This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclaimer for details.
Craving that perfect buttery taste in your vegan baking? This guide compares nine of the best vegan butter brands and alternatives for baking- testing them in real recipes. Keep reading to find out which dairy-free butter substitutes shine in taste, texture, and performance. Let’s get baking!
🧈 What is Vegan Butter?
Vegan butter is a plant-based alternative to traditional butter. It’s typically made from a blend of plant-based ingredients, such as coconut, palm oil, or sunflower oil.
Many brands also include ingredients like water, salt, emulsifiers, and natural flavorings to mimic the taste and texture of dairy-based butter.
The main difference lies in the fat source – while dairy butter is derived from animal milk, vegan butter uses a blend of plant-based oils to achieve a similar consistency and functionality. Most vegan butter is high in saturated fat but still lower than it’s dairy-based counterpart.
So many vegan butter brands…which one is the best?
The surge in plant-based diets has led to a boom in vegan alternatives, with vegan butter becoming a kitchen staple for many. When I went vegan over a decade ago, Earth Balance was the lone option, faithfully serving my baking needs ever since.
But times have changed. The market is now flooded with choices, leaving many of us wondering:
Is there a better alternative out there?
Whether it’s a budget-friendly option or a premium product that significantly outperforms the rest, the question remains.
That’s why I’ve created this comprehensive guide. I’ve put nine popular vegan butter brands and alternatives through rigorous testing in real baking scenarios.
⭐️ The goal? To help you navigate this expanding market and find the best vegan butter for your kitchen, whether you’re a seasoned vegan baker or just starting your plant-based journey.
👩🍳 The Vegan Butter Bake-Off
Which vegan butter brands made it to our test kitchen?
Living in a rural U.S. area, my options were a bit limited, but I managed to gather a diverse range. Even the nearest Whole Foods (a 30-minute drive) only stocked two options (Miyoko’s and Violife). This selection is more limited compared to when I lived in NC, where I had easy access to brands like Flora Plant Butter, 365 Plant Butter, and even Target’s own non-dairy butter.
But here’s the good news: if I managed to find these options in my current, less vegan-friendly area, you’re likely to find at least one of them near you too!
Without further ado, our contenders are:
- Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- Earth Balance Buttery Spread (Tub)
- Violife Plant Butter
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Butter
- Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter
- Refined Coconut Oil
- Country Crock Plant Butter (Olive Oil)
- Melt Organic Plant Butter
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Vegan)
Note: I have never been sponsored by any of these brands. All opinions are my own based on independent testing.
👩🔬 The Testing Process
Before we get into the results, let’s review how I tested these vegan butters. I designed a controlled experiment to mimic real-world baking scenarios.
Recipes and Ingredients:
I selected two classic recipes that many home bakers are familiar with: vegan chocolate chip cookies and vegan vanilla cake. Yum, right? I used a variation of my eggless chocolate chip cookies (with a flax egg added in) and the vanilla cake from my Blueberry Buckle (without blueberries of course). To maintain consistency, I used the same high-quality ingredients across all batches:
- King Arthur’s All-Purpose Flour
- Consistent brands of sugar, baking powder, and baking soda / baking powder
- All other ingredients remained constant, with only the butter alternative changing
Methodology:
- I scaled each recipe to 1/4 of its original size, allowing for precise use of 1 tablespoon (14g) of each butter alternative per batch.
- All butter alternatives were brought to room temperature before use (1 hour for cookies and 5 hours for the cake).
- I used gram measurements for all ingredients for consistency across batches.
- I baked two batches of vegan chocolate chip cookies:
- The first was baked without chilling the dough. The second was baked after the dough was chilled in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Each cookie dough ball on the second batch had 2 chocolate chips pressed into the top to give the cookies a more uniform appearance.
Evaluation Criteria:
To objectively rank each vegan alternative, I developed a 5-point grading system based on the following factors:
- Baking Performance: 2 points. This carries the most weight as it’s crucial for a baking guide. Testing two recipes allowed me to fairly evaluate butters that might excel in one application but not another.
- Taste & Color: 1 point. Assessing the flavor profile and visual appeal of the final baked goods.
- Affordability: 0.5 points. Important for regular use in home baking.
- Availability: 0.5 points. Evaluating how easily one can find these products in stores.
- Versatility & Spreadability: 1 point. This considers the range of baked goods each alternative can be used in. For instance, some butters are softer straight from the fridge, making them unsuitable for recipes like pie crusts that require cold, hard fat for flakiness.
Each butter alternative received a grade out of 5 points based on these criteria. While not perfect, my hope with this system is to provide an objective assessment of each product’s performance.
🗒️ TLDR
In case this article is too long to read, here’s a little summary:
Most tested vegan butters perform well in baking, with differences more noticeable in cookies than cakes. When in doubt, the cheapest option often suffices.
