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.

Our favorite vegan recipes

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 is a good substitute for butter when baking? ›

WHAT ARE BUTTER ALTERNATIVES FOR BAKING?
  • MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
  • SHORTENING. Shortening is 100% fat, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ...
  • OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  • COCONUT OIL. ...
  • PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • GREEK YOGURT. ...
  • BANANAS.

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 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.

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

Comprehensive Brand Guide
  • Violife Plant Butter.
  • Miyoko's Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter.
  • Miyoko's Creamery Spreadable Cultured Vegan Butter (Made with Oat Milk)
  • Simple Truth Organic Plant Based Buttery Spread.
  • Good & Gather Organic Non-Dairy Butter.
  • I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!
May 1, 2024

What is the healthiest alternative to butter? ›

9 healthful substitutes for butter
  • Olive oil.
  • Ghee.
  • Greek yogurt.
  • Avocado.
  • Pumpkin purée.
  • Mashed bananas.
  • Coconut oil.
  • Applesauce.
Nov 15, 2018

How much vegetable oil for 1 stick of butter? ›

For example, if a recipe calls for one stick of butter (8 tablespoons), use 6 tablespoons of oil.

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.

What is the best non-dairy substitute for 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.

Can you bake with miyoko's butter? ›

Our butter is perfect for baking.

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.

Is Greek yogurt vegan? ›

Greek yogurt is an animal-derived food. While it's perfectly acceptable on a vegetarian diet, dairy is definitely not part of a vegan diet. Luckily, there are dairy-free alternatives to Greek yogurt, including store-bought and homemade varieties like almond milk yogurt, cashew yogurt, and coconut yogurt.

Is country crock better for you than butter? ›

Is Country Crock® better for me than dairy butter? Country Crock® products are all made of plant-based oils – a source of good fats. Because we use plant-based oils, all our Country Crock® products contain less saturated fat than dairy butter, as well as zero cholesterol.

What do bakeries use instead of butter? ›

Like margarine, shortening is a smart butter substitute when baking (here's the difference between all three). You can use a one-to-one swap for most recipes. But remember, shortening lacks flavor (and water), so bakers will often add a bit more.

Does vegan butter bake like butter? ›

Plant-Based Butter Alternatives

Pros: Can typically be used as a one-to-one ratio swap for butter, has a similar taste and consistency to butter, and can be used for baking and cooking and as a topping.

Can Earth Balance be used in baking? ›

Earth Balance is a great choice for baking, sautéing, or just spreading it on your morning toast!

How do you make food taste good without butter? ›

Use applesauce instead of butter to create fluffy, sumptuous cupcakes.
  1. Pumpkin Purée. Pumpkin purée does double duty by adding flavor and a buttery texture to pumpkin bread.
  2. Lime. Sautéing vegetables in lime juice will give your stir-fry a refreshing flavor, without the saturated fat and cholesterol of butter. ...
  3. Coconut Oil.

Can I use applesauce instead of butter? ›

If you're looking to make some of your favorite baked goods a wee bit healthier or vegan, applesauce is your magical friend! Applesauce can be used as a substitute for oil, butter, or eggs, and still give you delicious baked treats.

Is smart balance a good substitute for butter? ›

Yes, you can substitute regular Smart Balance Buttery Spreads and Better Butters for butter or margarine in exactly the same amounts called for in your recipes. Please note that due to lower fat content, our “Light” varieties of buttery spreads are not intended for cooking or baking and should be used only as spreads.

Can I use olive oil instead of butter? ›

Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.

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