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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Katie says
Hi there! I tried this recipe twice and as everyone has agreed... the taste was bang on! I had a few issues with the texture though, so I thought I'd pop my questions here. The first time I made it in a standard blender... nothing fancy... and the almond flour didn't seem fully incorporated. The texture wasn't totally smooth, but I chalked that up to the blender being ten years old. The next time I made it in a Vitamix. I gave it a good whirl (probably a minute or so) but that time it split... ugh. I'm about to give it another go in the Vitamix... there isn't a smoothie setting but it's pretty heavy duty. Anybody out here know exactly how long to let 'er rip? Or, if the butter just has texture and that's that? If so, it's still delicious, but I'd hate to miss out on any creaminess due to my own human error. Thanks so much!!
Melanie McDonald says
It should be completely smooth. A high-powered blender should have no issues. Is your Vitamix jug huge? It could be that there's not enough for it to blend efficiently. If you think that's the case try doubling the recipe. It freezes well so there's no rush to use it all.
Melanie McDonald says
Also I forgot to say that if it split that would be because of heat. High powered blenders get hot. You can make and heat soup in them. You need to blend until the mixture is completely smooth but you need to take measures to keep the mixture cool, either by blending in short bursts or lowering the speed. Hope that helps.
Laetitia says
Hi Melanie,
Will this butter work in puff pastry?
I know from French cook that vegan butter for such pastry should be in stick and contains more than 30% fat which I haven't found in Québec.
Did you try to make puff pastry with your recipe?
Have a good day!
Laëtitia
Melanie McDonald says
I haven't tried to make puff pastry with it but I have made croissants and it worked great. Just be sure to keep everything really cold. I try to work on a silicone baking mat so that when the dough gets a bit warm, I can easily pick it up, sit it on a baking tray and pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Hope that helps!
Laetitia says
Thanks for the reply and the tips. I will definitely give it a try.
Starrysky says
This is by far the BESTEST Vegan Butter recipe and the only one I use for nearly 2 years now as everytime I make it, it comes out PERFECTLY! I tried many many other Vegan butter recipes, which I thought were the best until making them several times and having to throw out and remake some batches, wasting ingredients, as often would not fully solidfy, or separate, etc. I use your receipe all the time as make several batches in advance & freeze the butter sticks. I use my Blendtec Blender and pour velvety mixture into either 1/2 Cup or 1 Cup Souper Cubes silicone molds as no guessing when needed for recipes & place in freezer until solid. I then remove the butter sticks from the molds and wrap in either wax paper or foil, and then vacuum package & seal in a vacuum channel bag (have a Nesco sealer machine) so I always have butter sticks on hand. I buy Almond Flour ahead and in keep in fridge. One adjustment I did switch to, is that I use Soy Milk Powder (mix it with water according to the directions to equal amount in your recipe) instead of Soy Milk to equal measurements in the recipe. Only listed some details in case helps someone else. Your recipe is PERFECT. I know you cannot use it for frying, but that's not an issue for me. Blessings & Have A Great Day!
Cheryl A Stein says
After my second of three children became vegan, I really started expermenting with vegan recipes in ernest. This is the third vegan butter I have tried, and I think it has the best taste and texture, so far. I'm not gonna lie; it's a lot more work for me cooking completely vegan for my family, mostly because, if I don't want to spend excessively, I have to make so many things that I used to be able to buy more cheaply. I really appreciate having excellent recipes, like this one, to rely on for staples like butter. I think I'm going to make more at a time, and freeze it, especially with Thanksgiving coming up. I use my Cuisinart food processor, and the butter comes out perfectly smooth and creamy. Just make sure you pulse the dry ingredients really well first, and then add the wet ingredients slowly. I tried it in the blender, and preferred the food processor. Thanks for this butter...it's a game changer.
Jane says
Mel - ignore my question. Just found out the pourable is ALSO unrefined. Can't get refined anywhere!!! :(((
Melanie McDonald says
The liquid one is probably MCT or fractionated coconut oil. It won't set and is no good for this recipe. It has to be regular unrefined coconut oil. I can't help with where to buy it in Australia. Here all stores sell refined coconut oil. Perhaps look online to see if you can order some.
I do know that Nuttelex is a common vegan butter in Australia. Hope you manage to find one or the other!
