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!
Vivien says
I've made this twice now and it is excellent. I couldn't find unsweetened cashew milk so just used alpro original (which is sweetened). I also used extra virgin olive oil. Also the coconut oil I used was not called "refined" rather it was called "mild odourless" coconut oil. Three separate friends raved about it. Thanks for this recipe. I look forward to trying to make buttercream icing with it!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you and your friends are enjoying it Vivien. It makes amazing buttercream by the way!
Shannon says
Made this butter and love it! Works well in recipes calling for vegan butter including icing. Also love the fact I can make it at home and the biggest thing is.....it does not contain palm oil. This is me......doing my happy orangutang dance......!
Keep up the wonderful work! You are such a sweetheart!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha ha! You made me laugh then at the thought of you doing a happy Orangutan dance!!! It should be a rite of passage for anyone making this recipe ;)
I'm so glad you are enjoying it and thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback. I really appreciate it Shannon!
Pippa says
Hi
I’m intolerant to yeast - is there an alternative you can suggest for the vinegar and nutritional yeast ?
Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
You could use a drop of lemon juice instead of the vinegar. You might need to use less though so that the lemon flavour doesn't come through. And there isn't an alternative for the nutritional yeast. You can just omit it. It wont taste quite as buttery but it will still be good.
Suee33 says
Most likely – you might only react to Fortified Nutritional Yeast – I can only eat un-fortified Nutritional Yeast found on Amazon. I get sick from sprayed on chemical vitamins on most NY. Hope this is helpful, I was delighted to discover why I felt crummy after eating the regular NY!!
Scott says
Can you use rice flour instead of almond flour?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never used rice flour to make it so I'm not sure how it would turn out. Even if it does technically work, it definitely wouldn't taste as nice. The almonds are what gives it it's butteriness. I also wonder if it might end up slightly gritty? If you try it and it works well let me know. I'd be interested to know!
Kim says
I Wouldn’tbrecommend rice flour. It has a very different texture profile. More like regular wheat flour.
Anne says
Finally got 'round to making this today. I'm so HAPPY! It's fantastic. Can't wait to try some baking with it. No more palm oil, no more plastic packaging. The texture, the taste, the simplicity. 10 out of 10. Even my husband is impressed. Thank you for this wonderful recipe Mel.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's wonderful Anne! I'm so glad you are both pleased with it and thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Carla says
This looks like a great recipe! I just have a problem though: I cannot eat any yeast whatsoever, nutritional yeast included.
Is there a way to replace it?
Or can I just leave it behind?
Thank you so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
Just omit the yeast. It helps with the butteriness a bit but the difference is negligible so it will be fine without!
Nessa says
Your first paragraph states, “can be used in any way you would use real butter,” but your last paragraph states, “Do not use this butter for frying... broiling/grilling.”
Well, which is it?
A Virtual Vegan says
It can be used in any way you would use real butter except for frying, broiling and grilling. The first sentence above the picture is just a very brief summary of the recipe. I can't fit everything about it there otherwise it wouldn't be a brief summary. I mention in several places it is not suitable for frying or broiling.
Michelle says
Loved this vegan butter!! So easy to make and tastes amazing!! The only thing I didn't like was how hard it is and difficult to spread. So I tweeted the recipe a little.
First I used soy milk (I know it was advices against but it's all I had at the time).
Second I used canola oil (remains liquid when refrigerated unlike olive and coconut oil) with the coconut oil. I used 1/4 canola and 3/4 coconut.
I didn't notice any congealing of the soy milk during the first blending stage. But when I added the canola/coconut oil to the blender and turned it on, it thickened right away.
After refrigerating overnight, the consistency remains like softened butter. Much more spreadable. I have not tried baking or frying with this new recipe. I'm just very happy with the improved consistency.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad that you are enjoying it and that you managed to tweak it to suit you better!
Donna says
Oh my goodness, I have been waiting to make this for the last 2 weeks........I love love this I use it every morning, I will definitely add this recipe to my book look all I can say is it makes me happy!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you are enjoying it! Feed back like this makes me really happy.
Ashley vn says
I LOVE this recipe. It is truly delicious. Have you had success using it as a butter replacement in baked goods, etc without issues? I haven't tried that yet.
Butter was something that I truly miss and didn't want to support the vegan ones that use palm oils.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thats awesome. I'm so glad you are enjoying it. It does work perfectly in baked goods and for things like frosting. Have fun experimenting!
Jennifer Unangst says
I am new to all of this and this was delicious and tastes great!! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk so I'm not sure how it would taste with cashew milk...I'll try that next time. This is awesome!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it Jennifer.
Kayla K. says
I have a question before I make this, and hopefully someone who has can answer: does it get really hard and unspreadable being stored in the fridge like regular butter does? I’ve recently decided to make the jump from vegetarian to vegan, but my husband is very hesitant. So I’m trying to find good replacements for our household to prove to him that veganism isn’t as bad as he’s thinking. Currently we leave our butter out on the counter in a butter dish (I know, shame on me) that way it’s soft and spreadable. How about with this butter?
A Virtual Vegan says
This butter does get hard in the fridge. I usually take it out about 20 minutes before I'm going to use it unless it's going on something hot. You could make it less hard by upping the amount of olive oil and reducing the coconut oil but I haven't personally done that so I'm not sure on exact quantities.
Rachel Simpson says
This recipe is absolutely brilliant. Butter, for me, has been the hardest thing to replace as shop bought margarines taste so gross (and palm oil, ugh). Your recipe has saved the day! It was easy to make and I've even been eating it straight up on toast. No way would I do that with shop bought stuff.
For anyone wondering, I made this in my Nutribullet without too much trouble (though it's a little more annoying removing and replacing the lid when there's liquid inside). I used half a teaspoon of Maldon sea salt, but next time I'll use a little less (maybe Maldon tastes saltier?. A little over a quarter teaspoon would be enough for me I think.
I'm never buying margarine again!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Rachel. I'm so pleased you are enjoying it! I couldn't go back to store bought vegan margarines again after eating this either. I love Maldon salt. I used to use it all the time when I lived in England. I don't often buy it here because it's pretty expensive. Was it the flakes or crystals? There is a chance they are saltier than regular ground sea salt. I tend to buy Bob's Red Mill salt and that's what I used when creating the recipe.
Rachel says
It's the Maldon flakes I'm using. It's good stuff :)
Patricia says
This stuff is AMAZING. I am on a 30 day plant based diet and was a bit sceptical about this... I love butter... don’t judge me lol.... but WOW. Just wow. It. Tastes. Like. Butter. I’m floored. Thank you for making this experience so much easier ????
A Virtual Vegan says
Good for you, and I'm so glad that my butter recipe is making it easier for you. I loved butter before I was vegan too, which is why I created this recipe. There really is no need to go without anything when you are plant-based. Almost everything can be 'veganized'. I hope you enjoy your 30 days and consider carrying on after that!
Philippa says
Hi, I am uk-based and made with local cold-pressed rapeseed oil as it has a mild flavour and deep yellow colour - worked really well! I love this recipe, thank you. :-)
Philippa says
Meant to say, I used oatmilk successfully, too...
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you are enjoying it Philippa!