Creamy and super buttery homemade vegan butter! Easy 7-ingredient recipe that is spreadable, melts fabulously on toast and is great for baking and frying.
I can’t even tell you how pleased I am about this homemade vegan butter!
It is just perfect! It’s wonderful on bread, for spreading (and melting) on toast, you can use it for baking, for frying, for whatever you would usually use your vegan butter for!
And it’s homemade!
It has a wonderfully buttery flavor and takes all of about 5 minutes to make (a little longer to set 
).
Why make your own vegan butter?
Now you might be asking: why do I want to make my own vegan butter when I can just buy some?
Well here’s the thing – a very common question I get asked on my baked goods that use vegan butter is: ‘Where can I find vegan butter?’ because a lot of countries don’t seem to have great availability for this.
Or it might be that you don’t love all the ingredients in the brands that are available to you, or maybe you’re like me and are just delighted when you can make your own things!
How to use vegan butter
I wanted to make sure that this vegan butter is good for various uses, so I tried it for frying and fried up some mushrooms with some spring onions and it was perfect (and delicious!).
And then I wanted to make sure it was good for baking, so I creamed it up with some sugar and made some vegan oatmeal cookies with it, and they were perfect!
And as you can see I’ve been spreading it on bread and toast and just enjoying it all the ways one tends to enjoy butter!
The one place I didn’t love it was using it in a frosting. This is because it gets very soft/melty at room temperature and very hard in the fridge. This is of course because the base is coconut oil and this is what coconut oil does!
Store-bought vegan butters tend to not get super hard in the fridge, and also tend to not get ultra runny in hot temperatures which is why they work better in frostings. So for this reason it isn’t ideal in a frosting and I’m going to stick with the store-bought variety for that. But you definitely can use this for frostings in a pinch.
And for everything else – this vegan butter works great!
So much buttery flavor!
I mentioned above that it has a buttery flavor, well truth be told I have not tasted dairy butter in a lot of years!
But comparing the flavor to vegan buttery spreads on the market, it compares very favorably. It’s damn good I must say.
The buttery flavor comes about from the vegan buttermilk – apple cider vinegar mixed in with unsweetened soy milk or almond milk, I tested both and both worked great – and a little nutritional yeast.
Refined coconut oil is very neutral in flavor yet perfect in texture, so it enables this vegan butter to take on the other flavors added to it.
How about that texture..
It does get very hard in the fridge, so it’s more like a traditional butter in that sense, if you want to spread it on bread or cream it up with sugar for baking, it’s best to let it soften slightly out the fridge first.
Spreading on toast is of course fine as is and it doesn’t need to soften first.
You’ll also find the texture of it tends towards crumbly when it’s still hard straight from the fridge, but this doesn’t have any impact on the result once spread. And to avoid this, let it soften a bit first.
Homemade Vegan Butter Q&A
How long does it keep in the fridge? This is of course a fresh homemade product, so while the oils in the vegan butter are long lasting (the base of this is refined coconut oil), other ingredients such as the non-dairy milk, are not.
It keeps for up to 2-weeks in the fridge, though it’s at it’s best for around 10-12 days.
Can I freeze it? Yes, if you’re going to want to use it for longer than 2 weeks then freeze the excess and only keep on hand what you are going to use. When you’re ready to use the frozen portion, just pop it in the fridge where it will thaw and get ready for use.
What can I use instead of canola oil? I found the canola oil to have a very neutral taste and to work well for this, but other options are avocado oil or olive oil. If you are going to use olive oil though then don’t blend the olive oil in. Blend everything else and then stir the olive oil in. Olive oil can tend towards a bitter taste when blended too long.
Can I use extra virgin coconut oil instead of refined coconut oil? Extra virgin coconut oil can be used but the flavor just wasn’t nearly so good when I tried it. It ends up with a coconut flavor. And I like coconut flavor, so it’s not like I had something against that.
The blend of flavors wasn’t as nice and it didn’t taste as buttery as it does when you use refined coconut oil. Also after only around a week in the fridge, it had got a sort of whitish look to it, like lard, rather than like butter. You can definitely try that though if you have an issue with using refined coconut oil, just know that the result is not as good.
