The Best Vegan Butter Brands
Updated: Apr. 16, 2024
We've rounded up the best vegan butter brands, based on texture, flavor and primary cooking use.
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When you’re going dairy-free, it’s crucial to find tasty replacements for everyday pantry staples. We’ve rounded up top vegan butter substitutes. Some aim to mimic butter’s color and flavor, while others embrace alternative ingredients. We’ve made sure to include vegan butters that work well for spreading, as well as good baking and cooking options.
New to shopping vegan? Some surprising foods may contain dairy. Most vegan spreads will clearly mention their dairy-free status, but if they don’t, look out for whey, lactose and casein. Look for vegan butter at supermarkets, big box stores with grocery sections and specialty stores like co-ops.
Easiest to Find: Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Commonly available in grocery stores, Earth Balance is highly rated for its great flavor and texture. The brand offers several types of plant-based butter, including a basic soy-free buttery spread that’s ideal for using on vegan pancakes or toast. They also make a whipped variety that’s delightful on bagels and an olive oil spread with a savory flavor.
Most Versatile: Miyoko’s Creamery European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter
Miyoko’s vegan butter is made with a coconut oil base and added protein-rich cashews. The butter is made with real cultures, like traditional dairy butter. This butter was a standout for spreading, but it’s also a favorite for vegan baking, even for recipes in which the butter flavor shines, like sugar cookies. As a bonus, this option also browns well, making it perfect for sauteing and making sauces.
Best for Baking: Melt Unsalted Vegan Butter Sticks
While many vegan butter brands will work for baking, Melt’s plant-based butter comes in a rare unsalted version. This makes it super versatile for baking, especially in vegan dessert recipes that might taste off with too much salt. As a bonus, Melt’s plant-based butters are free of cholesterol and allergens, including gluten and soy.
If you do plan to bake, make sure to buy vegan butter sticks. The tub versions are generally too oily or thin for baking. And keep in mind that you might already have a butter alternative in your pantry.
Best for Spreading: Milkadamia Salted Buttery Spread
Another plant-based, palm-oil free option, Milkadamia buttery spread is made with macadamia nut oils, which add delicious richness but have a very mild, not overly nutty flavor. The brand makes a tasty salted spread and a sprayable version that’s handy when whipping up your favorite vegan dinners.
Best Whipped Vegan Butter: Wayfare Foods Salted Whipped Butter
It’s a pleasure to spread this whipped dairy-free butter across a toasted bagel or chewy wedge of sourdough. The notable ingredient here is butter beans, which make for a substantial spread with a rich, savory flavor. It’s not trying to replicate butter, but creating a delicious food in its own right.
Best Butter Texture: Flora Plant Butter
Available in salted and unsalted varieties, Flora butter is sold in a large block and is quite similar to dairy butter in its thickness and firmness. The familiar feel makes it a simple transition for anyone new to vegan butter, and the butter earns top marks for dolloping on vegetables, spreading onto bread as well as using in cooking. Non-GMO and free of artificial preservatives and flavors, plant-based Flora butter includes pea protein for added richness.
Best Super-Natural Vegan Butter: Wild Creamery European-Style Butter Alternative
Wildbrine’s vegan butter is naturally fermented, lending a hint of acidity to the richness of the butter. Rather than adding natural flavors, butter-makers add ferments from their own brinery (which makes kimchi, among other naturally brined delights). Their original butter recipe is made with cashews as well as coconut and sunflower oils. They also have an oat milk-based spread for those avoiding nuts.
Best Palm Oil- and Soy-Free Vegan Butter: Om Sweet Home Butter Alternative
Palm oil is found in many foods, from vegan butters to your peanut butter. Its widespread cultivation is ecologically harmful. While many companies are moving toward more sustainable harvesting practices, it’s arguably most eco-friendly to reduce consumption entirely. Om Sweet Home butter alternative is made with neither palm oil nor soy, a rarity for vegan butter. The coconut oil-based spread is a one-to-one replacement for butter in cooking and baking recipes, and whips and spreads nicely on toast and sandwiches.
Most Natural Recipe: Monty’s Plant-Based Butter
While perhaps most beloved for their cream cheese, Monty’s also makes a delicious plant-based butter made with cashews, coconut oil, almond oil and sea salt. The simple recipe doesn’t attempt to duplicate dairy butter. In fact, the brand’s tagline is “better than butter.” The rich, smooth spread has a hint of sweetness from the cashews. Top quality ingredients make Monty’s a bit of a splurge, perfect for serving at a decadent weekend brunch.
Best Vegan Margarine: Fleischmann’s Solid Margarine
You might assume that all margarine is vegan—but it’s not. The main ingredients in margarine are vegetable oil, salt and water, but many margarine brands add animal products, such as whey and lactose. Make sure to read the label! Fleischmann’s margarine is indeed vegan, and it’s ideal for baking and frying your favorite vegan recipes.
Psst! We also found the best dairy-free milks.
Originally Published: September 05, 2019
