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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Mariah says
Hi, I was wondering the texture for room temperature butter. In the pictures it looks crumbly, and although I can't currently think of using butter on something not hot or warm, I'm thinking of making a big batch for Christmas presents. I don't normally use the ingredients listed, and would have to buy 5 of the items. I just wouldn't want to give crumbly butter away.
A Virtual Vegan says
When it's room temperature it softens just like real butter does. Straight from the fridge it is really hard and difficult to spread like real butter is. When I took the pictures it was literally straight from the fridge because I forgot to take it out before. It only needs 15 - 20 mins out of the fridge to soften up to spread comfortably. If it makes you feel any better, I make it for myself all the time and it's the most popular recipe on my blog. If you want to see what others think of it there is lots of positive feedback in the comments here (if you don't mind scrolling back through them all). It's a great idea to give it out as gifts. Bear in mind when gifting it though that it will only keep for as long as the milk you use is good for so don't make it too far in advance. It can be frozen though as you have probably noticed in the write up. Hope that helps :O)
Annette payne says
Icould not find the butter recipe. Please send it to me. Thanks
Sue says
Can i use just soybean and or corn oil and distilled vinegar allergic to everything else
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Sue, Sorry no you can't replace the oil in this recipe. It needs to be an oil that will solidify or the butter will stay liquid. The vinegar would be ok but I guess that's no good if you can't use the coconut oil :O(
Salome Shively says
can't wait to try it! what is nutritional yeast? is it the same as the regular yeast i buy to make bread?
A Virtual Vegan says
No, nutritional yeast is completely different to bread yeast. You can buy it in most grocery stores or natural food stores. It kind of looks like yellow flakes and tastes cheesy.It adds a savoury buttery flavour to the butter. It isn’t an active yeast like bread yeast. A few brands that I see in stores most around here are Bob’s Red Mill, Braggs and Red Star.
Hayley says
Hello!! I was wondering if this would work well as a buttercream for cakes? I hope so!! ????
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it does!! Be sure to keep the buttercream cold though or you might have melting issues though. Don't handle it too much when you are making the buttercream and if it gets too soft just give it a rest in the fridge. Once you have frosted your cake/cupcakes keep them in the fridge to ensure the frosting holds up well. Have fun!
Shannon says
Can this be used in baking? Also, is the nutritional yeast necessary or can it be left out or replaced?
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Shannon, yes it can be used for baking. The nutritional yeast helps the buttery flavour. You could leave it out as long as you are happy to sacrifice a little flavour.
Shannon says
Gotcha, thanks! Yay, I'm so excited to use it in baking!
Nazan says
Looks amazing! Definitely will try. Can it be used in cooking and baking as well?
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! It is great for baking (cakes, cookies etc) but isn't so good for frying, grilling or broiling. I hope you enjoy it :O)
Natasha says
Greetings from Greece Mel!
I made this just a few hours ago and it is delicious!!! It tastes like salted butter and resembles it as well!!!
I love your website and your recipes look fantastic!
Blessings,
Natasha (Anele's place)
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Natasha! Thank you so much :O)
Nancy Zehetner says
I just made this. Absolutely delicious.!!! I dislike the taste of Earth Balance so I cheat and pickup real butter sometimes. Honestly I could eat butter by the "patful". I am a long time vegetarian, since 1969, and recently altered my diet to that of a vegan in an attempt to arrest joint and bone inflammation. It has always been my moral intention to do so but I needed the stimulus of a painful stiff body to spur me from the dairy. This vegan butter is so good!, I repeat! I used almond meal and in my big vitamix it was a challenge to get everything blended to a smooth consistency as my blender splashed the small amount everywhere. I used a spatula to try and scrape down the sides and lid.. Pretty smooth so added the rest and it really smoothed out. thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Nancy. I'm so glad you like it! Hopefully cutting out the dairy will make a difference to your joint and bone inflammation.
I can imagine that in a great big Vitamix trying to blend the small amount was difficult. Now you know you like it, you could double or triple the recipe next time as having more quantity will make it easier for the blender to handle. It freezes really well so any you won't eat within a week or two could go in the freezer, either in small pots or ice cube trays. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know your thoughts. I really appreciate it :O)
Jane says
Thank-you for sharing this recipe - my first effort at it has worked well! I look forward to making it again and again. No more supermarket butter, yay!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Jane! I am so glad you like it :O)
Lori says
This is a game changer for us!! Really tasty and exactly what I've been looking for! I hate the taste and the ingredients in Earth Balance and don't want to use butter. This tastes really good, melts like a dream, we use it on popcorn, toast, for baking! So quick and easy to make!! I've been making a double batch and now want to try freezing it. Thanks for an awesomely delicious recipe!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! I am so thrilled that you like it so much Lori and thank you for stopping by to let me know. I really appreciate it! :O)
Sarah Whiddett says
How do I know if my coconut oil is refined? I have one pot that states it's unrefined but another that doesn't say either way (Coconut Oil from Coconut Merchant), What will happen if I use the unrefined oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Sarah,
Unrefined coconut oil tastes and smells of coconut. Refined doesn't. That's why I specify refined as otherwise your butter will taste and smell of coconut. If your jar says raw or virgin anywhere on it then it is unrefined but you can tel by opening it up and sniffing it. If it smells like coconut it's not the right kind. You should be able to get refined coconut oil pretty easily. It's usually easier to find than the unrefined stuff. Hope that helps!
