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 is palm oil-free.
This vegan butter recipe is tried and true. It has been one of my most popular recipes since 2015 and it comes with hundreds of five star reviews. And 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!
Make it in your blender in minutes and then use it just like regular butter for all of your spreading and baking needs. You can even use it to make vegan brown butter!
What is vegan butter?
Vegan butter is a dairy-free alternative to regular butter, which is most commonly made from cow's milk, but also sometimes sheep, goat, yak or buffalo milk. Vegan butter is made from plant based milk and it has a very similar texture, mouthfeel and flavour to butter made from animal's milk.
Is it like real butter?
This easy vegan butter is so unbelievably smooth, rich and creamy. It spreads beautifully and melts perfectly.
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.
Obviously it isn't identical to regular butter made from dairy but this plant based butter recipe tastes as good, if not better than most store bought vegan butters and looks the same, melts the same, behaves the same and bakes the same as dairy butter. Try it in my vegan butter tarts!
What is vegan butter made of?
Homemade vegan butter is made from just 8 easy to find plant based ingredients. Here is what you will need and why:
- 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 buy almond flour from Holland and Barrett.
- non-dairy milk - For creaminess and emulsification.
- nutritional yeast - For a buttery depth of flavour
- salt - flavour. Salt makes everything better!
- apple cider vinegar - It needs some acid to balance the flavours and apple cider vinegar is milder than most other culinary acids.
- refined coconut oil - For setting. Note that it must be refined (i.e flavourless and odourless). Without it the butter will stay liquid so it is absolutely essential.
- olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil - Essential for texture and spreadability
- turmeric - For colour. This is the only ingredient you can safely omit.
How to make plant-based butter
This vegan butter recipe takes literally a couple of minutes to make, plus some time for it to set. Here's how it's done:
- Add all of the ingredients except the oils to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the refined coconut oil and the olive oil and blend again until incorporated and light and airy.
- Pour into a lidded container and place in the fridge to set.
Success Tips
- Measure everything carefully and don't omit or change anything (except the turmeric which can be safely left out if you don't have it because it is only used for colour).
- You must use refined coconut oil. It's sometimes labelled as "deodorized". You absolutely cannot use unrefined or virgin coconut oil because your butter will smell and taste of coconut. If you aren't sure if yours is ok, check the label. It will say somewhere. Or give it a sniff and taste. If you can smell or taste any trace of coconut it is not refined and not suitable for this recipe.
- Make sure the refined coconut oil is liquid but at room temperature. Don't add it while it's hot.
- Blend until completely smooth but don't let the liquid butter get hot while blending or it could split. If it starts warming up give the blender a break for a minute or two before continuing.
- Let it set thoroughly before using.
- Store in the refrigerator
- Let is soften at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading for ultimate creaminess and ease of spreading.
- Omit the almond flour if you plan to use the recipe for sautéing or frying. More details are in the recipe notes.
Serving Suggestions
Slather this vegan butter on everything! Some ideas include:
- on bread or toast
- on homemade English Muffins
- on quick breads like my healthy banana bread, spelt bread, pumpkin bread and zucchini bread
- in mashed potatoes
- on baked potatoes or steamed potatoes
- on popcorn
- in pastry dough
- on steamed vegetables
- on vegan banana scones
- slathered on vegan sweet potato biscuits
- in vegan cream cheese frosting or buttercream
- to cook pancakes and on pancakes like my vegan banana pancakes, giant blueberry vegan pancake and my vegan spelt pancakes
- on oatmeal waffles
- in Risi e Bisi (Italian rice and peas)
- in cakes, cookies or other baked goods
- in my vegan lemon curd
Is vegan butter healthy?
This vegan butter is homemade, contains simple ingredients and does not contain trans fats, hydrogenated oils, additives and preservatives, so in that respect it does have healthier ingredients than most store bought vegan butters. However it is still very high in fat and calories, so like all butters, it should be eaten sparingly.
Is vegan butter the same as margarine?
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 labelled 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 margarines.
How to store
Be sure to pour the butter into a container with a lid so that it's easy to keep it covered. I put mine in small or shallow jars mason jars.
You might be wondering how long vegan butter lasts? Store it in the refrigerator and it will keep for about 2 weeks. This does depend to some extent on the milk you use to make it with though. If you use store bought milk it lasts longer than it does if you use homemade milk. That's because store bought milk has preservatives in it and homemade doesn't.
This vegan butter freezes really well. If you make more than you think you will comfortably eat in 2 weeks, or if you want to make a really big batch every couple of months, store it in the freezer where it will keep for up to 3 months.
