Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (2024)

Coconut oil is not butter, and thanks to the plethora of vegan butter options, we no longer have to pretend it is. Gone are the days of smearing oil on toast and convincing yourself that “it’s the same thing!” Vegans have options, and they are glorious. Whether you cook, bake, or use it as a condiment, these vegan butters really taste and perform just like butter. Here, we’ve rounded up the best plant-based butter options.But first, why is regular butter not vegan?

Jump to the BRANDS

Is butter vegan?

Traditional butter is made with churned milk or cream, which usually comes from cows (but it can also come from other animals like goats), and that’s why it’s not vegan.

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (1)Unsplash

Many people also use margarine, which is similar to butter in texture and color, but it’s usually made with plant-based fat instead of animal fat. (Don’t assume that margarine is always vegan, however, because it can also contain milk.)

What is vegan butter?

In the past, many vegan consumers opted to use dairy-free margarine or coconut oil in place of butter. But that’s changing now, as many brands are making authentic, plant-based butter products. These usually look and taste like dairy-based butter, but technically, they’re closer to margarine products because they’re made with plant-based oils.

Best vegan butter brands

Next time you’re looking to stock up your pantry with creamy, delicious vegan butter, make sure to check out each of these brands to find the best product for you.

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (2)Miyoko’s Creamery

1 Miyoko’s Creamery

Miyoko’s Creamery boasts three different butter varieties: European Style Plant Milk Butter Salted, European Style Plant Milk Butter Unsalted, and Oat Milk Butter Salted. The first two are nut- and coconut oil-based and work incredibly well for cooking and baking—they even brown. The latter is ideal for those with a nut allergy and for spreading liberally on refined carbohydrates—everything from toast and muffins to pancakes and waffles.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (3)Earth Balance

2 Earth Balance

Ask any professional vegan baker what butter they use, and the overwhelming response will be Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks. They are an easy one-to-one swap for dairy-based butter sticks which makes for perfect pie crusts, velvety buttercreams, and tender cookies. For condiment use, check out one of the many varieties of the brand’s buttery spreads. You can’t go wrong with original, but the olive oil and whipped varieties are fan favorites as well.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (4)Melt Organic

3Melt Organic

Made with sustainably sourced plant oils, this creamy rendition of butter is great for savory applications. Add a pat or two to a pasta sauce for a little indulgence, or use the buttery sticks to create a solid roux for mushroom gravy or vegan gumbo. Complete your meal with some homemade vegan biscuits using the Unsalted Butter Sticks, then slather those with the brand’s original, spreadable organic butter. Sometimes, it’s necessary to infuse butter in every part of the meal.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (5)Country Crock

4Country Crock Plant Butter

When dairy-based companies jump on the vegan bandwagon, it’s obvious a trend has reached a high point. The company has stepped outside of its iconic brown-gray tub and developed four different styles of plant-based butter. We bring the spreadable Plant Butter with Olive Oil tub to the table when hosting non-vegan guests.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (6)@peanikki/Instagram

5
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! It’s Vegan

Those who grew up with at least one yo-yo diet parent will recognize this margarine brand from their childhood. Now with an It’s Vegan option made from a blend of soybean and palm oils, we really can’t believe it’s not butter. Like its dairy-based predecessor, this product is lower in fat and calories in comparison to both dairy and plant-based butters. Note: the company does not state the source of its palm oil, but the product is vegan certified.
Find it here

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (7)Trader Joe’s

6
Trader Joe’s

This dairy-free alternative offers the same rich and buttery flavor that many have come to love without compromising on ethics or taste. It’s versatile, whether you’re using it to slather on toast, cook savory dishes, or bake delectable treats. Plus you can grab it at everyone’s favorite grocery market: Trader Joe’s.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (8)Naturli’

7
Naturli

Crafted with a blend of cocoa butter, coconut, canola, and almond oils, this plant-based butter delivers a luxurious, creamy texture that mirrors traditional dairy butter. Its versatility shines through, whether you’re spreading it on your morning toast or incorporating it into your favorite recipes. With their carbon-neutral production and plant-based sourcing, Naturli has created a product that not only satisfies the palate but also aligns with eco-conscious values.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (9)Kite Hill

8Kite Hill

Kite Hill’s European-style butter is just one more reason to love this vegan dairy company. Like many of the brand’s products, this butter is made with cultured almond milk to mimic that luscious, buttery taste and texture. Pro tip: melt onto one of Kite Hill’s filled pastas for a decadent yet simple weeknight dinner.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (10)Wildbrine

9Wild Creamery

Made from a blend of coconut oil and cashews, this vegan butter is not only vegan but also rich in flavor and creamy in texture. What sets Wildbrine apart is their dedication to fermentation, infusing their product with probiotics for added health benefits. It’s a game-changer for those seeking a butter alternative that doesn’t compromise on taste or quality.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (11)Flora

10 Flora

This company is upfront about its ingredients—including palm oil. The ingredient is commonly used yet highly controversial for its damaging environmental effects. However, Flora has promised to vet its palm oil suppliers to ensure sustainable production and sourcing. The brand even sits on the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil to keep an eye on the industry and advance more environmentally friendly practices. Use Flora’s Salted Plant Butter to create decadent sauces or spread liberally on a freshly baked vegan blueberry muffin.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (12)Land O Lakes

