This creamy homemade vegan butter has a rich, savory flavor. It melts beautifully, but also holds its shape at room temperature. It's perfect to use as a plant-based substitute in all your favorite sweet and savory recipes!
People have been making staples like butter at home for centuries, and I like to consider myself a part-time homesteader. 🙂 And since butter is essential for so many of my baking recipes, I wanted to experiment with making it at home!
But I am lactose sensitive, which means I can't always be indulging on large amounts of rich butter (as much as I want to!) So I decided to make homemade vegan butter as an alternative!
Now, I know what you may be thinking. Why would you want to make your own vegan butter? First off, this recipe is actually way easier than you might except! It only takes a few minutes to blend everything. Then after about an hour in the fridge, your plant based butter is ready to go!
Along with being delicious, this vegan butter has a texture that is the perfect substitute for dairy butter, so it can be substituted in virtually any recipe! It tastes great in everything from mashed potatoes to caramel sauce.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- The texture of this vegan butter is firm and easy to slice when it's cold from the fridge. And it softens in just a few minutes to the perfect spreadable consistency.
- This butter browns beautifully in a hot pan.
- Making vegan butter at home can be a lot cheaper than buying it from the store
- This homemade version doesn't contain any oil besides coconut oil and olive oil.
- The flavor is so rich. It's savory, a little salty, and has the mildest hint of cheesy flavor from the nutritional yeast.
Ingredients
- Unsweetened dairy free milk - any dairy free milk works well; I usually use my homemade oat milk. Be sure to use an unsweetened milk, otherwise your butter will have a weird sweet taste.
- Apple cider vinegar - added to the milk to curdle it into a vegan version of buttermilk. You can substitute white vinegar
- Refined coconut oil - Be sure to use refined coconut oil, which doesn't have any coconut flavor, so your vegan butter will taste like traditional butter instead of coconut
- Salt - just a little enhances the other flavors
- Olive oil - creates an extra smooth, creamy texture
- Nutritional yeast - optional to add a little more yellow color and savory flavor.
How to Make Vegan Butter
Make buttermilk: Combine the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it curdles into vegan buttermilk.
Combine the ingredients: In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut oil, salt, buttermilk, and optional nutritional yeast.
Blend until creamy: Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until it's smooth and creamy.
Stir in olive oil: Add the olive oil and stir with a spoon or spatula until it's well combined.
Cool to set: Transfer the soft butter mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge for at least one hour, or until the butter is set.
Recipe Tips
- Refined coconut oil can't be substituted with regular coconut oil. Otherwise your butter will have a noticeable coconut flavor.
- You don't have to melt your coconut oil - it's fine if it's at room temperature. Just blend the mixture enough to break up all the coconut oil chunks until it's smooth and creamy.
- Don't blend the olive oil with the rest of the ingredients, since this can actually make olive oil taste bitter. Just stir it in with a spoon once everything else is blended.
- For rectangular vegan butter sticks, pour your soft butter mixture into rectangular molds, or cut it once it's firm.
- For spreadable butter, let your refrigerated butter sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Storing
- Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container, freezer safe bag, or ice cube tray. Thaw in the fridge.
What to Make with Vegan Butter
This butter works great in both sweet and savory recipes. And since coconut oil is 100% fat, instead of butter which is normally around 80% fat, vegan butter is closer to European style butter with a higher fat content.
- Simply spread it on slices of hearty German rye bread, caramel miso scones, or moist banana zucchini bread
- Cook it into a vegan caramel sauce for caramel popcorn, a caramel apple dip, or strawberry baked oatmeal.
- Spread it on top of caramel banana pancakes
- Vegan Butterbeer (inspired by Harry Potter)
- Vegan Baklava
- Vegan Knafeh
- Salmon with Pesto Butter
Homemade Vegan Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup refined coconut oil (no need to melt it)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it curdles into vegan buttermilk.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut oil, salt, buttermilk, and optional nutritional yeast.Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until it's smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides a few times to make sure everything is evenly blended.
- Add the olive oil and stir with a spoon or spatula until it's well combined.
- Transfer the soft butter mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge for at least one hour, or until the butter is set.
Notes
- Refined coconut oil can't be substituted with regular coconut oil. Refined coconut oil doesn't have a coconut flavor or aroma, so your vegan butter will have a more traditional buttery smell and texture.
- Don't blend the olive oil with the rest of the ingredients, since this can actually make olive oil taste bitter. Just stir it in with a spoon once everything else is blended.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Let your refrigerated butter sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften into a spreadable consistency.
ordinaryfabgirl
Ok, ok I'm guilty! I buy my vegan butter at the shop but I will try and make some homemade vegan butter!
strawberryandcream
Haha it's totally okay! This was my very first time forgoing the store-bought brand I like and making it at home. Let me know if you try it!🧈
Yum-number1
This. Is. A. Game. Changer!!!!
strawberryandcream
It really is! Let me know if you try it!