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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Dana says
HI,
I just wanted to know if there’s was a way to make it but free? Like maybe using sunflower seeds?
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.
Soo Yan says
Hi Nora, I am making cashew milk as per your suggestion and recipe in order to make this butter. May I know how much water you put in your cashew milk for this butter? I know your cashew milk recipe states 4.5 cups, but would you recommend using less for a more creamy milk? If so, how much less? Thanks!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi there. It doesn't really matter too much. Just make the milk to the thickness that you enjoy. As long as it's not really watery it will be fine. I usually use about 3.75 to 4 cups of water when I make mine. Hope that helps!
Soo Yan says
Thanks for the reply! I made it but I don't do oils, so I don't know how it tastes. But I fed it to my non-vegan mum without telling her what it was, and she stared at me in confusion asking why I just fed her butter. So I'd say it's a success hahaha! I would like to use this to make cookies and buttercream. However, it seems to melt really quickly in room temperature compared to regular butter. Do you think I could combat this by creaming the butter and sugar in a cold bowl? I might also add some tapioca starch to the buttercream if it doesn't want to firm up. Thank you so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha! Glad she liked it! I don't have problems with it melting and use it for baking and buttercream all the time. Maybe it's warmer where you are? Just use it straight from the fridge and keep everything cold. A cold bowl is a great idea. And once you've mixed the buttercream pop it back in the fridge to firm up a bit if it gets soft. Hope that helps!
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!
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!
Fran awatts says
How much saturated fat is in this recipe, can I use all olive oil instead of olive oil and coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
The fat content per 5g serving is estimated at 3.2g. I don't know what proportion of that is saturated fat. You could calculate it with My Fitness Pal or Cronometer.
And no you can't use all olive oil instead of olive oil and coconut. The recipe won't work without the refined coconut oil.
Hope that helps!
Thomas says
Can you substitute the olive oil with coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
No. If you use more coconut oil than stated the butter will be too hard and the texture won't be as nice. You need to use the ratios given in the recipe for good results.
Allie says
The directions say 1 cup of melted AND room temperature Refined coconut oil. So does that make it a total of 2 cups coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
No it's a total of 1 cup of coconut oil, melted and at room temperature. So not still hot. Left to cool to room temperature after it has been melted.
Dee says
I went plant based at the beginning of January so still figuring it all out. I blended up this vegan butter and poured it into the jar for refrigerating. A drop spilled on the counter so I tasted it and couldn't believe how good it was! Straight away I made popcorn and poured some on! As good as any buttered popcorn I've ever had... better actually. Used cashew milk (store bought). Delish! Thank you for perfecting and sharing!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Dee. I'm really pleased you like it. It does make great best popcorn! Thanks so much for topping by to leave feedback/a rating. It's much appreciated!