What is the nutritional yeast for? It adds buttery flavor. However, it’s only used in a small amount so you can omit it if it’s an ingredient you have an issue with. You will lose some buttery flavor but that’s all.
What is the turmeric used for? The turmeric is just for color. So you can omit it, but it’s great to add it for a more buttery look. Make sure you only use a small pinch though. I tried it with a 1/4 tsp and oh my, the color was luminous yellow, like the color of those highlighter pens!
If you love homemade things, then you will love this homemade vegan butter! It is:
- Creamy
- Buttery
- Spreadable
- Melty
- Great for baking or frying
Use it anywhere you would use a vegan butter! Keep it covered in a glass butter dish in the fridge where it will keep for up to 2-weeks – the italics there are because I tested this all the way up to day 15, and it still tasted okay but there was just something in the taste that was saying, hmmm, maybe this is past its best days!
I would say it has a fridge life of up to 14 days but really it is at its best for around 10-12 days. If you know you won’t use it that fast, then keep around only what you’ll use right away and freeze the rest.
This vegan butter would be great in these recipes:
- Vegan Garlic Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pound Cake
- Vegan Bread Pudding
- Vegan Apple Crisp
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
So what do you think of this vegan butter? Let me know in the comments! And if you make it, let me know how it worked out! And please rate the recipe as this is super helpful.
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Homemade Vegan Butter
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: ~275g/9.7oz Block of Butter
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Creamy and super buttery homemade vegan butter! Easy 7-ingredient recipe that is spreadable, melts fabulously on toast and is great for baking and frying.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) Refined Coconut Oil (Melted)*
- 2 Tbsp Canola Oil* (See Notes)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Unsweetened Soy or Almond Milk
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
- Small Pinch Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Add melted refined coconut oil to the blender jug along with the canola oil.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the unsweetened soy or almond milk and stir in so that it curdles into buttermilk and then add it in.
- Add the nutritional yeast, small pinch of turmeric and salt.
- Blend very well until smooth.
- Pour out into a butter dish and refrigerate until set.
- Remove from the fridge to thaw for a few minutes if using on fresh bread or creaming with sugar for baking.
Notes
*Must be refined coconut oil not extra virgin coconut oil.
*Avocado oil is a great option to use instead of canola oil. Olive oil also works but bear in mind that high speed blending can cause olive oil to become bitter. If using olive oil, add it in at the end and mix in without blending.
*Lasts up to 2-weeks in refrigerator. If you need it to last longer, freeze the excess and only keep what you will use within 2-weeks in your fridge.
*Inspired by Fork and Beans.
- Category: How to, Gluten-Free
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tsp
- Calories: 39
- Sodium: 22mg
- Fat: 4.1g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1g
Keywords: vegan butter
Thank you very much for the GREAT recipe. I got my nutritional yeast delivered today and I am very new to this. Itβs flakes, powder. Will it work same? And which do you prefer more, powder or flakes. Thank you.
Hi Julie, we use the flakes. The powder is more concentrated, so I generally prefer the flakes, but either/or is also fine, but in the case of the powder it is probably better to use a bit less. π
Hi Alison. I canβt find any nutritional yeast due to a grocery store shortage. What would happen if I didnβt use it?
Hi Isabella, it’s totally fine to leave it out! It is for flavor but it’s subtle!
This is my favorite recipe for vegan butter. A tip I picked up in another recipe is to partially melt the coconut oil. It helps emulsify the ingredients if it is only partially melted and actually comes out looking a more butter color.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for sharing Kathy!
This is pretty good stuff! Had a little trouble with separation but just kept an eye on it and whisked it as it cooled. Unfortunately now it is the next morning and the butter is rock hard. I’m wondering if more veg oil and less coconut oil would help since the coconut oil is what solidifies this. I’m just not sure how much of an adjustment to make. Any insight would be great!
★★★★
It does set hard but you can cut off a piece and let it soften outside the fridge. You can certainly play with the ratios if you like but we found those ratios to be perfect for flavor and texture when creating the recipe. All the best!
Thanks! I made some adjustments and it’s now the texture of margarine when fully cooled. It’s also still absolutely delicious! I appreciate the recipe, I’ll never have to buy store bought vegan butter again!
