I’m a skeptic when it comes to vegan butter, I will admit. I’ve tried to get behind it but the truth is is that the flavor always leaves me disappointed and let down. Not only is it impossible to slather a slice of gluten free bread with a good butter substitute but baking with it only infuses it with a strange aftertaste at times, not to mention the ingredients kinda scare me. I, however, have never have stopped in my quest for a good vegan butter substitute and thank God that I haven’t because it made me open to this recipe from Miyoko Schinner’s new cookbook, The Homemade Vegan Pantry. If anyone could redeem vegan butter, it’s Miyoko. (Have you tried her nut cheese line?)
Redemption happened, oh yes it did! This vegan butter. I just, I…can food leave you speechless? Yes it truly can and did for me this week. What I love about this recipe:
- No weird aftertaste
- Super easy to make
- Spreads on toast like…well, butter!
- You can bake with this stuff
- Has all the great qualities of real butter: Creamy, salty (you can change this to your preference), and melt-in-your-mouth good…all without dairy.
You NEED this cookbook if you or a loved one are dairy and/or egg free, allergic to dairy and/or eggs, are vegan, or are human and love to make food at home. The options of recipes are incredible:
- Ranch Dressing
- Oil-Free Eggless Mayo
- Flaxseed Meringue
- Almond “Feta”
- Oil-Free Melty “Mozzarella”
- Brilliant Bouillon
- Unfish Sticks
- Peppy Unpepperoni
- Lemon Curd
- White Chocolate
I could go on and on about how incredible the recipe index is but you will just have to buy this darn thing and join me in glee.
Print
Vegan Butter Substitute
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 Pound of Butterless Butter 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. melted refined coconut oil (not extra virgin coconut oil)
- 1/2 c. nondairy milk (unsweetened)
- 1/4 c. canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid lecithin (if using granules, you will need 2-4xs the amount)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and process at medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Pour into container of choice–something made of silicone is great, as it will pop out easily, but any storage container will do (line it with wax paper first for easy removal).
- Set it in the refrigerator for a few hours until hard or in the freezer to expedite hardening.
Notes
This glorious butter substitute will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks or many months in the freezer.
Reprinted from THE HOMEMADE VEGAN PANTRY Copyright © 2015 by Miyoko Schinner. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon
- Calories: 116
- Sodium: 32mg
- Fat: 13.4g
- Carbohydrates: 0.2g
- Protein: 0.1g
Now before you start throwing your breakfast at me over the fact that this recipe calls for liquid lecithin, let me explain. It’s an inexpensive item (I ended up finding it at Whole Foods in the supplement section as well as online for about $7 for a bottle). A little goes a long way, so find some friends who are crazy for a butterless vegan butter substitute and pass the bottle around the neighborhood. It’s definitely not an ingredient that you will use often in other recipes but I GUARANTEE you that you will want to make this recipe over and over and over again that you will find that you use the bottle up in no time. Worth the $7, easy! Do note that if you have a soy allergy then beware! Lecithin is typically derived from soybeans but you can find a lecithin made from sunflowers so be on the lookout.
Look at that sexy vegan butter substitute melt! Toast is calling your name…
Hi Cara,
I searched for vegan butter substitute and it took me to your page; what I’m actually looking for is a substitute for vegan butter, something plant based but not with saturated fat levels that blow even butter out of the water. Do you have a recipe for anything like that, or am I just getting my hopes up too high? This would be primarily for baking and not for use as a spread.
Are liquid aminos a substitute for lecithin? I can’t find an answer online, and I don’t have lecithin but want to make this and have liquid aminos…
Recipe came out great. The taste was def buttery. Now, I’ve had it for about a week in the refrigerator and today it has a blue coating on top. Light blue not a deep blue. I threw it out but wanted to know if this has happened to others before. Thank you!!
This recipe is AWESOME! Thanks for sharing! For those having difficulty with the oil separating, try measuring the coconut oil at room temperature, where it is very, very soft but not melted completely to liquid. Place in the blender with the rest of the ingredients. VOILA! Enjoy!
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hello! I would like to share what I found about canola oil, Canola (Canadian Oil Low Acid) please make some research about the toxic
seed and that canola is not even a real vegetal.
Take care.