- To freeze in an airtight freezer safe container - When you make the butter pour it into the freezer safe container cover with a lid and put it straight in the freezer. You can also freeze the already set butter if you prefer.
- To freeze in a silicone ice cube tray - Pour the liquid butter into the silicone trays. Place them gently and evenly in the freezer. Once the butter has solidified you can wrap the ice cube trays up really well or put them as they are in a sealed freezer bag. Or you can pop the frozen cubes out and store them in a bag or container so you get your ice cube tray back for other things.
- How to defrost - When you want some butter remove from the freezer and allow to defrost overnight in the fridge. If you have frozen it in an ice cube tray it will defrost really quickly so you can pop one out and leave it at room temperature until it's ready to use. It usually takes about 30 minutes.
Recipe FAQS
If you use unrefined or virgin coconut oil, your butter will end up tasting and smelling of coconut. It will not taste of butter. Refined coconut oil has no coconut flavor or smell which is why it is essential for this recipe.Â
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.
About 2 weeks. See my freezing instructions if you want to keep it longer.
The nutritional yeast helps with the buttery flavour and the butter is at it's 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 is completely different to nutritional yeast and will not work in this recipe.
There is no substitute for coconut oil in this recipe. Nothing else will work.
Recipe
Vegan Butter
Author: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) plant milk , NOT almond milk. Soy, cashew or oat milk work best. (the milk must be unsweetened and unflavoured)
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon 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 tasting liquid oil like light olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
Please see the recipe notes before proceeding if you intend on using this butter for frying or sautéing.
- Melt the coconut oil. I put it in the microwave for 20 or 30 seconds but you can also stand the jar in some hot water. Measure it when it's liquid and not when it's solid, then set it aside for a few minutes to cool. Don't use it while it's hot or warm. Allow it to get to room temperature first.
- Place the almond flour, milk, salt, nutritional yeast, vinegar and turmeric into a blender and blend until smooth.Â
- Pour in the refined coconut oil and olive oil then blend until velvety smooth. I use the smoothie setting on my blender. Don't let the blender get too warm while it's blending or the butter can split a bit. If your blender does run a little warm then blend in short bursts and give it a break for a minute or two in between.
- Pour the liquid butter into a container, cover and refrigerate until set.
- Let is soften at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading for ultimate creaminess and ease of spreading.
NOTES
- To freeze in an airtight freezer safe container -Â When you make the butter pour it into the freezer safe container cover with a lid and put it straight in the freezer. You can also freeze the already set butter if you prefer.
- To freeze in a silicone ice cube tray -Â Pour the liquid butter into the silicone trays. Place them gently and evenly in the freezer. Once the butter has solidified you can wrap the ice cube trays up really well or put them as they are in a sealed freezer bag. Or you can pop the frozen cubes out and store them in a bag or container so you get your ice cube tray back for other things.
This recipe was originally published on March 15th 2015. I've added new photographs & some new content and now I am republishing it for you. The actual recipe remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Emma says
Thank you so much, you made my daughter happy. She really love it. Good thing was she can eat almond now.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's wonderful! I am so glad she enjoyed it. ????
Lisa Way says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This recipe is AMAZING! It actually tastes like butter!
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year, and part of my treatment involves going on a two-week low iodine diet periodically to prepare for diagnostic tests. It is a very restrictive diet and the hardest part of it for me is that it does not allow any dairy products, including butter (or margarine). I was never aware before of how much I rely on butter as a flavoring, especially on vegetables. This recipe completely solves the problem for me and I can't tell you how happy that makes me!
There is a cookbook that the Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association has compiled to help people like me with the difficult task of putting together low iodine meals. Would you consider allowing them to include this recipe in the cookbook? It would be so wonderful since the cookbook does not currently include any butter substitutes.
The thyroid cancer website is http://www.thyca.org, and here is a link to the low iodine cookbook: http://www.thyca.org/download/document/231/Cookbook.pdf
A Virtual Vegan says
I am so pleased you are enjoying it and that it is helping to make your test prep more bearable. I had no idea it was a low iodine recipe. That's good to know and I have added it to the tags so that hopefully once Google crawls my site again, if anyone searches for low-iodine butter it should show up in their search results.
