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's palm oil-free!
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FEATURED COMMENT
"I'm impressed! When I read all the comments & high ratings about it tasting as good as real butter, I was hopeful but still skeptical…. However, I proved it to myself today. It came out perfectly first go! Follow the well-detailed directions and you can't go wrong!"
- Clare ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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 and absolutely tried and true. It has been one of my most popular recipes since 2015 and it comes with hundreds of five-star reviews.
Make it in your blender in minutes and then use it just like regular butter for all of your spreading and baking needs. It's unbelievably smooth, rich, and creamy, and spreads and melts perfectly. You can even use it to make vegan brown butter!
A slice of no knead sourdough bread, toast, 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.
Mel x
What Is Vegan Butter Made Of?
So that you get the very best results when making this vegan butter recipe, here are some important notes on the main ingredients:
- Almond flour - This is crucial for the best buttery flavour and emulsification. Almond flour is made from blanched skinless almonds and is super fine, powdery, soft, and pale creamy yellow in colour. It has a mild, buttery flavour. Almond meal on the other hand is made with raw almonds, often with skins still on. It is coarser and grainier than almond flour, slightly stronger in flavour, and darker in colour with small brown flecks throughout if the skins were still intact. For best results, you need to use almond flour for this recipe. Almond flour is found in almost all grocery stores and it will be clearly labelled on the bag that it is made from blanched almonds. I buy mine in bulk from Costco but Bob's Red Mill is a popular brand of almond flour carried in most stores in North America. In the UK you can usually find almond flour at Holland and Barrett or you can order it from Amazon.
- Refined coconut oil - Note that it must be refined (i.e flavourless and odourless) and cannot be MCT oil or liquid coconut oil. This is a crucial ingredient and without it the butter won't set.
- Dairy-free milk - For creaminess and emulsification. It should be a neutral tasting milk and it must be unsweetened and unflavoured so be careful to check the ingredients. Vanilla and sugar sneak into a lot of plant milks and they really aren't good additions to savoury recipes. My preferences are oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk. I don't recommend using almond milk because it has quite a strong flavour which you can detect in the finished butter.
- Nutritional yeast - Just a touch for a buttery umami flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar - The butter needs some acid to balance the flavours and apple cider vinegar is milder than most other culinary acids which is why it's used here.
- Oil - Any neutral oil such as mild olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil. This is what makes the butter spreadable.
- Turmeric - Used for colour. It gives the butter a yellow hue. This is the only ingredient you can safely omit.
You will also need a high-powered blender.
If you have any questions check the FAQs for the most common ones, and if it's not covered there feel free to leave a comment under the recipe. I'll get back to you a.s.a.p.
Serving Suggestions
Slather this vegan butter on bread, scones, and biscuits, and pancakes, and waffles. You can also add it to all of your favourite buttery recipes like vegan mashed potatoes, vegan cream cheese frosting, and lemon curd, and use it in your vegan baking. It's great for cakes, pastry dough, etc. You can even use it to make brown butter!
Recipe FAQS
If you use unrefined or virgin coconut oil, your butter will taste and smell of coconut, not butter. Refined coconut oil has no coconut flavour 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.
The nutritional yeast helps with the buttery flavour and the butter is at its 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 are completely different from nutritional yeast and will not work in this recipe.
There is no substitute for coconut oil in this recipe. Nothing else will work.
Yes, it bakes perfectly. Use it in cakes, pies and frosting etc as you would regular butter.
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 labeled 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 margarine.
No. The recipe will not set when made with liquid coconut oil.
Recipe
Vegan Butter
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 mls) refined coconut oil , it must be refined NOT unrefined
- ½ cup (50 grams or 8 tablespoons) almond flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150 mls) dairy-free milk , must be unsweetened & unflavored. See the post above for my fave milks to use.
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea 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 liquid oil , such as light olive, canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
Please see the recipe notes before proceeding if you intend on using this butter for frying/sautéing.
- Gently melt the coconut oil. I put it in the microwave on defrost for about 20 seconds but you can also stand the jar in some hot water. Measure it when it's liquid and not solid, then set aside for a few minutes to cool to room temperature. Do not use it while warm or hot.
- Place the almond flour, milk, salt, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and turmeric into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Touch the blender jar and make sure the contents aren't really warm or hot. If they are wait until they are at room temperature again before moving onto the next step.
- Pour in the refined coconut oil and olive oil then blend again until completely emulsified. It's important not to let the contents of the blender get warm/hot so blend in short bursts and give it a break for a minute or two in between if you can feel it getting warm.
- Pour the liquid butter into a container, cover and refrigerate until set.
- Let the butter soften at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading for ultimate creaminess and ease of spreading.
NOTES
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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!
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
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!