The doctor put my in-laws on a Vegan diet but told us that coconut oil isn’t healthy.
Hi There
I am allergic to coconut / coconut oil. What could I sue as a substitute, any ideas?
There isn’t one, sorry Cheryl!
Do you know I’ve often wondered if you couldn’t use sustainable palm oil/shortening instead as it also is firm at room temperature. Just guessing.
I am in the same boat. I cannot use coconut products. I am thinking about trying refined cocoa butter. I have used cocoa butter for frying french toast with good results.
Try cacao butter if allergic to coconut oil
I actually like this better than dairy butter! Great recipe!
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Hi. This is my second attempt at making vegan butter the first one I made was creamy and delicious but it was rock-solid, so no good to me. This was a different recipie. This recipe was spreadable like butter but it had no taste at all, even when i melted it back down and added sone nutritional yeast, which really made no difference in the taste. (Could this have been the coconut oil?) I used Ktc refined Coconut Oil. Once it was hardened it had a buttery hard layer on top but underneath it was thick and curdled. My processer was hot during the blending, could this have caused the curdling?
All this oil 🙁 I’d rather use regular butter than this. I can’t believe it’s FOK approved.
Yes a lot of oil but they are plant based which won’t clog up your arteries!
What do you think butter is made of? Pure fat. Well, since these oils are healthy ones and not heathen on the process, just give it a try and stop complaining
Would this recipe work without the Lecithin? I live in a region where I can’t easily have access to it abd I haven’t been able to order it at the moment.
I think others have tried it and it might come out slightly differently, it might still work. Good luck!
This taste so good and like the real thing! I said oh damn out loud when I tasted it. I’m not sure if this was a good or bad idea to make this. Lol I added tsp of apple cider vinegar and 3/4 tsp salt like some had suggested. If you want cleaner then don’t add salt lol
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Has anyone tried to make butter icing with this? (Frosting) I tried to make some with dairy free from the shop and it was a disaster, so trying to find and alternative!
oh. my. goodness. dedicated omnivore here, w/ a newly diagnosed dairy allergy. I was ready to give up on butter, I really really was, b/c all of the substitutes taste oily & chemically, especially in baking. I just made this, spread it on toast, and I don’t know that I would have known the difference if I hadn’t known! I added a tsp of apple cider vinegar as LYNDA suggested, used a blend of plant milks that I use for drinking (soy/cashew/coconut/rice, b/c they’re more neutral together), used safflower oil instead of canola, and upped the salt by about 1/4 tsp (b/c I like salted butter for eating). I’m going to try it in my favorite biscuits or a piecrust, and then cream it w/ sugar for cookies – if it holds up half as good as it tastes, you will have given me a miracle. Truly. I’m off to buy the cookbook now, you don’t even know what you’ve done for me. 🙂
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Wow. Thank you for sharing this Jennifer! I eat a mixed diet too. I have a mild dairy allergy. I, too, find commercial vegan margarine to be a great disappointment. It taste nothing like real butter. Also, thank you- I hate canola oil! No offense.
I should mention that the author of this recipe sells this as a commercial vegan margarine. I have not tried it yet. I believe it’s called Miyoko’s European-style vegan butter. Try looking for it at Whole Foods Market, or at Trader Joe’s. I would love to know how you’re recipes turn out!
You may not come back here to comment, but if you do- how do you mix up your plant milks? What brands do you use and in what proportions?
Lastly, I think trying this homemade margarine with Jennifer’s tips, along with the tips on using canned corn milk and vegan butter flavoring extract, could turn out something quite buttery tasting. Maybe?
For the love of goodness, please use refined coconut oil in this recipe. If you use virgin, unrefined coconut oil – it will taste like coconut! Clean, safe refined coconut oils can be found at your local natural grocer or health food store (or online). You are not losing much, or altering much by refining coconut oil. I did not say hydrogenation. I said refinement. A clean process that safely removes the coconutty aroma and taste from the oil.
You can buy virgin, unrefined coconut oil on Amazon. It has no taste at all the make is Biona.
