Why buy vegan butter when it’s so easy to make at home?! This DIY vegan butter is a spreadable vegan butter that works straight from the fridge - ultra creamy, and soft! I use it constantly, from sautéing vegetables and spreading it on bread to baking and finishing soups, stews, and curries.
If you love easy dairy-free and gluten-free spreads like this one, you’ll probably enjoy a few others from my kitchen too. Try my vegan cream cheese, creamy vegan ricotta, dairy-free cottage cheese, or vegan mascarpone. Same vibe, simple ingredients, and no fuss.
What Is Vegan Butter?
Vegan butter is a plant-based butter made with oils, plant milk, and an emulsifier (no cream). It functions like traditional butter while being completely dairy-free.
This particular vegan butter is designed to be spreadable straight from the fridge, similar to whipped butter or soft vegan spreads you’d buy at the store. However, unlike brands like: Earth Balance, Trader Joe’s, or Country Crock - this is a clean vegan butter made with ingredients I actually recognize.
Ingredient Notes
This vegan butter recipe is made with clean, simple ingredients that are easy to find.
- Soy Milk (Unsweetened): Reacts with apple cider vinegar to create a buttermilk-like consistency.
- Refined Coconut Oil: Make sure to use refined (flavorless) coconut oil so it doesn’t add a strong coconut taste.
- Avocado Oil: Healthline does a great job explaining the benefits of avocado oil.
- Aquafaba (Emulsifier): Use the liquid from a can of chickpeas or the cooking water by cooking your own. My personal favorite canned chickpea brands for aquafaba are Goya and Bush’s.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a slight tang and helps to thicken the soy milk, mimicking the flavor of traditional butter made from buttermilk.
- Nutritional Yeast (Optional): Adds a gentle savory note that enhances the butteriness without overpowering it.
- Salt: Skip it if you prefer unsalted.
Zero-Waste Tip: Hang on to those chickpeas after straining your aquafaba - I’ve shared a few easy chickpea recipes at the end of the post for the leftover chickpeas.
Ingredient Substitutions (Soy-Free & Coconut-Free Options)
This recipe is flexible, so feel free to adjust it based on your needs.
- Soy-free: Use unsweetened oat milk or almond milk. Oat milk gives the closest texture, while almond milk feels a bit lighter.
- Coconut-free: Skip the coconut oil and lean more on avocado oil. The result is a softer, more scoopable homemade vegan butter, best stored in a tub.
- Soy-free + coconut-free: Use unsweetened oat milk with avocado oil as the main fat. This version stays soft and spreadable and benefits from a short rest at room temperature before using.
Health-First Vegan Butter Variations (Optional)
If you like tweaking recipes, here are a few directions you can take based on how different plant-based cooking oils behave.
- Lower saturated fat: Use slightly more avocado oil and a bit less coconut oil for an extra-soft, whipped vegan butter. Best stored in a tub.
- Olive oil version: Swap part of the avocado oil for a mild olive oil. This works well as a savory, dairy-free butter alternative for bread or pasta. You’ll taste the olive oil, so keep it light.
- Aquafaba-emulsified (this recipe): Smooth, creamy, whipped, and spreadable straight from the fridge. Soft and scoopable, not sliceable.
Why Aquafaba Works Here
Aquafaba is the starchy liquid from cooked chickpeas, and it works as a natural emulsifier that keeps the oils and liquids blended so they don’t end up separating when chilled. It does the same job lecithin does in many store-bought vegan butters.
Check out Serious Eats for an excellent breakdown of the science behind aquafaba and why it works so well in plant-based cooking.
Pro Tip: If you prefer, you can substitute 1 teaspoon liquid lecithin for the ¼ cup aquafaba used in this recipe.
How I Make This Vegan Butter
Making tuby-style, whipped vegan butter is a breeze! Just follow my tips and tricks for the best results.
Preparation
If the coconut oil is solid, gently melt it until fully liquid. Let it cool slightly so it’s warm, not hot.
Step 1
Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for about 5–8 minutes, until it thickens slightly.
Step 2
Add everything to a blender or a tall container. I usually use an immersion blender for easy cleanup, but a high-speed blender works too. Blend for about a minute, until smooth and glossy.
Step 3
Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. It’ll set into a soft, whipped butter.
Step 4
Once your whipped vegan butter is set, it’s ready to use! Scoop and spread it on toast, use it in baking, or melt it into your favorite recipes.