Jane says
Quick question Mel! The refined coconut oil in the local shop is liquid on the (quite cold - over air conditioned!) store shelf. My regular unrefined is always solid, unless it get pretty warm in the house. So will the (liquid at cool room temps) refined oil be ok? Or do you think they have done something to the refined to make it "pourable"? I need to make this recipe urgently because I just discovered nowhere sells vegan butter in this bit of Australia and I'm making the Earl Grey cake for my daughter's 21st! All help appreciated :)
Barb says
Jane,
You can get the solid-ish refined (tasteless) coconut oil at Chemist Warehouse (and you can purchase online and have it delivered from them). I know it's too late for your daughter's birthday but hopefully this helps for the future.
Am says
I realize you say ‘no changes’ Unfortunately I cannot have vinegars (all) therefore lemon if you agree and absolutely no nutritional yeast, now I’m stuck? Help😳
I will try it with something, I’m very game!
Melanie McDonald says
You could make it and omit those ingredients but obviously it won't taste at it's best. The nutritional yeast in particular is important for the buttery flavour. Lemon juice might work to replace the acidity of the vinegar but there's a chance you might taste a tiny hint of it. I've never tried it so can't say for sure. There is no possible replacement for the nutritional yeast. It's such a unique ingredient. Hope it works out ok for you!
Lucy says
This has been a real life changer for me for the last couple of years, it's enabled me to give up not only dairy butter but also over-packaged, often palm-oil filled bought stuff. I've got hand-written simplified recipe instructions in my own notebook, I always enjoy making it, and find that the quantities provide enough for a Bonne Maman jam jar that I keep in the fridge and a ramekin that I freeze, so when I get onto the ramekin I know I'll need to make some more soon!
Reading it again, mind, and the comments, I wonder if I've been using the right almond flour? I use fine ground white almonds, not the rougher stuff with the brown bits in, but blitzed up for a few moments with the plant milk it seems to be fine. I'm not even sure I can get the almond flour here in France anyway.
BJ says
I am allergic to almonds. I know it will change the flavor, but can you recommend an alternative flour please? What would be the next best thing? Thanks so much.
Melanie McDonald says
Copied from the FAQ's:
I am allergic to almonds. Is there something I can use instead?
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.
Lisa says
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing. May I ask how much saturated fat is there in this recipe? I see the 3.2g of fat, but I would imagine total amount would be much more if using coconut and olive oil.
Melanie McDonald says
The nutritional information is per serving not for the total amount. It's computer-generated and meant as a guide only.
Grace says
Hi,
Can this butter be used to make buttercream frosting?
Melanie McDonald says
Yes.
maria says
Such a great recipe. I make it all the time and keep it in the freezer. So much convenient, tastier and cheaper than buying it. Thanks!
Suzanne says
Absolutely beautiful taste and texture! What a find! Gorgeous. I'll be making this regularly and freezing some for emergencies. Made the mistake of buying almond flour which was actually almond meal, so waited until I had the very fine almond flour before making it and am very glad i did. It is perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
Clare says
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. Thanks Melanie, you're ace!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Clare, I'm so pleased you're enjoying it!
Emma P says
Hi Clare - where did you find your super fine almond flour?
Celine says
I just discovered this recipe. I'm very excited to try it! I am a little worried if it will turn out good though, as I don't own a blender, only a food processor and an immersion blender
Melanie McDonald says
Sorry Celine, but it won't turn out well in a food processor. I don't think it would emulsify properly and would end up feeling a little grainy. I'd hate you to waste the ingredients trying.
Maybe an immersion blender would work better? I've never tried it though. If you do and it works out well let us know because it might help someone else who is wondering too. Good luck!
Carolee says
Hey Celine! In a previous rating, someone used a Cuisinart food processor and said to First: Pulse the dry ingredients together, then Slowly add the wet ingredients...
John says
Great tasting easy to make and very stable. I enjoy the nice hint of sweetness, thank you for the recipe. Now the only problem I have is making it fast enough for the omnivores in my home.
Shivangni says
I live in India where the temperatures are really high. 45-50C (122F)
The Butter sets really well in the fridge, but once out, it comes back to its melted form.
Any additives or stabilisers to make it stable?
Jaimie says
I did not read the instructions carefully and did not cool the coconut oil fully before using. It made a disgusting mess and wasted a half jar of coconut oil. I did not find a way to salvage it after the oil split, so I hope others will read more carefully before trying.
Michelle says
Is there anything I can substitute for the coconut oil? I have many food sensitivities and coconut is one of them. Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
No sorry. The recipe won't work without it.
Rebecca says
I've been using this for several years. I freeze 1/2 in an ice cube tray for later since I don't use it all. It's the best vegan butter recipe out there!