Hi Devon, I’m back! 🙂 So I’ve been making this for months now and I have thoughts! I did make the corn milk version, and found it a little too sweet for me, but it worked fine – so just a preference I’m guessing. And baking with this is an absolute success – biscuits, brownies, cookies, whatever! There was a slight difference in my biscuits, but I’ve started using it half & half with leaf lard and that did it 🙂 I haven’t tried my aunt’s family sugar cookie recipe, which is my last hurdle, but based on everything else, I think it’s gonna be OK. Frosting & sauteing – this is where I taste a difference: buttercreams taste much “thinner” – I’m experimenting with adding white miso to my butter, to see if that helps w/ the umame and will report back; I stopped using cider vinegar b/c literally every vegan dairy recipe calls for it and I could taste it in everything – may need to try it again in this recipe. In sauteing, the sugars must be released, because there’s definitely more sweetness to this when browned than I remember from real butter; but it’s usually covered by the flavor of whatever I’m cooking, so it’s not really an issue (I saute mushrooms, onions, steaks, etc, and I like them fine).
And I love the commercial Miyokos Vegan Butter – it has that something the homemade version lacks, but it’s not cheap, so I tend to get it infrequently, and then for non-cooking applications, like on waffles.
My non-dairy drinking milk has evolved and it’s pretty simple – 2.5 cups unsweetened plain Silk soy milk to 1.5 cups unsweetened plain Silk coconut milk (Silk is what’s easily available to me). The texture is close to what I remember 2% milk being, and the flavor is neutral enough that I drink it straight, as well as on cereal, in baking, etc. For coffee creamer I use equal parts canned coconut milk (full fat!) and oat milk or nut blend milk (nut milks taste too bitter to me for drinking, but great in coffee!)
Can we add a natural butter extract to this recipe to give it the butter flavor?
Probably! Not sure if the extract has actual dairy in it though so just be mindful if you are allergic. If you are just looking for a butter sub, then I say do it.
Thanks for asking – I wondered myself, where would the buttah flavour come from with those ingredients.
For butter flavour, I wonder if nutritional yeast would work? 🤔
I added nutritional yeast to this recipe and I loved it. I just made it for the first time today and I woudl have added a bit more salt. It is really good.
This is delicious!!! Thank you for posting the recipe.
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I would like to try this, I am working toward going vegan but I am having a hard time with butter, cuz I love it! I live in Guatemala and the only coconut oil I can get here is what I buy at the public market, in a glass bottle with no label or processing information. I know it comes pretty much straight from the coconut so I’m guessing it’s not refined, would that work or what would be the difference?
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HI, this sounds ideal. Looking to make some and was hoping you could clarify that the ‘c’ in the recipe (½ c. nondairy milk etc.) is for ‘cup’?? And if so, is there a numerical equivalent in grams?
Hope you can help,
Rob
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c does mean cup, yes. You can look up the equivalent for grams on the internet, not sure what it would be as our measuring system is different.
Liquid cup would be working in mililiters not grams. Grams would depend on the weight on the milk and it can vary from one kind of milk to another.
2 and 1/4 cups (total volume of liquids before the lecithin) is about 532 milliliters, so it’s a ratio of 1 teaspoon (15 ml) to 261 ml, which you could reasonably round down easily to 250 ml. As long as your proportions are accurate, you’re fine.
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Has anyone tried to make this using ripple (pea milk)? it has similar protein to soy milk.
I made it using sweetcorn milk and it tastes like ‘Gold’ butter that used to be sold in the uk. Really yummy. Just puree a can of sweetcorn and filter out the pulp. You can add a bit of non dairy milk if needed to get the correct amount required. This is the best butter recipe I’ve made.
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That’s a genius way to make this! Thanks for the tip <3
I tried the corn milk- but my blendtec blender pretty much made liquid corn, so my buttah had a veerrrry corny taste. Next time, I’ll use just a 1/4 of the corn and all the can juice. But I loved this suggestion because it really puts the flavor in the right direction.
I also used 6 tsp of lecithin granules (like an different commenter posted) but when I remake I’ll be trying it with 5.
Thanks!!
This is an amazing recipe! I used 6 teaspoons of soy lecithin granules and it worked well. Tastes delicious. Thanks!
Good to know – I used 8 but would like to reduce it a bit 🙂
I also used 6 teaspoons of soy lecithin granules and it turned out great for me too.