Whipped (Tub-Style) vs. Stick Vegan Butter
- Whipped, tub-style vegan butter is soft, creamy, and ideal for spreading, finishing dishes, and everyday use.
- Stick-style vegan butter is firmer and better for recipes that require slicing or shaping.
- This recipe is intentionally a whipped, tub-style plant-based butter.
What You Can Use This Vegan Butter For
- Spread on toast and bread: Let it sit at room temperature for a couple minutes for ultra-smooth spreading, especially delicious on eggless banana bread, semolina bread, or vegan pumpkin bread.
- Baking: Use the butter softened (not melted), so it creams properly in recipes like vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or vegan coffee cake.
- Soups and curries: Stir in a small spoonful at the end of cooking to add richness to cozy bowls like tomato basil soup or vegan barley soup.
- Pasta and noodles: Add the butter right before serving so it melts smoothly into dishes like creamy garlic lemon pasta or spicy gochujang noodles.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: You can freeze it up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Troubleshooting (Real Talk)
- Too firm? There’s probably too much coconut oil, or it’s been over-chilled.
- Separated? It wasn’t blended enough or needs aquafaba or lecithin to hold it together.
- Too grainy? Not fully emulsified. Make sure to blend till smooth to ensure everything is well combined.
- Tastes flat? A pinch more salt or a splash of acidity usually fixes it.
FAQs
Not like dairy butter. Most vegan butters don’t contain milk solids, so they won’t brown, though you can still cook and sauté with them.
It depends on the ingredients. Making vegan butter at home lets you control what goes in, which is why I prefer this version.
Margarine is a processed butter substitute and isn’t always vegan. Vegan butter is made to be fully dairy-free and closer to traditional butter in flavor and texture.
Yes. Regular butter is made from cream, which comes from milk.
What to Do With the Leftover Chickpeas?
If you’re making this vegan butter recipe using canned chickpeas for the aquafaba, don’t toss the beans - turn them into something easy the same day. Here are a few simple chickpea recipes from my blog you can make with what’s left, whether you’re in the mood for something cozy, snacky, or meal-prep friendly.
Vegan Butter (Spreadable)
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup soy milk (unsweetened & room temperature) Suggested brands: Soy Beverage from Trader Joe's or Westlife
- 1 cup refined coconut oil melted
- ¾ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup aquafaba (chickpea juice) Suggested brands: Goya or Bush's
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast Optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
METHOD
Prep the coconut oil
- If your coconut oil is in solid form - Melt it in the microwave until it is completely liquid. Set it aside to cool down (you don't want it to be boiling hot).
Make the "Buttermilk"
- In a small bowl or cup, whisk together the soy milk and the apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for about 5-8 minutes till it starts to thicken and curdle into a vegan buttermilk consistency.
Blend
- Pour all the ingredients into a tall beaker or blender cup to combine it all together. Use an immersion blender or high speed blender to blend for approximately a minute till the mixture is smooth and well-emulsified.
Set & Chill
- Transfer the mixture into a glass jar or an air-tight container. Place it in the refrigerator and let it set for 6 hours or overnight.
Enjoy
- Once set, scoop and spread your butter on toast, pancakes, or add it to your favorite dishes like soups and curries.
NOTES
-
- Refined Coconut Oil: Make sure to use refined coconut oil, as it has a neutral taste. If you use "unrefined" or "extra virgin" coconut oil, your butter will taste coconutty.
- Swap for Lecithin: You can use 1 tablespoon of liquid lecithin, instead of ¼ cup of aquafaba for emulsification.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Double-check that all your ingredients are at room temperature before blending to prevent the coconut oil from solidifying prematurely, which creates a grainy consistency.
- Chill Properly: After blending, immediately transfer the mixture to the fridge and let it completely set. Rushing this step will result in a softer, less spreadable texture.
- Control Salt Levels: If you're using salted butter in a recipe, reduce or omit the salt in your vegan butter to prevent an overpowering saltiness.
Gisele says
Can I use coconut milk instead
Puja Verma says
Hi Gisele! It's funny you are asking about his recipe because I just updated this one. Do check it out as I made some informative changes to it.
And to answer your question about coconut milk - I don't recommend swapping it with soy milk. Coconut milk lacks specific proteins, and won't curdle with the vinegar to make buttermilk-like consistency - This makes your butter more likely to separate or stay liquid.
But if you want experiment with it, then I suggest trying full-fat canned coconut milk and adding 1 tbsp of liquid lecithin to force the oil and liquid to stay bonded. Just remember that it will have a more coconutty taste. Good luck and keep me posted!