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 favorite 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 flavor 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 flavor. 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 flavor, and darker in color 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 flavorless 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 unflavored 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 savory recipes. My preferences are oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk. I don't recommend using almond milk because it has quite a strong flavor which you can detect in the finished butter.
- Nutritional yeast - Just a touch for a buttery umami flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar - The butter needs some acid to balance the flavors 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 color. 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 favorite 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 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.
The nutritional yeast helps with the buttery flavor 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 flavor 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 flavor 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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Suzanne says
Hello!
I keep making this recipe over and over again. I just looooove it. I keep part of it in the freezer and a portion in the fridge. Never have a conservation problem.
Thank you sooooo much for that recipe! ?
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying it Suzanne!
PazzoJeterPancakes says
I still can't believe how good this tastes!! Second recipe I've tried from your site and second excellent result. Now, if I can make a cheese that I like, I may finally be able to make the leap from 25-year vegetarian to vegan! Thanks again!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you are enjoying it! If you like feta cheese give my recipe a try ;O) https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-feta-cheese/
Sharon says
Can you substitute walnut flour/meal instead of Almond? I am allergic to almonds? I really want to try this recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't use walnut flour because walnuts have a really distinct flavour that I think would probably come through in the finished butter. Ground cashews would be a better choice if you can't use the almonds.
Amanda Barry says
Can you use this in baked goods?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes! I use it in all of my baking as does a local bakery here that makes vegan baked goods. It gives great results.
Michelle says
Hi there
My name is Michelle, from Sydney Australia.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for your recipe for the Vegan butter recipe.
I have made it several times and prefer the flavour of it without the apple cider vinegar added.
I have a question please: I have noticed on a few occasions that after 1 - 2 weeks , mould starts growing.
How can I prevent that please?
Are my jars not sterilised properly?
Do I need the apple cider vinegar or another ingredient to preserve it?
Or do I need to pour oil on top to prevent oxidisation?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, so it doesn’t spoil and get wasted.
Thank you so much.
Michelle
A Virtual Vegan says
Because it's homemade and has no preservatives in it it won't last as long as store bought vegan butter but I have never had mould develop on it or had reports from anyone else about it happening.
It will last for as long as the milk you use to make it is good for. Homemade milk only lasts about 4 days before it goes off. Store bought milk usually says to use within a week or 2. After that time though it doesn't tend to go mouldy. It just starts smelling a little funky.
I give freezing instructions in the post and recommend if you aren't going to be using it quickly to freeze it. That's the best way to keep extras fresh.
And definitely make sure you are keeping it in the fridge at all times. Also make sure the ground almonds are fresh as if they aren't that could be contributing.
Having said that the vinegar probably does help preserve it a little although it's such a small amount I doubt if it makes a significant difference.
Wendy says
Do you think it would work in a mini food processor? I don’t own a blender.
A Virtual Vegan says
No I don't think it will emulsify properly or get smooth enough without the power of a blender.
Kerstin says
I got a Vitamix from my son and daughter in law for Christmas now I can make the butter. Sounds so good
Forest says
Mel what is the shelf life of this butter in the fridge?
A Virtual Vegan says
It will last for however long the milk you make it with is good for. If you use store bought plant-based milk it lasts longer than when you use homemade milk. With store bought it's about 2 weeks. It freezes well too though.
Forest says
Thank you Mel
Kayti Sullivan says
Hi, how about using lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar?
A Virtual Vegan says
Apple cider vinegar is the best choice. You really don't want any traces of lemon flavour in your butter. ACV adds the acid needed for the flavour in a well rounded, subtle way. You might get away with it with lemon but it's a really sour flavour so it won't have the same affect as ACV. I always recommend sticking to the recipe for the best results.
Sally says
I make this all the time - for every purpose that i need butter for. It’s great, and non-vegans love it too!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. I'm really pleased you are enjoying it Sally!
Veronica McCann says
I’m a bumbling idiot and even I managed to make this. Tastes just like real butter. Highly recommended.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm sure you're not, but really glad you made it successfully anyway! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Beulah says
Hi, can I use Lemon juice instead of Apple cider vinegar?
A Virtual Vegan says
The recipe needs a little acid and apple cider vinegar is the best choice because it's got a well rounded, slightly sweet, not as sharp as other vinegars type flavour. All of the flavours in this recipe work so well together to provide a really buttery taste. I haven't personally tried lemon juice. It might be ok. I would think it's a small enough amount that you wouldn't taste the lemon. White wine vinegar might be a better choice? It's hard to say without trying it.
Melissa Hedden says
Super replacement for butter! Thank you.
Heather says
Would Mct oil work for this perhaps? Thanks for sharing!
A Virtual Vegan says
No it wouldn't. It needs to be regular refined cococnut oil as otherwise the butter won't set.
Carol says
Can you explain why unrefined doesn't work? If you did already I have missed it , thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
Because you want the butter to taste of butter. If you use unrefined it will taste/smell of coconut.
christina bickley says
hi , i was following your page,, and noticed that you use oil in your recipes.. which is a no no.. for all oils... surprised that so many vegans etc use oil.... its a shame
A Virtual Vegan says
I have a lot of oil-free recipes. You can find a whole section in my recipe index. But yes, I do use oil when it enhances a dish, and in recipes like this butter where there is no alternative. If you choose to eat oil free then that's your decision. It's a no no for you, but oil is vegan and it's up to each individual to make their own dietary decisions and they should be able to do that without judgement.
Tarey Beckwith says
Hi, can Brazil nuts be substituted for almonds and can Avocado oil be substituted for coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
Almonds have a really buttery flavour. I tested all the nuts and they came out best flavour-wise. Brazil nuts would technically work though, but the butter might not taste so "buttery". As for the oil, refined coconut oil is the only option. No other oil will work.
Rebecca Valentine says
Made this yesterday and it definitely looks like butter! Yummy! But I do have a question. For cookie recipes that call for unsalted butter, am I supposed to lessen the salt mentioned in the cookie recipe by the amount of salt the butter has?
(PS. I added only half the amount of salt mentioned in the butter recipe here.) Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you like it! Unless you are using the whole batch of butter in the recipe, then it could become hard to work out how much salt you should subtract from the recipe, but yes, in theory that would work.
If you need unsalted butter you could just make up a batch of my butter recipes with no salt added. If you don't use it all it freezes really well so you can save it for next time.
Hope that helps!
Elaine says
Absolutely outstanding! Thanks.
Bean says
This butter is AMAZING! I tried a recipe from another website that was an epic fail but I thought I'd persist and try yours and I am so glad I did! It tastes just like butter and holds together really well. Thank you for the recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. I take pride in my recipes being extremely well tested (by me and my recipes testers) so there should never be any epic fails here! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Zippy Sanchez says
This is da BOMB!! I never thought I would say this as a butter addict but it's even better than butter. I followed your recipe, used oatmilk and left our the tumeric, it really is a game changer. Thank you so much for this recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you are enjoying it. Thank you!