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.
Can I use coconut oil instead of canola oil as well?
It might get pretty hard in the fridge if you do. The canola oil helps it not harden quite as much.
Hi, I want to know if this vegan butter is firm enough for me to do rub in method in some recipes? I recently followed another vegan butterrecipe. The taste is good, but after its out of the fridge for like 10 mins, it begins to slowly turn soft then liquidy. I dont think I can use it in baking. How about your butter? Is it good in baking when it is subjected to high heat?
Hi there, it depends on what you are using it for, but I have had no problem using it in baking. It will turn to liquid when it gets warm, but dairy butter also melts from heat. It’s true it’s not as stable because coconut oil is sensitive to temperatures. But in cookies, cakes and frostings it works great.
Followed the recipe exactly and OMG. This recipe is literally perfection. You can’t buy a vegan butter or any butter for that matter that tastes so good! I did use unrefined coconut oil but followed the recipe exactly, and it tastes amazing with just a small hint of coconut.
Hi Kayla! I’m so glad you love the butter! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
Is cold pressed oil a good choice or should it be only refined oil?
I don’t think it should matter.
Can I use my own cashew milk in the recipe?
Yes, you can.
What does it mean when the butter separated in the fridge?? Did I get the measurements wrong or temperate?? Any help appreciated because I am excited to try again!
I have never had this happen, but I wonder if it has something to do with the temperature of the ingredients, or maybe it wasn’t emulsified enough (whisked well enough). Make sure your coconut oil is warm but not super hot when melted.
Hi, Nora! Really excited to be trying this recipe. I’m using silk cashew milk, but for some reason it’s not curdling with the apple cider vinegar. Do you think that will be okay if I still use that smooth mixture, or should I switch to almond milk for a sure-curdle?
Even if it doesn’t look curdled, it should still work fine. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
I ended up using the almond milk, and it turned out fabulous! I whipped it and it spreads on toast like a dream. I also used some liquid lecithin to help bind the ingredients and to help it last longer. I love using it for making eggs because it doesn’t burn quickly like regular butter and you still get that great buttery flavor <3 Thank you for another great recipe!!!
Thank you or sharing your comments and ideas, Emily! I’m glad the butter turned out fabulous for you, and that you are enjoying it!
Could I make this recipe with a butter churn, by hand? Will it negatively affect the texture of it? Thank you for replying! Excited to try this out, I’ve never made homemade vegan butter before!
Hmm I’m not really sure! I’ve only tried it as written. Hope you enjoy it!
Can someone please help me? I tried to make this butter and the only thing I replaced was Soy milk (instead I used pea milk by Silk).
However, I have two issues, first of all it smells REALLY strongly like apple cider vinegar (I used the vinegar in your link).
Secondly, the oils separate even after mixing it in a food processor for 5 minutes. When I take it out of the mixer it looks just like butter (except for the strong vinegar smell) but the oils separate immediately after a minute.
What am I doing wrong?
I have a feeling that using pea milk is the issue here. It’s quite different from soy milk, and there could be some odd additives throwing the recipe off. I would stick with soy milk, or even plain almond or cashew milk.
Hi, I would like to try the recipy but I was wondering abour the coconut cream. Is it the same as coconut milk?
You can buy cans of coconut cream or full fat coconut milk. The cream is the creamy thick white part from a can of full fat coconut milk. Hope that helps!
Hello. I’m not vegan but want an alternative to butter and reduce buying plastic pottles. Thank you so much for your recipe! I like the taste of your recipe and it’s a keeper! But I used Braggs ACV and it’s a bit too strong, I think a cheaper ACV will be better next time I made it. What I have noticed is, it looks like the coconut cream has separated, and I had to pour it out of the bottom of the container, and keep the main hardened part (I’m guessing it’s the coconut cream). Any suggestions please? You’re right, you don’t taste it really.
I’m glad you enjoyed the butter. I have never had it separate like that before so I’m not sure what exactly happened. Make sure you mix it well before chilling.
