If you’ve ever tried baking a vegan cake or making vegan cookies, you might have been disappointed when your creation didn’t turn out as well as you hoped. It’s not uncommon for vegan baked goods to be less flavorful or have a strange texture because the butter has been replaced with something that doesn’t work as well.
Butter plays a crucial role in baking, and vegans need to find a suitable substitute that will give them similar results. While there are many vegan butter options on the market, you don’t always need to buy them. In fact, there are several household ingredients that can serve as excellent butter substitutes. Here are some of the best vegan butter alternatives you can use in your baking and cooking.
Coconut Oil: The Chameleon of Vegan Butter Substitutes
One of the most versatile and popular vegan butter substitutes is coconut oil. It’s solid at room temperature but melts easily, so it can be used in both cold and warm recipes. Coconut oil also has a mild flavor that won’t overpower other ingredients.
When using coconut oil as a butter substitute, keep in mind that it will give your baked goods a subtle coconut taste. If you don’t want this flavor, try using refined coconut oil instead of virgin coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has been processed to remove most of the coconut taste and smell.
To replace butter with coconut oil in a recipe, use the same amount of coconut oil as butter. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, you would use 1 cup of coconut oil. If you’re baking with solid fats like butter or coconut oil, make sure they are at room temperature so they can cream together easily with sugar.
Tips for Using Coconut Oil as a Vegan Butter Substitute
- If you’re using coconut oil in a recipe that requires liquid ingredients (like milk), the coconut oil may solidify when it comes into contact with cold liquids. To avoid this, you can either melt the coconut oil before adding other ingredients or use a blender to mix everything together.
- When baking with coconut oil, you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius) and increase the baking time slightly because coconut oil can brown baked goods faster than butter.
- Coconut oil is also a great option for making vegan frosting and vegan chocolate.
Nut Butters: Creamy, Nutty, and Vegan
Another delicious and healthy butter substitute is nut butter. Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, and other nut butters can be used in place of butter in most recipes.
When using nut butter as a butter substitute, you may need to adjust the amount of liquid ingredients (like water, milk, or eggs) in the recipe because nut butters are thicker than butter. As a general rule, you can use the same amount of nut butter as butter in recipes that don’t require a lot of liquid ingredients (like cookies or brownies). For recipes that require more liquid ingredients (like cakes or quick breads), you may need to reduce the amount of liquid by about 25% to get the right texture.
Nut butters can add a unique flavor and texture to baked goods. For example, almond butter will give your baked goods a subtle almond flavor, while peanut butter will make them taste like peanuts. If you want to avoid the strong flavor of one type of nut butter, you can use a neutral-tasting nut butter like sunflower seed butter or soybean butter.
Tips for Using Nut Butter as a Vegan Butter Substitute
- If you’re using nut butter in place of butter for creaming (like when making vegan frosting or vegan buttercream), you may need to add a little bit of liquid (like milk or water) to help the nut butter cream more easily.
- Nut butters can also be used to make vegan sauces and dressings, so don’t be afraid to experiment with them in different ways.
Avocado: The Unexpected Vegan Butter Substitute
Believe it or not, avocado can be used as a butter substitute in vegan baking. Avocado has a creamy texture and a mild flavor that makes it a great option for vegan butter replacement.
To use avocado as a butter substitute, you can either mash it up or blend it until it’s smooth. You may need to add a little bit of liquid (like milk or water) to help the avocado blend more easily. Use the same amount of avocado as butter in the recipe.
Avocado is a good option for vegan frosting, vegan chocolate mousse, and vegan buttercream. It can also be used to make vegan cakes and quick breads (like banana bread or zucchini bread). Keep in mind that avocado may give your baked goods a slight green color, but this won’t affect the taste.
Tips for Using Avocado as a Vegan Butter Substitute
- If you’re using avocado as a butter substitute in savory recipes, you may want to add a little bit of salt to enhance the flavor.
- Avocado has a high fat content, so it can make baked goods more moist and rich. If you find that your baked goods are too moist when using avocado as a butter substitute, you can reduce the amount of liquid ingredients in the recipe.