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Ive made this butter and itbtastes like the sunflower leithicn. Inused the liquid type. Any thoughts?
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I don’t have any tips, sorry Marsha! Because this recipe calls for soy lecithin and because it is not my recipe, I don’t have any other suggestions. You can contact Miyoko and check her thoughts. Good luck!
This might depend on the brand because I use sunflower as well and I never taste it. And believe me, I stay off the sunflower oil BECAUSE of the taste… I love this recipe and it really makes me appreciate more the times I eat it! People are always so suprised to see the end result! Thanks for sharing!
same thing here. i taste the lecithin oil too much. i don’t know how to fix it.
I did more research and found out that this is not a healthy recipe because it requires REFINED coconut oil…
“Refined Coconut Oil
Refined coconut oil refers to coconut oil that has been bleached, and deodorized. The oil is derived from dried coconut meat known as copra. Traditional Tropics notes that oil obtained from copra has to be purified with bleaching clays because contaminants arise during the drying process. High heat is then used to deodorize the coconut oil to remove its distinctive odor and flavor. Sodium hydroxide is often added to prolong its shelf life. To obtain the most oil, some brands use chemical solvents to extract as much oil as possible from the meat. They may partially hydrogenate the oil, too, which means it will contain trans-fats. MayoClinic advises against the consumption of trans-fats, noting they raise bad cholesterol levels while lowering good cholesterol levels.”
bummer. so this recipe is not something I will be using.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/refined-vs-unrefined-coconut-oil-2296.html
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then I did more research and found out there are healthy refined coconut oils available but people need to do research to find out which ones…not all are.
It’s simple.
Use cold pressed coconut oil. Completely unrefined and and unheated.
I grew up in Fiji and coconut oil and it’s production is well known and part of life there.
As usual the reason is economics/money. It’s cheaper to make and ship coconut oil that is made with a process of extraction and refining by heating. Industrial ovens and long heat times affect the natural nutrients in the coconut. You can tell this oil by its gold color and very strong coconut smell. But it is stable to ship and store for long periods.
Conversely cold pressed coconut oil, uses like its name suggests uses presses to extract oil from coconut flesh. The process is done cold as ANY heat causes oxidation, which then can change the unsaturated fatty acids into unnatural trans- fat configurations. Properly cold press coconut oil maintains a pure natural nutrient profile. It can be identified by its very pure almost water color in liquid form and at lower temperatures it will be a white solid in the jar. It is thus more expensive to make and ship.
Unfortunately some unscrupulous coconut oil companies try to lower the water content in their final cold oil process by slight heating as it is a cheaper way to refine the oil i.e. a mix of cold pressed and heat process. This still looks like cold pressed but the nutrient and health profile of the coconut oil is damaged. The only way to tell is to buy a cold pressed coconut oil from a company of good repute.
But the basic rule of thumb I use is my nose. If the oild has no smell and clear or white, and when rubbed on my finger still has no smell, its good cold pressed coconut oil. If it smells of coconut (and even though coconut is a yummy smell)… ..then it is a heat coconut oil process, and is not the coconut oil to use.
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I use COCO LOCO. Its says 100% extra virgin raw cold pressed. But it has nice coconut smell. What does it mean, its mixed? Thank you for opinion.
Thank you for this comment. I’ll have to search for a good oil because unrefined coconut oil tastes to me like soap and even though I tried to like it I just can’t make myself to eat it 🙁
My experience is that when coconut goes bad, it tastes like soap! I suspect yours was rancid.
I am allergic to coconut. Would another type of oil work just as well?
Because coconut oil solidifies when cold, it’s really the only the oil that works for this. If anyone has had any luck with another oil, let us know–that would be greatly appreciated by Becky!
Cacao/cocoa butter. Pricey, though.
This comment comes much too late, I know- but I think the usual sub for coconut fat and oil is palm oil. They behave in a similar way. It’s not a popular choice these days, with the ethical concerns surrounding it’s commercial production. Also, you need to buy the right product. I am not sure that typical palm shortening, used for greasing, would work.
I would love to find a recipe for vegan butter that doesn’t use ANY OILS… there isn’t anything healthy about ANY oil. I love some of Miyoko’s recipes but don’t use any oil in them.