As for the cookbook, I'm afraid it's a no. I'm sorry. I really struggled with making the decision as I would love to help but it is the most popular recipe on my website. It's kind of what keeps me going here and the ad revenue it earns helps me to keep my website online. Now I have so many visitors it's become pretty expensive to keep going! I also plan to publish a cookbook myself at some point in the future and after speaking to my agent she advised that as this recipe is so popular, I shouldn't allow it to be used anywhere else as it would probably end up in my own book when the time comes. So sorry! I feel really mean :(
I wish you all the best with your treatment Lisa and hope that you make a quick and full recovery!
Lisa Way says
Thank you for your reply and for adding the tags so that others in my situation will be more likely to find your wonderful recipe. I understand and respect your reasons for not wanting this recipe to appear in other people's cookbooks, so please don't feel bad about this. Thank you again for putting in the work to come up with such a great replacement for dairy butter!
Ciara says
Can't wait to try this! Is it possible to substitute almond meal for flax meal? I have all the ingredients now but almond meal
A Virtual Vegan says
No don't use flax meal. It is totally different to almond meal. You really need to use the almond meal as that's what makes the butter buttery. Flax meal gels when mixed with liquid and it would make the butter very strange and gloopy. Plus it tends to taste a bit bitter. Also it would make your butter all brown and speckled. Not good at all. At a push you can use ground up cashew flour instead of the almonds but for the best buttery flavour it needs to be almond meal. Hope that helps!
Jenilee says
Hello
Can this be used instead of (regular) butter to make frosting?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you can. It makes wonderful frosting!
Sandra says
Hi there - I tried this last night and the look and consistency is great. I used almond milk and do get a faint taste/smell of almonds which I'm not overly keen on. Do you have any suggestions as to a different milk that would cancel out the taste of the almonds? Can you use something else in place of almond meal? Also, could avocado oil be used in place of olive oil for a more buttery flavour?
This is my first ever attempt at making my own butter, any tips greatly appreciated.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Sandra. I don't ever use almond milk in any of my recipes because I find it's distinctive flavour always come through. I would imagine it does in this butter too as you have found. That's why I suggest using a neutral milk. One without much flavour. There is just something about almond milk. I can't describe it but it definitely has a unique taste. My preferred milk for this recipe is cashew milk. I often buy the Silk brand when I haven't made some myself.
It isn't the almond meal you can taste. That is really mild and is what gives the buttery flavour and it is necessary in this recipe for that reason. It also acts as an emulsifier.
I am sure the issue is the almond milk you used. I also wouldn't recommend using avocado oil. It is quite pungent and I think the flavour would come through more than with olive oil. If you use a regular olive oil and not extra virgin the flavour of it isn't pronounced at all.
Can I also check that you used refined coconut oil and not unrefined in it? If you used the wrong one that has a major impact on the flavour.
Hopefully if you give it a second try and tweak it a bit you should notice a difference. ????
Sandra says
I definitely used refined coconut oil and I will check my olive oil. I have never used almond milk before so didn't realise it would affect the flavour. Will give it another go with cashew milk.
Thanks so much!
Sandra says
Hi Mel I used plain olive oil rather than extra virgin and made my own cashew milk and the result is fantastic, what a difference it makes. I'm a convert!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome! I am so pleased. Thank you for letting me know!
Patricia says
Hello thank you so much for this recipe it taste amazing ! I had one question , how do you get rid of the brown almond hauls in the butter? I picked up the almond flower at Wal-Mart.
Thank you for all your help.
Patricia
A Virtual Vegan says
I think almond flour is generally made using almonds with their skins on so has the brown flecks. If you buy almond meal it is generally skin free. Bob's Red Mill have it I think. I tend to make my own. I cover my almonds in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes then drain and the skins pop off pretty easily. Then I wait for them to dry (or dry them on low in the oven if I'm in a hurry) before making the flour in my blender. So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Laura says
OMG! Thank you for this! We're a family of four omnis who are transitioning to a vegan diet, and the one thing I was really upset about was not having butter (I bake most of my own bread and it's just not the same without butter). This recipe seems like it'll be a good way to have butter for my bread, or pancakes, or popcorn.
One question about the need for refrigeration - I know during the summer, coconut oil will liquefy, but if I store this non-dairy butter in a butter bell or other butter crock (intended to keep dairy butter from turning to liquid during the summer, but allowing it to be a bit more spreadable than straight from the fridge), will that keep the coconut oil solid enough? In case you're not familiar with a butter bell/crock, you put the butter in a ceramic bell shaped holder that hangs down into a ceramic crock of cold water. The water seals the air out of the butter, keeping it fresh, but also acts to keep the butter cool. We generally refresh the water daily, more during the hot days, so that the water is always chilled.
