Easy Homemade Vegan Butter (Dairy-Free & Soy-Free)

When you think of making homemade butter, you probably imagine churning and a long, complicated process. Well, this recipe couldn't be more different! You essentially throw four ingredients into a blender, blend, chill, and give it a quick second blend if it starts to separate. That's it!

Finding a really good dairy-free and soy-free butter can be surprisingly challenging! A lot of store-bought vegan butters contain preservatives, fillers, or oils I'd prefer to avoid, and some of the better options can be expensive or hard to find depending on where you shop.

I've always loved Miyoko's plant-based butter, and it was part of my inspiration here. I wanted to create that same creamy, buttery flavor and texture using simple ingredients I could control. After plenty of recipe testing, I finally found the perfect ratio of refined coconut oil, avocado oil, and almond milk.

I also found the easiest method that doesn't require any forethought. A lot of vegan butter recipes require melting the coconut oil without warming it too much while also using chilled avocado oil but I wanted to be able to make it with room temperature coconut oil and avocado oil (since that is how I store both). This method saves an entire day of waiting for the avocado oil to chill. Otherwise, you have to time everything just right and plan to make it two days in advance. If you've been looking for a homemade alternative to store-bought vegan butter, this is it!

The Ultimate Taste Test

My tween daughter absolutely LOVES butter. She puts it on practically everything and is extremely particular about her food. For years, Earth Balance was basically the only dairy-free butter she would eat - she was very loyal to it!

Well, after trying my homemade version, she actually told me she prefers it over Earth Balance. Coming from her, that is a HUGE compliment. I feel like that's the ultimate taste test!

Ingredient Notes

• Refined coconut oil: This is absolutely essential, and it must be refined, not unrefined. Unrefined coconut oil will give your butter a coconut flavor (we don't want that!). Refined coconut oil has a much more neutral flavor. I do not recommend any other oils here as coconut oil provides firmness as the butter chills.
• Avocado oil: Equally important! It contributes to the buttery flavor and smooth consistency. I wouldn't recommend substituting another oil, because it will affect the flavor.
• Plain unsweetened almond milk: Its very mild flavor works beautifully here. I've only tested this recipe with almond milk, so while other plain, unsweetened non-dairy milks might work, they could slightly change the finished flavor or texture.
• Fine salt: This really brings everything together and enhances the buttery flavor. I think the amount is just right!

How to Make Easy Homemade Vegan Butter

Everything gets blended in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy, then chilled in a jar, given a quick immersion-blender reblend if it starts to separate as it sets, and chilled again overnight until completely solid.

That reblend happens right in the same jar you store it in! After its overnight chill, it firms up beautifully into a light ivory, almost milky-white butter with a creamy, buttery flavor that looks very similar to traditional butter. Enjoy!

The Secret's in the Second Blend

When I first tested this recipe, I simply blended everything in my high-speed blender, poured it into a jar, and refrigerated it. But as it solidified, I noticed the mixture started separating.

What worked perfectly was letting it chill until it was just beginning to solidify, then briefly reblending it with an immersion blender before returning it to the fridge overnight. That was the trick! The quick reblend brings everything back together until it's smooth and incorporated again. So don't worry if you notice some separation!

Make It Your Own

• Make a smaller batch. This recipe makes a generous batch (we go through it pretty quickly in our house!), but you can easily halve it if you don't need that much.
• Add a little color. Add a pinch of turmeric if you'd like a yellow color.
• Shape it into sticks. I sometimes use silicone butter molds to make traditional-looking sticks of butter. Just make sure to pour the butter into the molds only after the first chill and the immersion-blender reblend.

Ways to Use Homemade Vegan Butter

There are so many ways to use it!

• Spread it: on toast, bagels, quick breads or muffins
• Breakfast: melted over my blueberry pancakes or buckwheat waffles
• Sides: mixed into my creamy dairy-free mashed potatoes, added to baked potatoes, melted over steamed or roasted vegetables, or served with corn on the cob
• Cooking and baking: added to pasta or other savory dishes, used for sautéing or in baking recipes
• Holidays: in your Thanksgiving recipes