it. The only problem with using homemade milk is that it doesn't stay fresh for long so neither will the butter. If you make it with home-made milk I recommend you keep the finished butter in the freezer and just take out small amounts at a time to keep it fresh. I use a silicone ice cube tray.
I hope that helps and I hope you get to try it soon!
Sandra Maestas says
I love this recipe, but wanted to know if this will work with oat flour and coconut flour. I wanted to try and make this for a group of kids but they have a nut allergy: Do you think it will work out if I replace those two ingredients?
Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
I have personally never tried it with any other flour. I use almond flour because almonds have a buttery flavour. If you use anything else it won't taste as buttery. I'm not sure what two ingredients you want to replace? Obviously the almonds because of the nut allergy but what is the other one? I have a few readers with nut allergies who make this and they use ground sunflower seeds or pine nuts in place of the almonds. Almond flour isn't a very absorbent flour but oat flour is and coconut flour is ridiculously absorbent. I think if you used either of them, particularly coconut flour it might get a bit claggy and thick. As I said though I haven't tried it so don't know for sure. It is possible that you could blend it all up without almonds or a replacement for them and set it really quickly in the freezer before it has a chance to separate. It would be a case of trial and error though I'm afraid. I do plan eventually to make a nut-free recipe so watch this space!
Marie says
Can't wait to try this! I don't have a blender that will grind the almonds fine enough, though. I recently bought Bobs Red Mill 'super fine' almond flour. Do you think that will work? It's fine as powder, not like their other version which is a little gritty.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm not sure how good it will turn out without a blender. The speed of the blender is what emulsifies it all together. You can try it though and whisk it with all your might. If it doesn't turn out well enough to spread on things you could use it up in something baked so you wouldn't have to waste it. Good luck!
Jasmine says
This turned out really well! The only store-bought vegan butters I've liked all have palm oil in them... This recipe is a life-saver as it alleviates some of the guilt I felt buying those butters. It satisfies in the same way as anything store-bought.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you are pleased with it Jasmine and thank you for coming back to let me and other readers know. It's much appreciated!