Ahhh… butter. The creamy substance people love to spread on toast is used to make mouthwatering buttercream frosting and as a delicious topping for baked potatoes.
Butter is one of life’s simple pleasures, but is it vegan?
The short answer is no. Butter is not vegan.
Butter is a dairy product made by churning lots of creams. It consists of 80% milk fat and 20% liquid (whey). Since it contains animal proteins, it is not considered vegan.
The Butter Alternative:
Margarine Spreads
Farmers could not produce enough butter to meet the demand of all US households, so a product that looked and tasted like butter but did not contain dairy products was created: “margarine.”
Margarine was originally an extract from animal fat, but today, it is mainly made from vegetable oils, including corn, cottonseed, and soy.
A French chemist first invented it in Western Europe in the 1800s to replace butter, which was scarce due to war.
He called it oleomargarine because it was made from beef fat and vegetable oils. Today, margarine is mostly made from vegetable oil.
Butter and margarine are confusing because they are hard to tell apart. These products are found in grocery stores’ dairy aisles and have several famous names, such as Country Crock, Parkay, Imperial, and Blue Bonnet.
Many people have come to know or associate these products with butter. They have been in our homes since childhood; some may not even know the difference.
Is Margarine Vegan?
Vegetable oil-based margarine is considered vegan because it does not contain dairy products. It can be found in most grocery stores and is typically labeled as “vegetable oil spread” or just “spread.” However, some other types of margarine may not be considered vegan.
Some brands of margarine contain dairy products, such as milk solids or whey protein concentrate (which contains lactose), to help them stay soft at room temperature. Therefore, read the ingredients carefully before buying any margarine.
Typically, margarine is made using vegetable oils and emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides. It’s a popular alternative for lactose-intolerant people and those who want to avoid dairy products for other reasons (such as concerns about animal welfare).
Margarine was once considered healthier than butter because it contains neither cholesterol nor saturated fat. However, many kinds of margarine contain trans fats instead, which may increase the risk of heart disease.
To make sure the product you buy does not contain any animal products, check the labels for words like:
- Lactose
- Whey
- Lecithin
- Casein
- Milk powder
- Animal fats
- Omega 3 fish oils
- Natural or artificial flavors
Vegan Butter
Vegans often use vegan butter because it doesn’t contain any animal products. This makes it an alternative for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy products. Some vegans also choose this type of spread because they don’t want to support industrial farming practices associated with dairy production.
Vegan Butter is made by replacing the milk fat with vegetable-based oils such as coconut or palm oil instead of animal fats like butterfat. It can be used just like regular butter on toast or for baking, but it does not taste exactly like butter because there are some key differences between vegan butter and real butter.
Vegan butter versions are now widely available in grocery stores, but many vegans prefer to make their own because it is cheaper and gives them more control over the ingredients.
DIY Vegan Butter Recipe
The only thing better than vegan butter is vegan butter, which you make yourself! This recipe is easy and comes from a world-renowned chef, Gordon Ramsey’s Masterclass. You’ll need a handful of ingredients, a food processor, and patience. But the result is well worth it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup refined coconut oil, melted, room temperature
- ¾ cup vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy lecithin
- Optional: 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar, then let it thicken for 10–12 minutes.
- Mix the soy milk, coconut, vegetable oil, and lecithin in a food processor until smooth. If using salt, add it now.
- Place the butter in an airtight container and refrigerate until set.
You can add salt or other seasonings to homemade vegan butter to customize its taste!
If you would rather skip the painstaking measuring and blending, you can purchase some from the grocery store. Several good vegan brands are available.
A few vegan butter products to try include:
- Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spreads
- Follow Your Heart Veganaise
- Miyokos Creamery
- Milkadamia
- Country Crock Plant Butter
- Forager’s Project
- Wayfare Foods Salted, Whipped Butter (made with butter beans)
- Wildbrine European-Style Cultured Cashew Butter
The main ingredients used to make vegan butter are:
- Water: Water acts as an emulsifier to help keep the fat molecules dispersed evenly throughout the final product. It also helps speed up the cooling process so that your vegan butter doesn’t become grainy when it comes out of your blender or food processor.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor and helps keep moisture in your vegan butter recipe. It also helps prevent lumps from forming during the blending process. Use acceptable sea salt or kosher salt.
- Emulsifiers: Lecithin is made from soybeans, which is why it’s a common ingredient in vegan foods. It helps keep the water and oil mixed when making butter, which results in a smooth spread that can be easily spread on bread or toast.
- Plant-based Milk: Instead of cow’s milk, you can use soy, almond, cashew, or coconut milk. Try using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or margarine for a richer flavor and texture.
- Soybean oil is one of the most popular oils for making vegan butter. Its high smoke point prevents the oil from burning easily during cooking. Soybean oil is also an inexpensive ingredient compared to other types of vegetable oils, like olive oil or canola oil.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil has become very popular among vegans because of its low level of saturated fat. It’s used in many vegan foods such as cheese, ice cream, and baked goods because it has a high smoke point and doesn’t go rancid quickly like other fats when heated for long periods.
- Palm oil: Palm oil is an edible vegetable derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis. It is naturally reddish because of its high beta-carotene content. However, its use has been criticized due to concerns about its production methods.
The Bottom Line
No matter which version of vegan butter you choose, use it to top baked potatoes, steamed veggies, pancakes, waffles, English muffins, and more.
Butter is dairy, which means that it comes from cows. As such, it is not vegan. However, that does not mean you must give up your morning toast. Try any tasty substitutions for butter listed above on bread or baked goods.
