This Homemade Vegan Butter is the perfect dairy-free version of butter! It’s easy to make and you can spread it, sauté with it, bake with it, use it in frosting, and yes, you can even brown it! I also have a nut-free version!

Vegan butter in a log with a few pieces sliced, on a brown cutting board surrounded by condiments and parsley and a knife and crackers.

This post has been so long in the making!! 6 batches later, I present to you: vegan butter! We’ve been making vegan butter for about a year now, and not only has it saved us tons of money making it at home, but we’ve also learned how to fully customise it for the various uses that we want. Whether it’s savoury, herbed, salted, unsalted or nut-free, I’m going to address it here.

Step by step photos of making vegan butter, one in the blender, the second in the glass tray.

What is vegan butter?

Vegan butter is a mix of ingredients mixed/blended together to create a dairy-free version of butter in taste, look and use. There are actually several dairy-free butter alternatives already on the market such as margarine and shortening. Then there are also several brands of vegan butter sold too. You can make it at home if you want to control what goes into it, if you want to customise it for yourself, or if you just love making cool things from scratch! 

After several tries, I settled on a version that used cashews for my best vegan butter yet. Why cashews? After testing almonds and other ingredients, this version gave me the creaminess texture, the best set, lasted the longest, and actually browned. Read on, because I also have an incredible nut-free version.

Vegan butter that has been set in the fridge in a rectangular glass container.

Tips and tricks for making the best vegan butter

  • Follow the instructions. This isn’t a recipe to skip something or replace based on what you have; it just won’t work.
  • Do NOT use extra virgin olive oil to make this. I usually love this oil but oh my gosh, it’s so bitter once emulsified! Use a neutral oil (sunflower, canola, vegetable, safflower) for the best results.
  • Don’t use only coconut oil. Coconut oil will solidify, and will not give you the desired result   
  • Room temperature is best for the best quality. If you don’t use room temperature, your butter may whip up a bit like my vegan mayo and it’ll still taste delicious, but will never set like regular butter.
  • You can easily make this herbed! After you’ve blended it, add in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of any of your favourite herbs, then pour into the final dish to set.

Vegan butter in a log with a few pieces sliced, on a brown cutting board surrounded by condiments and parsley and a knife and crackers.

Can I make vegan butter without nuts? 

Yes, you can! So you’ll make the recipe as listed and just remove the nuts. That’s literally it. It’ll stay taste great, still “set up” (because of the soy milk), you just won’t be able to “brown” with it and it won’t have the exact amount of creaminess, but will still be creamy! If you want to make it without soy milk, check my notes!

Ways to use vegan butter 

I tried this for:

  • Frosting
  • Browning (yes! But brown it very slowly) 
  • Sautéing 
  • Melting
  • Baking
  • Cooking 

vegan butter in a log with a few pieces sliced, on a brown cutting board surrounded by condiments and parsley and a knife.

Can I freeze this?

Yes! This freezes really well, and you may want to freeze half if you know you can’t finish this. The butter should last you at least 2 weeks in your fridge at its best. Mine lasted me about 4 weeks.   

I hope you enjoy this recipe so much!! 

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Enjoy friends! If you make this recipe on how to make Vegan Butter, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

vegan butter in a log with a few pieces sliced, on a brown cutting board surrounded by condiments and parsley and a knife and crackers

Vegan Butter (Nut-Free Version Too!)

Servings: 32 tablespoons
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 0 mins
Resting Time: 4 hrs
Total Time: 4 hrs 5 mins
This Homemade Vegan Butter is the perfect dairy-free version of butter! It's easy to make and you can spread it, sauté with it, bake with it, use it in frosting, and yes, you can even brown it! I also have a nut-free version!
5 (from 21 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy milk, room temperature, see notes for subs
  • 1 cup refined coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt , (add up to 1 teaspoon for salted butter but you can leave it out completely it only using for baking) 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 cup raw cashews,, soaked for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight

Instructions 

  • Add all of the ingredients into a high powdered blender. Ensure they are all room temperature.
  • Blend for 2 minutes, scrape down sides, let rest for 1 minute then blend again for one minute on high 
  • Pour the butter into a container that you're fine the butter taking the shape of. Cover and allow to set completely, at least 5 hours, but preferably overnight. 
  • Remove from fridge, use as pleased, and put back. It's been testing for several uses including in frostings and works perfectly! 

Notes

If you can't have soy milk, you can use full-fat cashew milk + soy lecithin granules. The lecithin in the cashew milk is crucial for the butter to set up. 
Serving size is for 1 tablespoon. This recipe makes about 2 cups butter.
This butter lasts in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks. You can easily freeze it too. When ready to thaw, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
You want to use refined coconut oil else it'll taste like coconut oil.

Tips and tricks for making the best vegan butter 

  • Follow the instructions. This isn't a recipe to skip something or replace based on what you have; it just won't work. 
  • Do NOT use extra virgin olive oil to make this. I usually love this oil but oh my gosh, it's so bitter once emulsified! Use a neutral oil (sunflower, canola, vegetable, safflower) for the best results. 
  • Don't use only coconut oil. Coconut oil will solidify, and will not give you the desired result   
  • Room temperature is best for the best quality. If you don't use room temperature, your butter may whip up a bit like my vegan mayo and it'll still taste delicious, but will never set like regular butter. 

Can I make vegan butter without nuts? 

Yes, you can! So you'll make the recipe as listed and just remove the nuts. That's literally it.
Calories: 76kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 20mg, Potassium: 16mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 14IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American, Universal
Course: Appetizer, Jams, Sauces, Dips & Spreads
Author: Jessica Hylton