Sarah Whiddett says
Thanks so much for your speedy response. I've probably got unrefined. It feels strange to be longing for something refined! :)
A Virtual Vegan says
I know! I try to use the unrefined as much as possible but sometimes you just don't want that coconut flavour. I am always careful to buy the brands that aren't refined using chemicals or bleach though. The one I buy uses steam to refine it and it's unbleached. Just something to bear in mind when you are shopping for it :O)
Misty says
What brands of recoconut oil is best? I don't want chemicals either. Super excited to make this!!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Misty,
Personally I tend to use Nutiva coconut oil as the refined one is refined using steam only so there's nothing nasty left lingering in it. It's also a brand that produces their coconuts ethically without the use of monkey slaves (if you haven't heard about that you should look it up, it's such an eye opener and apparently over 90% of our coconuts are now picked this way). If you can't get Nutiva, Tropical Traditions is another good brand. Hope that helps :0)
Lucy says
I have just made my first batch & it's chilling in the fridge. I cannot wait to try it on my toast tomorrow!! Thank you soooo much. So far a decent butter replacement has been very difficult since going vegan.
A Virtual Vegan says
The hardest part is waiting for it to set! I hope you enjoy your toast tomorrow :O)
Ken says
I tried several times to get the recipe for vegan and only get a run around and 'you might like' stuff. I just wanted avrecipe. VERY FRUSTRATING.
A Virtual Vegan says
The recipe is quite clearly visible on my website and I haven't heard from anyone else who can't access it :O)
Alex Taylor says
This butter is SUPERB Thank you for such a perfect, delicious and quick way of giving up a load of palm oil.
A Virtual Vegan says
Wow, thank you so much Alex! I am thrilled that you love it so much :O)
Jennifer says
Hi there!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is delicious :).
As my husband reacts badly to nuts, I used pine "nuts" instead of almond meal. From what I understand, they are actually a seed and he can eat them with no problem. At first I stuck to the measurements exactly and used toasted pine nuts. It came out pretty good and my girls liked it a lot. They suggested I use more salt and nutritional yeast.
Second batch I doubled the recipe again, but this time used raw pine nuts which I soaked on the counter in a measuring cup full of saltwater for 7 hours (1/2 cup pine nuts, filled the rest of the way with pure water and with 1/4 tsp seasalt mixed in). Rinsed and drained those, then stuck them in the blender with a slightly rounded tsp of sea salt and two slightly rounded tsps of nutritional yeast. Also used canned life coconut milk (Trader Joe's brand has no thickeners or fillers).
Oh my goodness: it came out even more awesome! Thank you again so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great! I've had lots of people asking about a nut free version but haven't had a chance to try experimenting myself yet. I'm so glad pine nuts worked out. They aren't as buttery as almonds which is probably why you needed a little extra nutritional yeast etc to get the flavour just right. I expect the coconut milk from a can made it really creamy. Yum! I am glad I inspired you and that you were happy with the results!
annetta says
HI!
I just tried this recipe and loved the result of the Butter!
My only question is: do you think it has to be coconut oil? I don't`t really like the saturated fat in it, so I was wondering whether a local oil (sunflower/rapeseed oil in my part of the world) would so the job as well. What do you think? Have you tried any other?
Greeting from Switzerland
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you love the recipe Annetta! Unfortunately you can't replace the coconut oil in the recipe. Nothing else will work as as it has to be an oil that goes solid so that the butter sets up. Just remember that all saturated fats are not created equally. This is a great article http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/22/coconut-oil-and-saturated-fats-can-make-you-healthy.aspx
Gema says
Hi, i am going to make your ñami recipe. I am wondering why you say only refined oil, may be cause of the coco flavour? I have at home deodorized coco fat. Will this be ok? Thanks for the lovely vegan input and the answer ;)
LoveLove
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Gema, You are correct, it is because of the coconut flavour. Unrefined coconut oil does not taste of coconut oil so is perfect in this butter. The one you have sounds like it would be perfect. I hope you enjoy the finished butter!
Ally says
Silk has palm oil in it. Im not sure what happened to my comment but I had a lot of suggestions as to what plant based milks to use that do not contain palm oil.
A Virtual Vegan says
I hadn't approved your comment because I am waiting for a reply from Silk. From the research I have done since your message I have discovered that not all Vitamin A Palmitate is made from palm oil. It can be derived from any combination of vegetable oil such as olive, coconut or canola as well. I have sent them an email to find out from what theirs is derived from and was planning on approving and replying to your comment when I had a response.
Lisa says
This butter was so easy to make and is the only recipe I've tried so far that actually tastes and feels like butter. My omnivore husband also likes it and it's such an easy recipe with no lecithin or strange ingredients. The only thing it doesn't work with is frying as the almonds stick to the pan - I'll stick to oil for this! Thank you for coming up with such a brilliant and easy recipe. The only trouble is, I'm on a diet!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! Thanks Lisa. I am so glad you both like it. It's a bonus that it's so quick and easy to make too. Thank you for the feedback on frying. I haven't tried that myself so will go make a note on the recipe so that others know. And I totally feel you regarding the diet! Imagine how I feel having to constantly test (and eat) my recipes! I had a message from another reader yesterday telling me that I am making her put on weight! I have a tip for you. Make my tomato soup recipe. It's only 200ish calories for the whole pot, then you can have lots of bread and butter with it and not feel too guilty ;O)