It would be great to find a vegan, gluten free, oil free sandwich bread.
Thanks for your work.
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I disagree about the healthiness of oils and so do a slew of nutritionists. I’d wary of polysaturated though. Hard to find anybody who thinks real olive oil is bad for you.
sorry Barbara but butter IS oil. If you want to avoid eating oil, don’t eat butter, vegan or not. I do not think oils are healthy in the slightest, but i think its a bit unfair to rate this recipe as one star when its a recipe for BUTTER.
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Yes!
I Second that!
Please!…Oil-Free!
I’ve tasted croutons made with Miyoko’s Butter and they are Delish!.., but Oil-Free would be a Heaven sent😊
I don’t know how possible it is to make butter without oil :/
Aquafaba stabilized with cream of tartar and maybe a nut/seed butter- say tahini or macadamia butter, then add plant milks or water? I dunno.
Canned chickpea liquid, that is. It seems better than fresh, or other canned beans.
What I mean is whipped canned chickpea liquid, whipped with cream of tartar-possibly as long as 10 minutes of whipping? Then whip with other ingredients?
Try homemade sourdough bread. Or, order it online.
It can be vegan, gluten-free and oil-free. It is easy to make, not fussy or complicated. Good luck.
There is an oil-free recipe for vegan (corn) butter spread on YouTube.
I can not use soy, sunflower or pea in my diet. Could I use zantham gum as an emulsifier? Store bought vegan butters all contain the above.
You can always try, just not sure how well that would work. If you do give it a go, let us know if it works!
Can I use vegan egg replacer for this recipe do you think? Or Xantham Gum do you think? Not sure what quantities though? If you were to use normal eggs in this how many yolks would you use? If I know that, I’ll know how much egg replacer to use if suitable.
Thanks in anticipation. X
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This isn’t my recipe, it’s a recipe from Miyoko’s cookbook so I cannot with 100% certainty say that those subs will actually work. In fact, I cannot imagine a vegan egg replacer working. You can try xanthan gum but I couldn’t tell you how much. Wish I could help you more but try experimenting and see what happens…
Thanks I’ll give it a go. X
I’ve made this a few times and have noticed the coconut oil separates during freezing. The last couple of times I’ve increased the amount of sunflower lecithin but it hasn’t made any difference. Do you have any idea what the problem might be?
I had this same problem and I made it 3 times.
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Mix it during hardening in fridge. Especialy in moment when it really start to harden – in this moment coconut oil comes to the surface and starts to be solid. You have to catch moment BEFORE it. If you mix it 3-5x, than coconut will stay dissolved in the mixture.
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What brand of coconut oil did you use? This question is for the author and whoever else this worked out for. I used the Better Body Foods brand and it tasted horrible. On the jar it says it has a no chemical taste but to me it tasted what blood, mercury, and metal probably tastes like.
I LOVE this recipe, I made cookies with it, since i went want alternatives, this was the best i keep mine i the Freezer, then put one i the Fridge, i keep in i an airtight container though…or it separates…
DO NOT LEAVE IT OUT, its NOT that kind of butter 🙂
I used Spectrum ORGANIC coconut oil….its what i bought at our Local Sprouts Market,
They DID NOT have liquid Lecithin, at WHOLE FOODS, where i live.
I used “SOLGAR” LETCITHIN SOY granules,,from WHOLE FOODS instead, but i used 6 by accident and it turned put fine 🙂
so far my recipe was fine i put it in my VITAMIX, and let it rip…about 2 minutes…
It turned out fine, i baked cookies with this and they turned out Great,
Im so Grateful i found this , and glad i tried it…
As I am A NEW to making Hoe Made things, this is a WIN Win for me 🙂
Happy Butter Baking..:)
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HOME MADE 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a number of times — it’s crazy delicious, so very easy, and wildly versatile. When we first went vegan, butter was the last thing to go because we just couldn’t find a good replacement. We eventually just cut it out of our diets and went without… imagine our excitememt when we discovered Miyoko’s fabulous vegan version!
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Meat wasn’t hard to give up, but dairy has been a challenge, both for my love of all things cheesy, as well as finding substitutes. I just made my first batch of this butter, and based on how it tasted coming out of the blender, it’s going to be a hit! I used a silicone small muffin pan, so I can send some to my daughter. And another suggestion, it helps to dunk your measuring spoon in the oil before dealing with the liquid lecithin. It slides right out of the spoon!
