How to make vegan butter at home with NO hard-to-find ingredients! Easy, quick and you only need a whisk and a bowl. Perfect for baking, spreading on toast, frying or anywhere else you would use butter!
Why would you want to make your own vegan butter, you might ask? Well, I get comments quite regularly from people who live in countries or towns where buying plant based butter is near impossible, or very expensive.
Or maybe you are looking for a palm oil free buttery spread, which can be hard to find as well. Making your own is a big money saver, too!
I wanted to create a recipe that was super simple, quick and that works anywhere you would normally use butter. It took me several rounds of testing to come up with the perfect recipe! This dairy free butter is gloriously creamy, rich, buttery and spreadable.
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This is an overview with photos of how to make vegan butter. For the full, printable recipe scroll down to the recipe card.
How to make it
- In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of unsweetened soy milk and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Let it sit and curdle while you melt the coconut oil.
- To the bowl, add a cup of melted, warm coconut oil, along with the salt (1/2 tsp), canola oil (1/4 cup, can also use olive or avocado oil), and 1/4 cup coconut cream. Add optional tiny pinch of turmeric, if desired.
- Whisk well for a couple of minutes until smooth and pale in color. You could also use a blender or food processor here.
- Pour into butter molds <– I used these silicone molds. You could also simply pour into a glass container or two. Place in the refrigerator to harden and chill for an hour or two.
That’s it! You’re a vegan butter making pro. 😉
Whipped butter!
With just a tiny bit more work, you can make delicious whipped, fluffy vegan butter. This is a batch I made with no added turmeric, so it’s white. This would be perfect for making white frostings, such as in my Vegan Vanilla Frosting. But whipped butter is also wonderful for spreading on toast and other baked goods.
To whip, once you have whisked the ingredients, set the bowl in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until it hardens slightly. Take it out of the refrigerator, and, with a hand mixer, mix and whip until fluffy. Place in containers and back in the fridge to harden the rest of the way.
How long does it keep?
Vegan butter will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. It also freezes really well. Simply let it thaw in the refrigerator before using.
For baking
I have tested this homemade vegan butter in all sorts of baked goods, from pie crust to cookies to frostings. It works perfectly well!
The butter is harder from the refrigerator than store bought plant based butters, so if you need slightly softened butter, such as for cookies or frostings, let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. You could also microwave it for 15-20 seconds, but this is not ideal since some may melt, which can be especially problematic when making frosting.
Recipes to try using homemade vegan butter
- Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Cake (for the frosting)
- Best Ever Vegan Brownies
- Easy Vegan Pie Crust
- Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
How to Make Vegan Butter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup melted refined coconut oil *make sure to use REFINED, unrefined will taste like coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup canola oil *OR light tasting olive oil, avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1/4 cup coconut cream *may omit, but it helps make the butter gloriously soft
- tiny pinch turmeric, optional for color
Instructions
- Get out a medium sized bowl. Add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and let sit for 5 minutes until it curdles.
- While the milk/vinegar curdles, melt the coconut oil in the microwave (or stovetop) until warm, but not too hot. I microwave it in a glass measuring cup, so I can make sure I have exactly 1 cup of melted coconut oil.
- To the bowl with the milk/vinegar mixture, add the melted coconut oil, salt, canola oil, coconut cream and optional tiny pinch of turmeric. Whisk well until smooth and pale in color. This will take less than 5 minutes. You could also place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into glass containers or butter molds. If you use 1 large container, the butter will take longer to harden in the refrigerator, small molds will be ready faster. Place in the refrigerator for an hour or two to set.
For whipped vegan butter
- This is so delicious, but just a little more work. After you have whisked the butter mixture well, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it slightly hardens. Remove it from the refrigerator and, with a hand mixer, mix and whip until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add to glass storage containers and place back in the refrigerator to harden.
How to store vegan butter
- Vegan butter will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. To use for baking, slightly soften it by leaving out at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can also microwave it for 15 seconds, but some may melt that way which is not ideal.
- It freezes very well, too! Simply let it thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Notes
- It is fine to use another unsweetened non-dairy milk, but I like soy the best here. Almond, coconut, perhaps even oat milk will work okay though. Just make absolutely sure it is unflavored and unsweetened, with no sugar added.
- If you don't have apple cider vinegar or can't eat it, you can substitute lemon juice or white vinegar.
- There is no substitute for REFINED COCONUT OIL, it is what makes the butter. Unrefined coconut oil will make your butter taste too much like coconut.
- I really like the coconut cream in the butter. It doesn't make it taste like coconut, but it adds a creaminess and softness. You can skim the top of a can of full fat coconut milk to get only the cream, or use a can of coconut cream.
I made this twice now and they turned out perfectly, except there is a STRONG vinegar flavor which turned me off. Do you know why that is? Is there something else I could instead of vinegar?
Hi Angie. A couple of other commenters had the same problem, but the smell seemed to go away when they substituted lemon juice for the ACV. Hope this helps!
Excellent vegan butter recipe! Mine did separate a bit when it cooled, but looking through the comments here, it’s probably because I didn’t whisk it for long enough. It still tastes great, though. Word of caution: the pinch of turmeric in the recipe is plenty. I accidentally added a little more than it called for, and my butter is neon yellow. 🙂 Looking forward to trying this again and whisking it for longer.
Hahaha I’m glad to hear you love the butter, despite the vibrant color! Thanks so much for your helpful feedback and review!
Can I use extra coconut oil instead of another oil?
It should be fine, but it might be very hard when cold.
I cannot stand store-bought vegan butter (they’re expensive, taste like plastic to me and are miserable in baking) but this is perfect! 10/10 will make again
Hi Hannah. I’m glad the vegan butter recipe works for you and you love it! Thank you for your feedback and review!