Very easy to make and well worth it. Have only used it sparingly so far on toast and popcorn. π we were sold after our first taste on bread. The only negative, and itβs minor, is that the cheese taste was a little too obvious on popcorn. I want to try cutting the yeast in half next time. And there will definitely be a next time. We both loved it. Thank you. Oh, and we made it with home made oat milk and evoo. Canβt wait to try more of your recipes. This was great!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for sharing! So happy you liked it! π
thank’s so much for this great recipe. do you know if the butter would be suitable for laminated dough?
I haven’t used it for that, but it does seem suitable to most things you would use regular butter for, so I think so.
This is delicious and made the transition very easy for me. Bravo!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks so much Kathy. π
Looking forward to making this. Making my mouth water already. Question: I am going to attempt to make our own live yeast. How would I (if at all) incorporate it here? Sorry if this doesn’t make sense I am so very nvew to this
★★★★★
Hi Valentina, nutritional yeast is a completely different thing to the kind of yeast that makes bread rise. Nutritional yeast is not yeast in that way at all The name is confusing but what it does is create a cheesy or buttery flavor. So it’s here for flavor. If you can’t get it, you can leave it out. But don’t use a regular yeast for this. All the best! π
Could this be done with oat milk?
Hi Katie, if you read the other comments it has been done with oat milk with varying rates of success. I haven’t used oat milk myself in this recipe.
Hi Katie
I’m one of those who made this butter with oat milk. It turned out just fine.
I ended up melting a good portion of it and mixing it with stale gluten-free bread for bread and butter pudding. It was amazing.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for sharing Jasna! π
It tastes just like butter but my mixture didn’t emulsify very well. Its kinda crumbly. Maybe i should have blended for longer. But im pleased with it. Cheaper to make your own than buying Earth Balance. Thanks.
★★★★
Glad the taste was good but sorry to hear the texture wasn’t perfect. I’m not entirely sure what would have caused that but I’m glad it tastes good anyway. Thanks for sharing! π
Have you tried using a butter bell for this vegan butter? Wondering if there is something that would spoil at room temp.
Hi Mike, I haven’t but I do think it would last a much shorter time at room temp, though provided the weather isn’t too warm, it should be fine like that for a few days.
Hi Alison, I am not vegan and also not much of a cook. My vegan daughter has a coconut allergy. Is it at all possible to make vegan butter without coconut oil????
Sincerely,
Struggling mom
Hi Wanda, unfortunately this recipe relies on the coconut oil to set, so it can’t be substituted. There are other recipes online for oil-free vegan butters, if you just google it you’ll see some interesting options! All the best! π
I would think RSPO Palm Oil would be a good substitute in the case of coconut allergy for Struggling Mom. Thoughts?
Hi Danielle, I really have no idea, it’s not something I have experience with!
Hi,
I must say, you have a great collection of recipes. I have been craving vegan butter toast for a long time and I honestly didnβt enjoy store bought vegan butter much. I stumbled upon your recipe and decided to give it a try. Its only easy but very quick to make. I made my almond milk at home as well. And the vegan butter turned out great.
Thank you so much for sharing this.
Although i used refined coconut oil, the coconut fragrance is still there a little bit. But i dont mind it as the joy of having vegan butter is higher.
★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! π
Holy Moly!!
I was skeptical because I love real Grass fed butter, but OMG !! This tastes just like butter!
Thank you so much for doing all of the work for us!!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Michelle! π
Hi Alison, im finding something called deodrised coconut oil which says is odour free. Would that be equivalent to refined coconut oil?
★★★★★
Hi Roma, yes I believe this is the same thing. π
I was tested for food intolerance six months ago via Bioresonance testing or Bicom. What a revelation. I had to avoid dairy, wheat and processed sugar. This was a little upsetting because toast and butter was a breakfast I’d fall back on when I’m in a hurry.
A couple of months later, my sons also went to be tested and one had even more restrictions than I had so I started buying gluten free flour to make him bread and found I liked the taste and texture. All good, but the butter was still missing. I made sugar-free jams, hummus, tahini, various seed butters. All were great, but not butter.
