Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (2024)

By: Whitney Barnes | June 18 2019

Here at the Bob’s Red Mill Headquarters we develop and test recipes all day long. In our years of baking, we’ve settled on some pretty tried and true vegan egg, vegan milk, and vegan butter substitutes. These are plant based alternatives to eggs, butter or milk that can be used in most recipes. Vegan baking substitutes are pretty simple, but first we need to understand what roles eggs, butter and milk play in our muffins, cakes, and cookies!Today we’re taking a look at vegan butter substitutes!

What is butter made of?

Butter from dairy is made from about 80% butterfat, 15% water, and 5% milk solids.

What are good vegan butter substitutes?

In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.Keep in mind that the percentages of fat and water will vary with substitutes and this may affect your baked goods in texture and flavor.Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (2)

What does butter do in baking?

Butter provides moisture and flavor in baking. Moisture in the butter helps hydrate flour and starches, binds together ingredients, and adds tenderness and flavor.

What is a good substitute for butter in cookies?

If you're using a vegan substitute for butter, replace the butter with something of similar substance; solid for solid and liquid for liquid. If your cookies call for cold butter, use a solid vegan butter stick, solid coconut oil or coconut butter.If your cookie recipe calls for melted butter, use melted coconut oil, olive oil or applesauce.Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (3)

What is a good substitute for butter in pie crust?

The best vegan butter substitute to use in pie crust is a vegan baking stick (like Earth Balance or Miyoko's) or solid coconut oil. When making vegan pie crust, keep the fat/butter super duper cold until it hits the oven. To do this, you might need to work with cold flour, a cold surface, or stick your dough in the freezer or refrigerator. When the extreme heat of the oven meets cold fat/butter/vegan butter it instantly melts and creates steam which in turn, create those flaky pockets in pie crust!

What is vegan butter made from?

Vegan butter is usually made from a mixture of oils, lecithin, and protein. Some are cultured to mimic the milky-tangy flavor of dairy butter. The oils are then emulsified to create a solid using xanthan gum, psyllium husk powder, sunflower lecithin, etc.

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6 Comments

  1. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (5)

    I have been replacing you 1to1 flour in my vegan recipes and the middle of my baked goods come out doughy and don't rise as much as I would like. Any suggestions.

    Reply

    1. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (6)

      Hi Coni! Please contact our Customer Service team - they're happy to help troubleshoot your recipes. [emailprotected] or 1-800-349-2173

  2. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (7)

    Very helpful! Thanks for sharing your ideas

    Reply

  3. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (8)

    New family member has allergies to wheat , dairy and eggs. I need holiday dessert ideas.

    Reply

    1. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (9)

      Hi Pam! You can narrow down our recipe site to show only gluten free and vegan recipes - there are a lot to choose from and we hope you find a good fit!

      Bob's Red Mill Recipes: Gluten Free & Vegan

      Reply

  4. Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (10)

    Has anyone ever tried to substitute for the dairy butter using cocoa butter or unsweetened white chocolate (even lightly sweetened thus cutting back the other sweeteners)...

    Cocoa/chocolates (not the powder) have a pretty high fat content...

    Reply

Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter (2024)

FAQs

Vegan Baking Substitutes: Butter? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

What do vegan bakers use instead of butter? ›

Coconut oil is a delicious vegan alternative to butter as it behaves similarly to butter compared to other oils. It solidifies when cool and melts at room temperature, making it very versatile. If you use unrefined coconut oil, you can expect a more distinctive taste, but refined coconut oil is basically flavourless.

Does vegan butter make a difference in baking? ›

Foods and baked goods that call for traditional butter can turn out great when you use plant-based butter instead,” he says. “We make everything from shortbread cookies to biscotti to omelets with plant-based butter and get the same kind of taste and texture that you expect.” Use a 1:1 ratio.

What do vegans do for butter? ›

Vegan butter is a non-dairy butter substitute made from plant-based ingredients. It is typically made from a blend of vegetable oils such as coconut, palm, or soybean and other natural ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and even algae. This makes it a great alternative for those who: Follow a vegan diet.

What is a vegan fat substitute for baking? ›

To Replace Oil or Margarine In Baking:
  • Apple sauce may be used in cakes, cookies, and other sweet baked goods to replace oil or margarine.
  • Prune Puree may be used to replace the oil. ...
  • Mashed or pureed tofu can replace oil in other (non-sweet) baked goods.
  • Flax meal can replace all or some of the oil in a recipe.

What is a plant-based butter alternative? ›

Plant-based butter, also referred to as vegan butter, is a nondairy butter substitute that's typically made by combining water with a plant-derived oil, such as olive, avocado, coconut, palm kernel oil, or a combination of oils.

Is Miyoko's vegan butter good for baking? ›

Our butter is perfect for baking. Use as a 1:1 swap in any recipe. This butter melts deliciously, whether starting a roux or browning for a sauce. This butter spread on bread is a game changer thanks to those tangy cultured notes.

Is country crock plant butter vegan? ›

Could Country Crock Plant Butter be considered vegan? All of Country Crock's Plant Butters are vegan and dairy-free due to the exclusive use of plant-based ingredients.

What do vegans put on bread instead of butter? ›

Mashed banana adds sweetness and creaminess, not to mention potassium, when used as a vegan alternative to butter in baking. It is also fat-free and can be spread on your toast.

Which plant-based butter is best for baking cookies? ›

Miyoko's European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are both highly recommended substitutes for dairy butter.

Why do vegans not eat butter? ›

Butter isn't traditionally vegan as it's typically a dairy product that's made from cow's milk that has been churned to separate the fat compounds. Vegans don't eat animal products so won't eat traditional butter.

What is the best vegan substitute for buttermilk in baking? ›

Any plant-based milk alternative will work great when making non-dairy substitutes for buttermilk. However, make sure the milk is plain and unsweetened. My favorite milk varieties to use for vegan buttermilk are unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened soy milk, pea milk, and hemp seed milk.

What can you put on bread instead of butter? ›

The Best Butter Substitutes
  • Margarine. Replacement ratio: 1:1. ...
  • Cream cheese. Replacement ratio: 1:1. ...
  • Unsweetened full-fat natural yoghurt. Replacement ratio: 250g or less, 1:1. ...
  • Full-fat mayonnaise. Replacement ratio: 1:1. ...
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil. Replacement ratio: 1:1. ...
  • Unsweetened apple sauce. ...
  • Mashed banana. ...
  • Nut butter.

What can I use instead of butter and cheese vegan? ›

2. Plant-Based Oils. Due to its inherent fat content, any plant based oil will work wonderfully to replace dairy-based butter. Some oils you might opt for are: olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, almond oil, or even flaxseed oil.

Can I use vegan spread instead of butter? ›

Vegan Spread can be used for cooking and baking, though be aware that the results may differ from what would be produced using dairy butter due to the difference in total fat and saturated fat per 1 tablespoon (14g) serving.

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