Homemade Vegan Butter

*This homemade vegan butter is adapted from Mattie’s recipe over at veganbaking.net. He goes into the whys and hows of each ingredient and explains the whole process really well if you want to know more about it.*

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Anytime I call for vegan butter in a recipe, this is the one I use (unless otherwise stated). It’s smooth, creamy, melts really well and even browns. It’s perfect for baking, cooking, slathering on bread, making compound butter and everything in between. And it has a great flavour and none of the questionable palm oil practices behind it! (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect, I still love the occasional Oreo)

Plus, once you have all the ingredients ready, it’s really easy to whip up and cheaper than buying it (based on the prices and product accessibility in my area, so that might differ). I always have some in the freezer or fridge and very rarely use store-bought vegan butter since this one is great for most recipes.

So if you can’t find vegan butter, don’t like the taste of the store-bought ones, are trying to avoid palm oil or you’re just curious, this recipe might help you out on your mission. I’ve made frostings with it, pastry cream, pâte sucrée, sugar cookies and so many other things and it’s always worked perfectly.

The ingredients

The base of vegan butter

Milk. I use soy milk because it’s high in protein and very creamy. But since we’re not entirely relying on it curdling for flavour, any creamy plant based milk will do, like cashew or even oat. I would avoid a watery one like rice milk though. I use the original (sweetened) version of soy milk since dairy is naturally a bit sweet. But if you prefer to use unsweetened, you can. The flavour will just be a bit different.

Refined coconut oil and neutral oil. These are the fat components in the butter. Since coconut oil is a solid fat, it mimics butter really well. Make sure to use refined/deodorized coconut oil so your homemade vegan butter doesn’t have a coconut flavour. To avoid it being rock hard, neutral oil is added. You can adjust the ratio of solid to liquid oil to get the texture you want as long as the total amount stays the same. More liquid oil = a more margarine-like spread, but keep in mind that’s less ideal for baking.

Liquid soy or sunflower lecithin. I’ve tried skipping this ingredient, but it’s really what makes homemade vegan butter (and store-bought) emulsify, melt nicely and have a smooth rather than crumbly texture. It can’t be skipped. You can find it at health food stores, baking supply stores or online, and it lasts a very long time. I’ve had the same bottle for awhile now and I’m barely halfway through it.

Xanthan gum. I made this recipe a few times before finally getting some xanthan gum and it still worked ok. But having made it with it, it really makes a difference. It helps give the butter a very smooth and emulsified texture and give it more pliability.

What makes this vegan butter actually taste good

Yogurt. I use plain unsweetened soy yogurt. It adds flavour, a bit of tang and makes the butter creamier and silkier. It can be replaced with more milk if you don’t have vegan yogurt.

Almond powder. This is what makes this butter brown! It adds fat/creaminess and a buttery taste as well as a brown butter one once it toasts. You could also use hazelnut powder for a stronger brown butter flavour. If you plan on using the butter for sautéing or on high heat, leave it out as almond powder burns so it’ll leave an unpleasant flavour. And if you want a nut-free butter you can omit it.

Apple cider vinegar. To add tang and a funky “cultured” taste to it. Mattie suggests coconut vinegar which is also great and has a milder flavour. You could even use lemon juice in a pinch.

Nutritional yeast. To add additional flavour to the vegan butter.

Salt. I like to salt it to round out the flavour, but if you want an ”unsalted” butter simply add just a pinch.

Turmeric. Totally optional, it’s just for colour and a pinch (a bit less than 1/8 tsp) is all that’s needed.

How to make vegan butter

Start by adding the milk, yogurt, nutritional yeast, salt, apple cider vinegar, almond powder, lecithin and turmeric to a blender or food processor and set aside. I made it once with an immersion blender, but the mixture gets pretty thick at a certain point and the motor starts working really hard so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a really good one.

Then melt the refined coconut oil. You want it to be melted but not hot, just room temperature. Once it’s melted, add the neutral oil and stir them together. It’s easier if they’re in a cup with a spout since they’re going to be slowly poured into the blender/food processor.

Blend the milk mixture until it’s completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Then while it’s still running, slowly pour in the oils. Once they’re all in, add the xanthan gum and blend until it’s fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides really well and blend again for a few seconds to make sure everything is well mixed. And that’s it!

At this point the butter will have a mayo/loose yogurt texture so you can pour it into whatever mold or freezer-safe container you have. A loaf pan lined with parchment, a silicone mold, a tupperware-type container, etc. This recipe makes 1 kg of butter so I prefer to divide it into smaller portions so I can just take out what I need.

Place the container(s) in the freezer overnight (or at least 6 hours) for the butter to solidify. You can then transfer what you want to the fridge and keep the rest tightly wrapped in the freezer until needed.

How to brown the vegan butter

As I mentioned, since there’s almond powder in the recipe, you can brown the butter and unlock the lovely aromas of toasted almonds. You can then use it to add more flavour in recipes like cookies, blondies, cakes, etc.

To brown the butter, place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir often to make sure it doesn’t burn. At first it will just melt and it’ll seem like nothing is happening. But then it will start foaming, taking on a golden colour and smell really good.

Don’t push it too far or it’ll burn, so once it gets to a golden brown, take it off the heat and pour it into another container to stop the cooking.

How to store vegan butter

Once it’s solidified, you can store it in the fridge for about 2 weeks (3 if you push it) or tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to keep just what I need in the fridge and store the rest in the freezer. You can also leave it out to soften at room temperature for up to a day if needed for a recipe. Unless it’s really hot in your kitchen, then I would just take it out 30-60 minutes before.

If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!