A Virtual Vegan says
You are so welcome! I bake my own bread too hence the reason I needed to create a butter recipe! You're right. It's just not the same without butter on it. I would imagine it would be ok in a butter bell. You can always try it and see what happens. If it gets too soft just pop it back in the fridge again. You could even test it with a lump of coconut oil first perhaps and see what happens.
Kevin M says
Hi Mel. Love the look of this recipe, and will be trying it soon. I have been on the hunt for a butter alternative for a while. Also love the idea of freezing in little cubes for later use. My only question is re refined coconut oil. I have a cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil I would like to use, as it still has the phenols which are helpful (heat-treated coconut oil does not, according to my research). What would be the particular reason for not using the oil I have vs a refined oil? (or am I misunderstanding the term "unrefined"?). Thanks for any advice.
A Virtual Vegan says
It really has to be refined coconut oil when making this recipe. I personally prefer to use unrefined cold pressed extra virgin like yours, but in this it just does not work. Instead of tasting buttery it just tastes and smells of coconut and isn't very pleasant. If you use refined coconut oil you can't taste or smell the coconut and the butter tastes buttery.
Nutrition wise I am sure that refined probably isn't quite as good for you as unrefined but if you buy a good quality one and not one that has been bleached and deodorized it will help a lot. Most are bleached and deodorized so be careful when choosing. I buy the Nutiva brand because it is refined simply with steam and is not bleached or deodorized. According to their website, both their refined and unrefined coconut oil have 63% Medium Chain Triglycerides and 50% Lauric Acid. It doesn't mention phenols though so I'm not sure about that. Hope that helps!
Shella Murphy says
Are you using refined coconut oil because of Neutral taste? or is there another reason to not use Unrefined coconut oil? thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
It is because of the taste and smell. It doesn't taste buttery at all if you use unrefined. It really needs to be refined. Hope that helps!
edie says
on pintrest it says 1/3 ml coconut oil on here it says 1/2 cup which is correct
A Virtual Vegan says
Never go by what Pinterest says. As recipe creator we don't get to input that information. It's done automatically by Pinterest and is often wrong. The quantities stated on my website are tested and correct.
Gaby says
Could I use Avocado oil ore canola oil instead of the coconut?
A Virtual Vegan says
No other oil will work in the place of the coconut oil. It has to be one that solidifies otherwise your butter wont set.
Linda Stradley says
Why do you advise using refined coconut oil rather than unrefined coconut oil? Refined coconut oil goes rancid; unrefined NEVER does!
A Virtual Vegan says
It has to be refined it you want the butter to taste like butter. If you use unrefined it will taste and smell of coconut. I personally have never had any refined coconut oil go rancid. As long as you don't buy too much, use it within 2 or 3 months and store it properly it shouldn't be an issue. Hope that helps!
Linda Stradley says
You win! I found the refined coconut oil yesterday, at my local health food store, made the butter today, abd, OMG!!! It's spool delicious!!!! I'm hooked!
Thank you for your inciteful curiosity and ingenuity!!!
Linda Stradley
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! I'm so pleased you found some and that you are enjoying it! Thank you for letting me know. ????
Gala says
I made this today and am very pleased. I do have a question though. Why does it only keep for a week on the fridge?
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you are pleased with it! It wont last as long as store bought butter alternatives because they are filled with additives and preservatives to keep them fresher for longer. It will only last for as long as your milk is good for and as you know plant-based milk doesn't stay fresh for that long. Usually if it's store bought milk it lasts about 2 weeks. With homemade milk it only stays fresh for a few days. You might want to look at freezing some each time so it stays fresh longer. ????
Danijela says
Could you use an immersion blender
A Virtual Vegan says
I am pretty sure it would be fine!
Nancy says
Fantastic revipe! FYI Miyoko's vegan butter has no palm oul only good ingredients. But homemade is always best!! Thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Nancy! Unfortunately I can't get Miyoko's butter here yet. The cheese made it recently so perhaps the butter will arrive soon. Mind you the cheese is $20.99 per pack so if the butter is the same I wont be buying it often. When I created this recipe Miyoko's butter didn't exist, hence me saying there were no palm oil free butters available in my post. I could do with going in to update it. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the recipe!
Chris says
I have a nut allergy, what could I use instead of almond flour? Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
You could use ground pine nuts (they are seeds not nuts despite their name) and I think sunflower seeds ground up would work too. Hope that helps!
Chris says
I have always been fine with pine nuts and sunflower seeds so I will give one of those a try, thanks!