What brand did you guys use?
My butter will not harden even after I put it in the freezer. Do I need to add more lecithin? I already added 6 tsps. Thanks
No, the lecithin is not the issue. You used coconut oil, correct?
Sorry if I’m being dumb but what do the C’s mean in the measurements? Cups? Thanks.
Not dumb, and yes, it means cups! xo
What can I use to replace coconut oil in this recipe?
I have made this recipe a number of times and it really is great! After first seeing it here I went on and bought the book which has a number of other great recipes in it to try.
One word of caution though – it doesn’t keep for long out of the fridge, about a week, and when it goes off smells and tastes like Danish Blue cheese! I make it with oat milk so not sure if that makes a difference.
I’ll be keeping it in the fridge from now on anyway!
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I would not recommend keeping it out of the fridge at all because it doesn’t have the same properties as real butter to say fresh without being chilled. Definitely keep the extras in the freezer and what you are using in fridge 🙂
This is awesome! I love making gluten-free vegan desserts but vegan butter is nasty and highly processed stuff I’d never touch. I mean I’m vegan to be healthy so why would I eat that stuff? But this recipe is awesome, finally I can bake all that good stuff 🙂
Instagram
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Can you bake with this?
YES! It’s a beautiful recipe, really.
Regarding the recipe for vegan butter substitute–why in the world would you recommend REFINED coconut oil? Organic, virgin is the only way to go!
I’m assuming it’s because refined coconut doesn’t have much of a coconut flavor. Most people want a more buttery flavored butter substitute, not a coconut flavored one.
Exactly!
So it won’t taste like coconut oil. If I wanted coconut oil on my toast I’d spread that on it.
Omgosh! This is awesome and just what I needed as I’ve been so deeply wanting an alternative to commercial vegan “butter”! So easy and so delicious! I’m thrilled to find such a great solution! Thank you! I’ll also likely be purchasing a copy of Miyoko Schinner’s book – to learn more.
Yes, right?! It’s by far my favorite thing to make and I LOVE the taste. WAY better than any other store bought vegan butter 😉
If lecithin granules are used as an ingredient for the butter, how much are needed? The recipe says to use 2 to 4 times the amount of liquid lecithin. That could be anywhere from 4 to 8 teaspoons of lecithin granules. How will I know whether more or less granules are considered enough?
I look forward to hearing from you or anyone else.
Thanks!
Since this isn’t my recipe but one from a cookbook (nor have I used the granules, only the liquid lecithin, I can only take stab at it. But I’d guess 5-6 teaspoon should work just fine. Good luck, Wayne!
Having recently turned to veganism due to the massive impact the meat and dairy industry are having on our dear planet, I found this recipe and cannot recommend this enough. I have shared with with all my friends and wanted to thank you for sharing. Buying the cookbook (and one for a friend) as you suggested for more great recipes 🙂
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Do you use 76 degree refined coconut oil or the 92 degree hydrogenated kind?
I honestly don’t even know what that means…
I didn’t realize it was a thing either until I started looking into buying some online. Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees, but the more processed hydrogenated version melts at 92 degrees. I wasn’t sure if one should be used over the other since regular butter melts in the 90s or maybe it doesn’t even matter once it’s mixed with the other ingredients.
hello! could you please let me know if this butter has any taste of coconut at all? i hate the taste thats why i am not very sure of the coconut oil that i should use for the recipe :/ (i read thats its important for the recipe)
The recipe suggests using refined coconut oil instead of unrefined so it actually will not taste like coconut 🙂
Hi, there is NO coconut taste whatsoever. The only thing I caution people about it using grapeseed oil. It has such a strong taste that it is only for savory things such as garlic bread and veggies. But not for sweet dishes. I absolutely love this butter.
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I was really excited about finding this recipe, then did a little digging and found that soy lecithin is very bad for you. (here’s a good reference: http://truthnhealth.com/2012/07/what-heals-and-what-hurts-the-difference-between-lecithin-and-soy-lecithin/)
In fact it seems the other lecithin’s are potentially also produced using the same refining process as soy (using hexane), making them almost certainly toxic.