I stumbled across this recipe and didn’t make it instantly as all of my local stores stopped selling coconut oil (I live in a tiny village in a rural community). Yesterday, I finally got my coconut oil, but the store didn’t have almond milk. Oat milk was on sale so I grabbed that instead. So this morning, I put my chickpeas to soak so I can make hummus, mixed bread dough for the day and decided to make this vegan butter. I poured the mix out of the bowl into an airtight container and into the fridge it went. I had some 2 day old gluten free bread sitting on the countertop and noticed that some of the butter had solidified in the mixing bowl. I toasted the bread and scraped the vegan butter remnants from the bowl and buttered my toast. Yum, yum, yummy!! After 6 months I finally enjoyed buttered toast again. Is it exactly the same as margarine or butter? Not exactly, but it comes very, very close once it’s buttered on toast.
Did I follow the recipe exactly? No. I was so excited to try this that I just melted everything, gave it all a quick whisk and poured the mix into a container and into the fridge it went. A few minutes later I checked the consistency and found the mixture had separated. No big deal, I used my mini-whisk to mix it again and came back a few minutes later. It’s now a nice, usable and very tasty butter. As I mentioned, I used oat milk and it’s great. I didn’t add the vinegar to the milk (but I will next time) and I only gave everything a quick whisk. I even added a tiny bit of ordinary active dry yeast because no one around here has heard of nutritional yeast.
Even my hacked up, lazy method produced a vegan butter that tastes great on toast.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can finally go back to recipes that call for butter.
★★★★★
Hi Jasna, I’m so happy it worked out great and you enjoyed some butter on toast again! You can just leave out the yeast altogether next time as it’s not crucial, the nutritional yeast just adds to the buttery flavor but regular yeast would not do that, so it can just be left out. Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review!
Can I use any other vinegar instead of ACV? Eg, white wine vinegar.
Hi Edmund you can try it with white distilled vinegar as that will curdle the same way as ACV, but I’m not sure how it might affect the flavor.
THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!! The flavor is completely on point. Fantastic on toast. I used trader Joe’s triple filtered coconut oil.
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks Julie! π
Have successfully made this several times but am having trouble getting hold of refined coconut oil at present. What would happen if I used unrefined organic coconut oil?
★★★★
Hi Lesley, this is all discussed in the post. You can use regular virgin coconut oil without an issue but the coconut taste does come through. π
Sorry Alison, Have just re-read the post and the answer is quite clear. Will have a go with the extra Virgin coconut oil and see what happens. Another good thing about this recipe is that you can make small quantities if necessary.
★★★★
Oh tempted to make this at some stage. For the canola oil, can rapeseed oil be substituted in. I want to gradually substitute various foods in my diet. Great that you tested it out in various recipes. How long would it last in the freezer, just curious to make a large batch and then individual freeze into stick sizes.
★★★★★
Yes you can use rapeseed oil instead of canola. It freezes perfectly for months. π
Alison,
I cannot believe how divine this is! If you didn’t know this was vegan, I defy you to tell the difference.
Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe. I followed it as written and it was absolutely perfect. Now, on to Tacos…
Awesome! Thanks Kathy! π
TLDR; Holy motherforking shirtballs… make this right now.
I have slowly been transitioning items in my home to low impact (no plastic/plant-based etc). Our current step is butter/margarine. Once I finished our regular margarine, I weaned my husband onto earth balance, and tonight was the faithful night we finished that margarine. I scoured the web for the right recipe to attempt and my god did I find it!
Easy to make, took a messy disorganized cook like myself less than 5 minutes.
Simple ingredients. I used refined coconut oil melted in the microwave as I live in Canada and it is -25 C. Original unsweetened almond milk, ACV, flaked NY and the rest as stated too.
I halved the recipe incase I blundered. Used my mini blender for about 1 min, then plowed it in the snow on the deck for a few minutes (Canada, eh?) It looked like it was curdling so I stirred it up and it creamed into a beautiful margarine. Whacked it on my homemade whole wheat toast and then cried about the beauty that I beheld.
I AM IN LOVE! I cant wait for my husband to try it, because this is going to be my ticket to veganize him haha
Alison I cannot thank you enough for doing the leg-work on all these amazing recipes for those around the world trying to improve their health and environmental impact. I am excited to browse and try your other recipes!
All the best,
Amanda
★★★★★
Hi Amanda, firstly I forking love your Good Place reference. Hahaha! And then I am so happy you loved the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and the fantastic review! π