Vegan Margarine and Shortening: Familiar Vegan Butter Substitutes
If you want a vegan butter substitute that behaves like regular butter, you can use vegan margarine. Vegan margarine is made from vegetable oils and water, and it has a similar texture and melting point to butter. You can use vegan margarine in place of butter in any recipe.
When baking with vegan margarine, you may need to adjust the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius) and increase the baking time slightly because vegan margarine can brown baked goods faster than butter.
Another option for vegan baking is vegan shortening. Shortening is solid at room temperature and has a high melting point, so it’s good for recipes where you want the fat to remain solid (like pie crusts and biscuits). You can use the same amount of vegan shortening as butter in recipes that call for shortening.
Tips for Using Vegan Margarine and Shortening
- When using vegan margarine or shortening in place of butter, make sure they are at room temperature so they can cream together easily with sugar.
- If you’re using vegan margarine or shortening in a recipe that requires liquid ingredients (like milk), the fats may separate from the liquids when mixed together. To avoid this, you can either melt the margarine or shortening before adding other ingredients or use a blender to mix everything together.
Innovative Vegan Butter Substitutes
There are many other creative vegan butter substitutes you can try in your baking and cooking. Here are a few options:
- Tahini: This sesame seed paste is often used in Middle Eastern cooking. It has a creamy texture and a nutty flavor that makes it a good option for vegan butter replacement. Use the same amount of tahini as butter in recipes.
- Plant-based oils: You can use any plant-based oil (like olive oil, sunflower oil, or safflower oil) as a butter substitute in baking and cooking. However, you may need to adjust the amount of oil depending on the recipe. As a general rule, you can use about 75% of the amount of oil as butter. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, you would use 3/4 cup of oil.
- Vegan butters made from plant-based oils and proteins: There are many vegan butter options on the market that are made from plant-based oils and proteins (like soy protein or pea protein). These vegan butters have a similar texture and melting point to regular butter, so they can be used in any recipe. Look for vegan butters that have a high fat content (at least 80%) to get the best results.
Tips for Using Innovative Vegan Butter Substitutes
- When using tahini as a butter substitute, you may need to thin it out with a little bit of water or oil to get the right consistency.
- When using plant-based oils as a butter substitute, keep in mind that they may give your baked goods a slightly different flavor and texture than butter. For example, using olive oil as a butter substitute may give your baked goods a subtle olive flavor.
Homemade Vegan Butter
If you want to make your own vegan butter, you can try making homemade vegan butter. There are many recipes online for vegan butter that use plant-based oils, soy protein, and other ingredients. You can use homemade vegan butter in any recipe that calls for regular butter.
Baking and Cooking Tips for Vegan Butter Substitutes
When baking or cooking with vegan butter substitutes, you may need to adjust the measurements and techniques slightly to get the best results. Here are some general tips:
- When using liquid ingredients (like milk), start with a small amount and gradually add more as needed. You may not need as much liquid when using vegan butter substitutes as you do when using regular butter.
- If your baked goods are too dry when using vegan butter substitutes, you can add more liquid ingredients (like milk or water) one tablespoon at a time until you get the right texture.
- If your baked goods are too wet or sticky when using vegan butter substitutes, you can add more solid fats (like coconut oil or nut butter) one tablespoon at a time until you get the right texture.
- When using vegan butter substitutes in recipes that require browning (like pan-fried vegetables or toasted bread), you may need to adjust the heat and cooking time slightly to get the right results.
Recipes for Vegan Butter Substitutes
Here are a few recipes that showcase the versatility of vegan butter substitutes:
- Vegan Almond Butter Cookies: Replace the butter in your favorite sugar cookie recipe with almond butter. Use about 75% of the amount of almond butter as butter.
- Vegan Coconut Oil Frosting: Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and whisk in 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Adjust the amount of powdered sugar as needed to get the right consistency.
- Vegan Avocado Brownies: Replace the butter in your favorite brownie recipe with mashed avocado. Use the same amount of avocado as butter.
- Vegan Tahini Dressing: Blend 1/4 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of water, 1 clove of garlic (minced), and salt to taste.