Will this work with cashew milk?
Yes, that works.
Hi! Can we use this kind of butter for buttercream recipe?
It works pretty well, as long as you start with it just slightly softened, not at all melted. And the frosting won’t be super stable at room temperature for long (due to coconut oil, which melts rather quickly). Hope that helps.
Im little confused about milk /vinegar mixture , you let it rest to curdle, do you strain it after that and use the curdles only or you use the whole curdles and liquids? You didnt mention what you do after curdling .
Nope, no straining, you just add the other ingredients to the bowl with the milk/vinegar mixture. Hope that helps!
Great recipe. I have used store bought VSOY brand sweetened soya and put in white vinegar. Other ingredients are vegetable oil and coconut refined oil and salt and tumeric powder.
It hardens well. The only thing is when scrap on the butter knife, it is not totally smooth. Is it because the whisking is too little or is it the vinegar is a little too much? Many thanks with this easy and awesome recipe.
I think maybe because when the butter has hardened, it can be pretty hard so when you scrape it it’s not smooth. If you let it sit on the counter for a few minutes even, it will soften enough to scrape more smoothly. Hope that helps!
hi what brand of refined coconut oil did you use. because when searching a tbsp of it is already 13-14 g of fat and in one cup has 8 tbsp so adding it alone is more than the 25g fat as you computed in this recipe. thank u
Hi! Thanks for pointing that out. The calculations are an estimate and are run automatically. But I doubled checked this one and it was slightly off. I have updated it and changed the serving size to 2 tablespoons vegan butter per serving, which I think is more helpful. Hope that helps!
Hi Nora! Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been using it for more than 2 months now. However strange thing happened today, For some reason everything just feels runny. I remember when I’m making it previously it will thicken, especially when I use my blender to the point where Its difficult to remove it from the blender. Initially I thought its probably the soy, but after trying 3 different product everything is just too runny 🙁 any thoughts?
I’m so glad you have been enjoying the butter recipe! So I wonder if it’s a temperature thing. Is your soy milk warm and your coconut oil very hot? That may be why it’s not thickening up quickly. However, it should still harden just fine in the fridge. It does tend to be runny before chilling, as coconut oil hardens when cold. Hope that helps!
Any substitutes for coconut? I’m deadly allergic to coconut and coconut family palm. Thanks.
I’m sorry but I haven’t tried anything else. Wish I could help!
Hi Nora,
The recipe is great! The only thing is my butter tasted quite a bit like avocado (as I used avocado oil on top of the refined coconut oil). Not sure refined avo oil exists? Could you maybe suggest another oil that might be refined/not give any flavour to the butter?
Thanks a lot!!
Perhaps try using canola oil or vegetable oil instead of avocado if that flavor bothers you. Thanks!
Greetings from Uruguay Nora! In my country, soy milk is not reliable. Can it be substituted for another vegan milk? My children and I just discovered we are alergic to milk among other things, so I am learning with your recipes. Thank you!!! Mariana
Hi Mariana! Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you could use another unsweetened, unflavored milk such as coconut, almond or rice milk. May you enjoy your journey through my recipes! Thank you for using them!
Hey, can I use homemade soy milk, or should I use store-bought?
I never have, but it should be fine.
It tastes really good, but my only issue is mines didn’t set, so I had to put it in the freezer.
I’m not sure why it wouldn’t set for you, coconut oil should firm right up in the refrigerator. Glad you enjoyed the taste.
Awesome
Can this be used to make brown butter?
I haven’t tried it, but it might work.
Sorry, I meant to say only “refined” coconut oil. 🙂
Hi Nora! I made this using ONLY unrefined coconut oil (MCT oil, in fact) and it keeps separating in the fridge. Can you take a guess as to what I’m doing wrong? Is the MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil too thin, do you think? Is the mix of coconut oil and “other” (e.g., olive oil) important? Please advise, and thanks!
I think that probably is an issue, I would use only refined coconut oil with nothing else added.