Lesley says
Just made this butter recipe and was amazed how good it is. My vegan daughter adores it. Even I like it and I am an omnivore. I only had seeetened cashew milk so the butter is a tad sweet. Trying to buy some unsweetened for the next batch
Thanks for the wonderful recipe
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Lesley! I'm glad you both are enjoying it. You will enjoy it even more when you get some unsweetened milk. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Deanne says
Thank you for posting this recipe. My family prefers this butter over store bought. Great taste and texture, and we feel like it’s healthier!
A Virtual Vegan says
You're welcome. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for coming back to leave feedback Deanne!
Jacqui says
Jacqui again, forgot to say I used hemp milk because that's what I happened to have in, it has practically no flavour and worked fine.
I've just tasted my first batch and I'm in butter heaven, I'll never buy non dairy spread again ????
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Jacqui. I'm so glad you are enjoying it!
Jacqui says
VV you are a genius! Just tried your recipe and it was perfect first time. I think I may have over whipped because it's firm already and I can't pour it but it looks just right.
Putting the toast in now to try the flavour but I can tell already by the smell and texture it's going to be delicious.
Incidentally I used a mini food processor which was really quick.
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to create the recipe and for sharing it.
Jacqui in County Durham, England
A Virtual Vegan says
You are welcome. I'm thrilled you like it! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Robin says
Avocado oil is good for this.
Karen says
You sound like me, I am always trying to come up with vegan and natural replacements for our diet. I got excited when I saw this recipe, as I have been experimenting myself. However, sorry to see you used coconut oil. I am trying to come up with 0 saturated fat vegan buttery spread, but I never did think of using almond butters, so I will keep on trying. I refuse to buy anything with palm oil in it, and it is in everything!!! I'd rather have the rain forests, so another reason I try to make my own.
Niki says
Would it work in a roux?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it does work in a roux and in sauces.
Lily says
I can't wait to try this! I'm not a vegan but love finding and trying vegan recipes and eating a more plant based diet. I'm wondering if I dare try it with brazil nuts - either as a substitute for the almond powder, or with brazil nut milk.
Julie says
This vegan butter has a very nice flavor. I hope to replace store bought with this diy version. I used my Vitamin to make it...I would rather scratch my nalis on a chalk board than attempt to use my Vitamix again. I read your notes on how to make it a bit easier but not so much for me. Too much of it was stuck under the blade and it's not easy or safe to tilt it. I thought I'd try my bullet next time. The flavor is worth experimenting with other blenders.
Amy Long says
This was amazing! Love that you have an ingredient list for a small batch. Nothing like a large recipe that turns out disappointing and you've wasted large quantities of expensive ingredients. I used my bullet blender and some avocado oil along with coconut oil and it's so scrumptious.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Amy!
Haley says
Have you tried using this as the fat to make gravy? I've only recently gone vegan and haven't yet found a gravy recipe I like. I don't like store bought vegan butters for all the reasons you listed, so when I searched for homemade vegan butter and saw all the reviews for this, I became hopeful.
Sue says
OMG, absolutely delicious! My husband said that this spread has brought joy back to his breakfast. My 6 yr old son said that it was the best toast he ever had. That's a win! Only problem is limiting the amount I make!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Sue! I'm so pleased you are all enjoying it. I had the same problem with limiting it when I first created it but the novelty wore off after a few weeks of eating more toast and butter than I had eaten in my entire life previously! I keep it in silicone ice cube trays in the freezer now so that I can't just eat whenever I fancy it. Thank you so much for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Sam says
This looks fabulous and I cannot wait to try it. I cannot find cashew milk so am going to make my own. Do you know how long it would be safe to keep in the freezer if it was stored in silicon ice trays as per your recommendation.
A Virtual Vegan says
I pop the ice cube trays in a freezer bag so the butter doesn't get freezer burn and I've had it in there for 2 months with no issues. I haven't tried any longer because I always eat it by then!
Yolande Labbe says
GREAT I love, love this! It is way better than cow butter I already had almond flour from the store the one with the little speck in my fridge and I thought I'd give it a try. I love it the little speck are fun and I think that it add to the flavor. I use what I had in my fridge which was coconut almond milk, other wise I follow the recipe.
Thank You! Have a Great Day!
Yolande Labbe
Quebec Canada
A Virtual Vegan says
You are welcome Yolande. I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Kris Cutter says
I only have unrefined coconut oil. What happens if I use this?
A Virtual Vegan says
Your butter won't taste of butter, it will taste of coconut. It really should be refined.
Gilllain says
This butter is amazing. I
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Gillian!
Martika Izaguirre says
Made a recent decision to wean my family off dairy due to health issues with my SO. My question is if this butter can not be fried or broiled would canning it be a problem? My Mama taught me to can regular butter for shelf stabilization and storage. But with the limitations listed I'm worried it will not keep or store properly. Thanks!