11Land O Lakes Plant-Based Creamy Spread

Yet another dairy-based company has embraced the plant-based trend. Found at many nationwide supermarkets including Vons and Kroger, this vegetable oil-based spread offers Land O Lakes regulars a solid dairy-free option. While not suited for baking, this spread is excellent for slathering and melting on everything from your morning toast to a mound of mashed potatoes.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (13)Violife

12 Violife

Boasting a rich, creamy texture and a delightful hint of salt, this butter from the popular vegan cheese brand captures the essence of traditional butter without the need for animal-derived ingredients. It’s a versatile addition to any kitchen, with simple ingredients that are free from major allergens.
FIND IT HERE

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (14)@wonderkindco/Instagram

13Monty’s

Made with just four ingredients, Monty’s plant-based butter boasts a taste that rivals its dairy-based counterpart. This rich and velvety staple—available in original and fluffy, “cloud” varieties—has a touch of sweetness from cashews that perfectly balances the sea salt. Use it for cooking, baking, and slathering on toast.
Find it here

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (15)WayFare Foods

14 WayFare Foods

Butter beans serve as the creamy base for WayFare’s vegan butter. Whipped and flavored with sea salt, this dairy-free butter is also free of soy, gluten, and is kosher pareve certified to boot.
Find it here

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For more vegan food guides, read:
  • The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Baking Substitutes
  • The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Vegan Milk
  • Is Nut Butter Healthy? Here Are the Best Vegan Options

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Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (16)

Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is always on the search for the newest innovations in plant-based food.

Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission. In no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.

Don’t Call It Margarine: Up Your Butter Game With These 14 Plant-Based Options (2024)

FAQs

Is plant-based butter margarine? ›

The main difference between margarine and plant butter is that while margarine may still contain small amounts of dairy, plant butters are free of any animal products. Although plant butter is typically 100% vegan, it can contain saturated fats due to the use of coconut and palm oils.

What is a plant-based 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 eat butter on a plant-based diet? ›

These butter replacements also happen to be perfect for those following a whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet, which cuts out all refined and processed foods, including oils. All animal-derived foods, including butter made from cow's milk, are off-limits according to the WFPB guidelines.

Which is healthier butter or plant-based butter? ›

Overall, plant-based butters generally provide healthier types of fats. However, as they shouldn't be a primary source of calories in your diet, choosing plant-based over regular butter alone is unlikely to significantly affect your health.

Is margarine a butter? ›

Margarine is a blend of oils that are mostly unsaturated fat. Butter is made from cream or milk. The type of fat found in animal products, such as cream, is mostly saturated fat. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Can you get plant-based butter? ›

Yes, you can! You'll find that some vegan butter brands can replace cooking oils, animal fat, and even ghee. You can cook, roast, fry, and bake with them, too!

What are 4 types of butter substitutes? ›

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.

Is cheese OK on a plant-based diet? ›

A whole foods, plant-based diet aims to eliminate animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. As the name suggests, everything you eat — including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds — is derived from plants.

What is the healthiest butter to eat? ›

Grass-fed butter offers some health benefits to counteract the health risks it poses. It appears to have lower levels of saturated fats and more unsaturated fats than standard butter. This is because grass-fed butter is made from the milk of cows that are allowed to graze instead of being fed high-grain diets.

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.

Can you leave plant-based butter on the counter? ›

Whipped butter, margarine, compound butter, and vegan butter are more prone to spoilage and should always be refrigerated. Unpasteurized or homemade butter is considered a TCS food and should always be refrigerated.

Does plant butter raise cholesterol? ›

Conclusion. Vegan butter is a healthy and sustainable alternative to traditional butter made from dairy ingredients. It offers many health benefits, including cholesterol-free and lower calories and saturated fat.

What is a healthier alternative than butter? ›

Avocado. Avocado is a nutritious alternative to butter. Not only can adding avocado increase the overall nutritional value of a meal or baked good, but it can also substitute butter's saturated fat for monounsaturated fat.

What is a good butter substitute for high cholesterol? ›

For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of butter, you could replace it for ½ tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil. You may also want to limit your consumption of some other foods that may have a negative impact on your cholesterol.

Is country crock plant butter margarine? ›

Country Crock carefully develops our Plant Butter recipes to deliver a taste that is similar to dairy butter without the dairy. Isn't Plant Butter just margarine? No. Plant Butter and margarine are not the same, although they share some similarities, particularly the use of plant-based oils.

Is earth balance vegan butter margarine? ›

Everything we make is vegan and free of animal products.

Is plant-based butter a processed food? ›

We tend to think of all vegan products as healthy, but vegan products can actually be highly processed and full of artificial ingredients. Vegan butter is one of these products, often including high amounts of salt, preservatives, and artificial flavoring.

Is plant-based butter hydrogenated? ›

None of these vegan Butters slash margarine. Are hydrogenated none that's from the olden days. These are all. These all contained fat that sticks together through whatever process the buttermaker is using but they are definitely there are no trans fats and there are no there's no hydrogenation.

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