Jeffrey Salazar
Butter is a staple in many diets, but for vegans, it's a no-go. Luckily, there are plenty of vegan alternatives to butter that can be used for baking, cooking, or spreading. Some common substitutes include coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and vegetable oil. For those who enjoy making their own alternatives, a simple recipe for vegan butter includes refined coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Why replace butter with vegan alternatives? | Butter is high in calories and fat, which includes saturated fat. Saturated fat increases bad cholesterol, which can put you at risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and heart disease. The dairy industry is also a huge contributor to greenhouse gases. |
| Vegan butter alternatives | Vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana, mashed avocado, vegetable shortening, vegan mayonnaise, cooking spray, banana, pumpkin puree, avocado, vegan yogurt, nut butter, hummus, vegan cheese spreads |
| Pros of vegan butter alternatives | Lower in saturated fat, environmentally friendly, easy to find, inexpensive, tasty, nutritious, creamy, rich, savoury, sweet, healthier |
| Cons of vegan butter alternatives | Highly processed, solidifies when cool, too sweet, dense, strong flavour, not suitable for light and airy recipes, not suitable for flaky pastries, scones or hard cookies |
| How to use vegan butter alternatives | Melt, blend, whisk, spread, drizzle, season, bake, fry, top, coat, grease, drizzle, mix, whip, blend, curdle, emulsify, chill, freeze, soften, mash, puree, strain |
| Vegan butter brands | I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, Nutiva Organic Buttery Coconut Oil, Flora plant-based butter, Earth Balance, Miyoko's |
What You'll Learn
Store-bought vegan butter
Vegan butter is a holy grail when it comes to vegan butter alternatives. It is a dairy-free butter product that offers all the ease of a 1:1 butter replacement. It is usually made from a mixture of oils, lecithin, and protein, and sometimes cultured to mimic the tangy flavour of dairy butter. The oils are then emulsified to create a solid.
There are many different plant-based butter varieties, stemming from a range of base ingredients like coconut oil, vegetable oil, soy protein, and even oat milk. Most of these options will work beautifully to replace regular butter whenever and wherever called for, in both savoury and sweet recipes. For example, you can use store-bought vegan butter for cooking, baking, or as a tasty spread.
Some brands to look out for include Earth Balance and Miyoko's. You can also find vegan butter in most grocery stores in the refrigerated section.
While most margarine is already vegan, when you purchase vegan butter, there is no grey area – it’s guaranteed to contain no animal products.
How to choose the best vegan butter
When choosing a vegan butter, it's important to consider the ingredients and your desired use case. For example, if you're looking for a butter alternative to bake with, you'll want to choose an option that will provide moisture and richness to your baked goods, such as a product with a high fat content. On the other hand, if you're looking for a spread to put on toast or a bagel, you might opt for a nut butter or hummus, which are rich in flavour and have a similar consistency to butter.
It's also important to read the labels carefully, as some margarines and vegan cheeses may contain animal-based ingredients.
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Plant-based oils
There are many plant-based oils that can be used as a butter substitute, including:
- Olive oil
- Vegetable oil
- Avocado oil
- Canola oil
- Sunflower oil
- Almond oil
- Flaxseed oil
Things to Consider
When choosing an oil to replace butter, it is important to consider the flavour profile of the dish. For example, strongly flavoured oils like sesame oil or flaxseed oil may not be suitable for lighter dishes. In these cases, it is best to opt for oils with a more neutral flavour, such as vegetable or light olive oil.
It is also important to consider the smoke point of the oil, which refers to the temperature at which the oil will start to burn. Lighter oils like avocado and peanut oil have a higher smoke point and can withstand high heat, whereas richer oils like extra virgin olive oil have a lower smoke point and will burn more easily.
When using plant-based oils as a butter substitute in baking, it is recommended to replace the amount of butter in the recipe with 3/4 of the amount of oil. For example, if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter, use 3 tablespoons of oil. For cooking and topping, a 1:1 ratio of butter to oil can generally be used, but this may need to be adjusted to suit personal tastes.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a plant-based oil that behaves differently from other oils due to its solid state at room temperature. It has a high concentration of saturated fat, which is more similar to dairy-based fats, making it a great option for replacing butter in recipes. Refined coconut oil has a more neutral flavour, while unrefined coconut oil will impart a coconut flavour to dishes.
Coconut oil is ideal for use in recipes that require a flaky pastry, such as puff pastry, pie crusts, croissants, and biscuits. This is because the bits of solid coconut oil mixed into the dough will create steam when exposed to the heat of the oven, resulting in a lift and layers.
Coconut oil can be used as a 1:1 replacement for butter in both baking and cooking.
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Coconut oil
One thing to keep in mind is that coconut oil will add a coconut flavour to your food. This might be desirable in desserts, but perhaps not in dishes like scrambled eggs. If you want a more neutral flavour, you can use refined coconut oil, which is flavourless.
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Vegetable shortening
Shortening can be used as a substitute for butter in a 1:1 ratio. However, it is important to note that the texture and taste of baked goods may be affected by this substitution. Baked goods made with shortening tend to be softer, more tender, and slightly taller than those made with butter. Shortening also has a higher melting point than butter, which can result in baked goods with more lift and that hold their shape during baking. Additionally, shortening traps more air bubbles, which can contribute to a flakier texture.
While shortening is flavourless and will not impact the taste of the final product, butter adds a creamier, richer flavour to baked goods.
When substituting shortening for butter, it is important to consider the type of baked good being made. For example, if a flaky pie crust is desired, butter may be a better choice as the water in butter produces steam, which contributes to flakiness. In cookies, shortening may be preferred as it spreads less and holds its shape better during baking.
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Vegan cheese spreads
Store-Bought Options:
GreenVie offers a variety of vegan cheese spreads, including Creamy Original, as well as flavours like Mushroom & Truffle, Red Pepper, Tomato & Basil, and Tzatziki Style with Cucumber & Dill. Violife also has a Creamy Original spread, as well as a Cheddar Cream Cheese. Schlagfix offers a Mascarpone spread, and The Alternative Food Co. offers a product called MasCREAMpone. I Am Nut OK has a Garlic Oil Rigotta, and Honestly Tasty has a Garlic & Herb spread.
Homemade Options:
If you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own vegan cheese spreads at home. Shane & Simple has an easy recipe for a Garlic Herb Vegan Cheese Spread that is packed with flavour and simple to make. The secret ingredient is almond flour, which gives the spread an incredibly creamy texture. Other ingredients include nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs like oregano, parsley, thyme, dill, and basil. The recipe yields a soft and spreadable cheese that is perfect for veggies, crackers, bagels, or sandwiches.
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Frequently asked questions
Vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana, and mashed avocado are all good alternatives to butter in baking. For cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable stock.
If your cookies require cold butter, you can use a solid vegan butter stick, solid coconut oil, or coconut butter. If your recipe calls for melted butter, use melted coconut oil, olive oil, or applesauce.
The best vegan butter substitute for pie crust is a vegan baking stick or solid coconut oil.
Vegan butter is usually made from a mixture of oils, protein, and lecithin. Sometimes, it is cultured to give it a tangy flavor. The oils are then emulsified to create a solid.
Yes, you can make vegan butter at home with plant-based milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, salt, and sometimes, turmeric for color.