Is there something that can be substituted for the lecithin? Has anyone found a sunflower or grapeseed lecithin that isn’t produced using hexane?
Found a supplier of sunflower lecithin that states that they don’t use hexane (or other toxic chemicals) in their refining process.
https://www.mysunflowerlecithin.com/product/all-natural-liquid-sunflower-lecithin/
Thank you so much for this important information. Not only did I not know about this process but I also was not aware of the fact that this is in many of the foods available in the supermarkets.
Never stop learning
Researched this a little bit online. Egg yolk is suggested for a natural lecithin substance in recipes which I believe would also work beautifully in this recipe. Even egg substitutes could be used but I will incorporate egg yolk for the future into this recipe.
I will also try to add different flavors to the butter such as fruits, or even pureed veggies, sprouts, herbs. This is a great basic recipe. The possibilities are endless.
Oh great Doris! Most people who come over here don’t eat or are allergic to eggs (which is why I create eggless recipes) but there are still those who can eat them and this would be of great help. Thank you!
Yes, thank you for mentioning the egg yolks! My daughter is allergic to milk but not eggs, and her allergist actually wants us to be very careful about keeping eggs in her diet regularly. She’s getting tired of just eating eggs so I have to hide them in stuff a this will be a great option for that!
I just made this for the first time by following a basic Hollandaise recipe (based on some shaky math and that Hollandaise recipe, you need about 6 yolks for the amount of oil/liquid listed above). I think it’s going to turn out great! Fingers crossed!
Hoping it all worked out beautifully for you and your daughter!
This is supposed to be vegan Doris. Eggs are not vegan. Vegans don’t need or want recipes with animal excretions in them. Plant-based lecithin is what we will use for this recipe so that we can keep our ethical stance on not harming or consuming animal products.
Hold up, please. This is a site for those with FOOD ALLERGIES. Granted, this recipe is from a vegan book and serves it purpose for those who are vegan, but it also helps out those who have an allergy to dairy. This is not to exclude anyone but be of help to those who need it when they cannot consume certain ingredients REGARDLESS of their reasoning. All are welcome.
Yikes Tamara, you seem almost annoyed with people that don’t share your ideology. Trust me, we all know what vegan is. Especially if we found our way to a vegan butter recipe.
I’m not vegan either, and I don’t need to be vegan to use this recipe. I try to follow a paleo-vegan otherwise known as Pegan diet. One thing both camps agree on generally is that dairy is not that good for you. Hence the reason a flesh eater like myself is looking at a vegan butter recipe.
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Oh my gosh Doris please let me know how to use the egg instead? I cant seem to find anything online and I’m afraid to use raw eggs without guidance! Please let me know if you find anything 🙂
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Yup, most soybean crops are GMO in this country (USA). I don’t mess with anything soy. Soy lecithin is in most everything in the grocery store. I eat only organic foods, and drink only organic. I’ll have to look for some organic sunflower oil, because I won’t use canola, as again, most is GMO.
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Hi, Can anyone advise me if you make this with an alternative oil instead of using coconut? I have been advised to avoid coconut oil, I wondered which oil substitutios would to try. .Does anyone know or tried different oils – thanks in advance
Hi Nina! If you don’t use the coconut oil, you unfortunately will not get the same firmness as the recipe suggests (or what a normal stick of butter looks like). I say try a vegetable oil or any mild-flavored oil and maybe you might get something softer, I think it still has the potential to taste just as good!
Thank you Cara for replying so quickly, very much appreciated. I will try a vegetable oil and see if I can produce a softer type butter/spread. I live in the UK and would like to make/find a more natural spread to use on a daily basis – thanks again.
Well she could always use margarine.
Been allergic to all things cows milk for years but this has recently intensified so I have to give up the last of my must-haves, butter!! Can’t find goat’s butter anywhere…. looking for an alternative that really tastes like butter with all natural/real, and no canola oil, ingredients. This sounds promising. However, the one thing I use it most on is popcorn. (I stove pop organic popcorn in coconut oil) Has anyone tried this on homemade popcorn?
Trust me when I say this is the best nondairy butter I’ve ever tried! I’ve used it for so many things that I deeply believe this would work on popcorn too. Miyoko knows her stuff!