I must have done something wrong. I believe I added the melted coconut oil too hot. After hardening in the refrigerator the oil separated and hardened on top, leaving a liquid underneath that honestly still tastes very good. So even in failure, your recipes turn out amazing. Thanks Nora
@daniel, did you microwave the coconut oil? I read that if you do that to melt it, it will change the structure of the oil.
I’m on my 3rd trial of trying to make this perfect and the way it should be . I decided to use the molds being that it’s easier to access for me. After a day+ of being in the fridge i noticed that the bottom of the butter (upright in molds) are completely solidified however when taking them out the top of the butter (bottom part in molds) still contains liquid and is mushy.
What am I doing wrong ?
Hi Kae. It’s hard to know exactly what’s going wrong without being there. It could have something to do with the temperature of the ingredients, or maybe the butter wasn’t emulsified enough (whisked well enough). Make sure your coconut oil is warm but not super hot when melted.
Can I add in Nutritional yeast ? And does the turmeric change the taste at all ?
The small amount of turmeric does not affect the flavor. You could add a little nutritional yeast if you want.
Hi.
I did read where you said there is no replacement for unrefined coconut oil.
Is it because it solidifies in the refer?
Thanks.
L.
Yes, exactly! Refined coconut oil gets solid when cold, which helps the butter not just be liquidy when refrigerated.
What can you substitute for the coconut oil?
I’m afraid nothing else will work the same, coconut oil gets solid when cold, which helps the butter not just be liquidy when refrigerated.
Have you tried this with any other free from milk as I am allergic to soy?
Hi Emma. It is fine to use another unsweetened non-dairy milk. Hope this helps!
Why does my butter separate
Hi Vanessa. I’ve never had this happen and it’s hard to know why it separated without being there. It could have something to do with the temperature of the ingredients, or maybe the butter wasn’t emulsified enough (whisked well enough). Make sure your coconut oil is warm but not super hot when melted.
Happened to me and then I realised I wasn’t beating it for long enough. I beat it a full 5 mins and texture totally changed.
Can I use powdered coconut powder to make the cream?
I’ve never tried it so I’m not totally sure if it will work, sorry!
Hi Nora! Im one of your biggest fans! your recipes just keep winning! I see you don’t use lecithin, lots of other recipes use it. Is it because its one of those hard to find ingredients?
anyway I’ll be trying this soon.
thanks for sharing your amazing talent with us all.
This recipe is easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing it! I used a hand mixer and the texture was perfect. ❤️
You are welcome! I’m happy to hear you love the butter, and that it was easy to make! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Have you by any chance done a cost comparison between this and store-bought vegan butter? I realize there are other advantages to home-made than just cost, but I figured I’d ask. No worries if not.
Just FYI, I trust your recipes more than basically any other source
I made this butter for a sweet, 5yo birthday cake/cupcakes. Due to numerous allergies she’s s never had a “real cake.” I was so impressed with the flavor, texture…everything. I will definitely be using this vegan butter in more of my baking & day to day recipes.
Hi Sherri. I’m so glad you love the butter! I’m also so glad the birthday girl got to have cake! Whoo Hoo! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
Hi! For an event I would like to make a little butter sculpture / tower. Do you think the butter will be solid enough to keep the shape? Or wil it melt? Thank you 🙂
That sounds so cool, Simone! The butter shouldn’t melt if you’re sculpting it in a cold room. It’s harder than most other storebought dairy free butters, so it should be ok to use for a butter sculpture!
So good! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Devi! Thanks for the wonderful review!
HI Nora! SO, I made the butter yesterday. But what did I do wrong?? This morning I found that the bottoms were watery—not fully solidified, even after being in fridge all night?!! Mind you it seemed to taste good!
Sorry to hear that, Ellen. I have never had this happen, but it could have something to do with the temperature of the ingredients, or maybe the butter wasn’t emulsified enough (whisked well enough). Make sure your coconut oil is warm but not super hot when melted.
Hi, Nora
I am looking forward to trying this recipe! I have questions about the coconut cream. You responded to another question that it is from a can. Is it ONLY the thick material from a can of coconut milk? There are also cans labeled “coconut cream”…. Also, should this be at room temperature?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah. Yes, coconut cream is the thick creamy white part that sits on top of the coconut milk in the can. Canned “coconut cream” only contains this creamy white part. And yes, room temperature is always best. Hope that helps!
This is hands down the BEST vegan butter that I have ever tasted. It was easy (and fun!) to make and spreads beautifully! I live in a place where it is very difficult to find vegan butter (everything else vegan you can get!) but to be honest, I would never buy it again I LOVE this! Thank you so much Nora! will try the tuna very soon too!
You are welcome Kate! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback and review! It’s great to hear you had fun as well! I think you will love the tuna! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can I use a different milk than soy? How about almond or oat? Have you tried this with a different milk?
Yes, I’ve used almond milk and it worked well. Enjoy!
I am curious as to what gives this a buttery flavor? I can see where it would be useful for vegans or folks with dairy allergy.
Hello!
Great recipe ! Look forward to trying it out!
Can almond milk or oat milk be substituted for the soy milk with same result?
We try to avoid soy.
Thank you!
Yes, I’ve used almond milk and it worked well. Enjoy!
I made this with almond milk, lemon juice and olive oil due to allergies to canola, vinegar and soy. It turned out perfectly. I love it. Very creamy and buttery flavor. Thank you so much Nora.
I’m so glad the butter turned out fantastic for you! Thank you for sharing your wonderful comments!