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I’ve made my organic popcorn with organic raw,virgin, coconut oil, and even drizzle it over it, when it’s done.
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I have been making a very similar vegan butter recipe for a couple of years now (veganbaking.net.). I put half in the freezer and keep the other half in the fridge. The longest the “butter” has been in the fridge is 1 month with no spoilage and no change in taste. I also use soy milk and vinegar as mentioned in another comment made by LYNDA. Well worth the effort to make.
I have a coconut allergy, so do you think it would be ok to replace the refined coconut oil in this recipe with refined avocado oil instead? I don’t know if they solidify at the same temperature or not, but it seems like the next best thing for me to use.
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Try looking up vegan butter recipes using coca butter. I think it requires different ratios of liquid, so do some research before you sub it in directly. Sorry I couldn’t be more help: i can’t seem to remember where i saw one 🙁
I am not sure what happened but my butter turned out whiteish (not yellow), crumbly with lots of air bubbles. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks.
Did you use the liquid lecithin?
What role does the Lecithin play? We can not use soy or sunflower, so I was thinking of trying it without lecithin.
It’s an emulsifier and allows the oils and milk to blend perfectly together. It also adds a nice yellow hue to the buttah. You can try without it, yes, but because this is not my recipe, I cannot guarantee that it will be just as good 🙂
Do you think golden flaxseeds would work? I recently made a veggie burger recipe and the ground golden flaxseeds soaked in a specific amount of water thickened…like an egg.
I always add a bit more oil to make it more spreadable.It is White if you don’t add any colored ingredient to it, but that somehow adds to it’s appeal.
I always keep mine in a butter dish and use anything that flakes off just.My meat eating son adores this recipe.
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Great suggestion Cathy, thank you!
Ooooo!!!! I am a big fan of earth balance, but this looks like a great option for when I am out… or just too lazy to make it to the grocery store! 😉
I use Earth Balance too..and it says it’s all organic, but looking at the ingredient list, I’m not really sure….I’m going to try to make this, if I can find some of those ingredients in organic.
I use Earth Balance, the original for baking and cooking. They have an organic one as well, but it is whipped and that doesn’t work for some of my recipes.
Oh wow, how did I miss this cookbook? I really need it!! Vegan white chocolate, meringues and lemon curd? Hell yes!
Hi, I’ve just made this butter recipe and used my homemade almond milk. The recipe says that the butter will last several weeks but I’m just wondering how it will stop the almond milk spoiling as almond milk is usually only good for 3-5 days?
Can melted cacao butter replace the refined coconut oil. Thanks.
Wow! That’s amazing. I made an article and video on how to make a vegan egg replacer, but this butter is also a super great idea!! Thanks!
All thanks to Miyoko! Hope you like it 🙂
I have made this buttah many times, in fact I made a fresh batch just last week. Because I live alone I don’t use a lot at a time. A long time ago I discovered that the buttah will actually mold over time(weeks) so I started putting it in several small containers and freezing all but one. It freezes beautifully and for me it means making a full batch and not having it go off. I have also found that unsweetened soy milk is the creamiest. THe original recipe I found soured the soy milk with a bit of apple cider vinegar (which I still do) as it gives the buttah a cultured milk flavour. Cheers,
Awesome Lynda! I used a homemade cashew milk (and made it extra thick) and it was super good too but I will try the soy milk from your suggestion next. This really is a beautiful cookbook, Miyoko did an amazing job–hope you get it and love it too!
LYNDA, I hope you will look up the percentage of soy crops that are GMO in this country. Just in case you aren’t aware, or haven’t heard of this, it means “genetically modified organism”. You ought to study up on this. You might just HAVE to go all organic, when you find out! Organics are in many grocery stores. Their labeled as such, with a little circle in the front of the label, that says “USDA Organic. Even Walmart and Target are putting many of these products on their shelves, because people want them so much, and don’t want to eat pesticides, herbicides, and all the other chemicals that are sprayed on all crops. Good healthy eating, to you!
This looks incredible! And so easy too. What bread is in the photo’s? Is it homemade? Love your blog 🙂
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Hi Laura, thank you so much! The bread is from a bakery nearby–it spoils me from not having to make my own 😉