- Top Picks: Violife Plant Butter & Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- Avoid for Baking if Possible: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Vegan)
- Use as a Last Resort: Coconut oil (lacks flavor but works in a pinch)
Overall, most vegan butter brands will work (a.k.a. there was no cookie I refused to eat), but choosing the right brand or alternative can definitely improve your baking results and the flavor of your baked goods.
Key Findings from Our Kitchen
- Higher oil content around 79% yields better results (more similar to dairy butter).
- Earth Balance tub and stick perform similarly (because both are above 70% oil content). Other tub versions under 70% oil may not work.
- Melt Organics literally melts at room temperature (as the name suggests) and causes cookies to spread. With softer vegan butters, I recommend chilling the cookie dough for 15-20 minutes before baking, or using them straight from the fridge (vs. letting them soften for a long time at room temperature).
- Miyoko’s has a tangy taste and melts/separates at room temperature. However, it produces the lightest-colored cakes which is beneficial if making a white cake.
- Minimal taste and texture differences when baking cakes across brands, with the exception of coconut oil which lacked flavor. Some options created more rise and a more uniform crumb. Violife made the best tasting cake with the best rise.
🏆 Best Vegan Butter Brands & Alternatives
Ranked in order of preference.
1. Violife Plant Butter
⭐️ Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐️
Violife, a brand which I love for its vegan cheeses, has expanded into the butter alternative market in the U.S. Their plant butter is made of 79% plant oil (1% more than Earth Balance), and offers a mild taste for those looking for a neutral yet buttery flavor in their baking.
Very pleasantly surprised.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this vegan butter brand. It has a very lovely buttery taste without being overly salty; its texture is very firm straight from the fridge; the color is realistic. It’s quickly becoming my go-to vegan butter.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
2/2 points
- Cookies: Light color with golden edges; domed centers; rounded crinkly edges; attractive shape overall; crispy edges with soft, almost doughy center; minimal chewiness.
- Cakes: Soft texture; beautiful, rich flavor; good rise with domed top.
🤤 Taste & Color
1/1 points
- Taste: Very mild, buttery taste with no tang and a medium salt level.
- Color: Light yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0.25/0.5 points
- $4.29 at Whole Foods for 8.8 oz or $0.49 / oz
🛒 Availability:
0.25/0.5 points
- I was only able to find it at Whole Foods where I currently live.
- That being said, it was available at some Targets when I used to live in different states, so it may be more readily available in other areas.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
1/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Very Firm.
- Texture at Room Temp: Soft while retaining shape.
- Unsalted Version? Yes.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring cold, softened, or melted butter [pastry, crust, cookies, cakes and more]. It works and tastes great in vegan buttercream too.
2. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
⭐️ Overall Rating: 4.25/5 stars ⭐️
Earth Balance has been a pioneer in the vegan butter market since 1998. Known for their commitment to plant-based, non-GMO products, Earth Balance offers their buttery sticks in a familiar quarter-pound package. Their long-standing reputation and widespread availability have made them a go-to choice for many vegan bakers.
Bakes great but doesn’t taste as good anymore.
I will say, I’ve used Earth Balance for a long time, and in the past year, I do believe they’ve changed their formula because the taste has definitely changed. I’ve gone through many boxes, so I don’t think it’s a production issue. It has a slight tang to it now.
Because of this, if I had Violife available at my local grocery store and price wasn’t a factor, I would choose it over Earth Balance (which is why I ranked it #1). That being said, Earth Balance does the job for me 90% of the time, and I’ll continue to use it since I can pick it up at my local grocery store.
🗒️ TLDR: Earth Balance is one of the original plant-based butter brands. It’s formula recently changed and it doesn’t taste very good straight out of the package. But still bakes very well and the new flavor isn’t present in the final baked good.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
2/2 points
- Cookies: Golden color; perfect crisp edges; chewy texture with soft center; ideal spread.
- Cakes: Tender, moist crumb and a soft texture.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.25/1 points
- Taste: Slight metal/tangy taste. For this reason, I’ve knocked 0.75 points off, however I’ve found this taste doesn’t come through in baked goods and the product still adds a rich flavor in finished baked goods.
- Color: Medium yellow which gives a golden color to baked goods, similar to dairy butter.
💵 Affordability:
0.5/0.5 points
- $5.99 for 16 oz or $0.37/oz
- Mid-range price point. Goes on sale occasionally. Not the most expensive option, but also not the cheapest.
🛒 Availability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Widely available at major supermarkets, health food stores, and online retailers.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
1/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Very Firm.
- Texture at Room Temp: Soft while retaining shape.
- Unsalted Version? Yes, but it can be hard to find.
- Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring cold, softened, or melted butter [pastry, pie crust, cookies, cakes and more]. Because of the change in taste, I don’t recommend using this butter for vegan buttercreams or frostings.
Despite the recent formula change, Earth Balance remains a reliable choice for vegan baking. While the new taste might be noticeable when used as a spread, it doesn’t significantly impact finished baked goods. Its wide availability, affordability and versatility keep it at the top of this list, even though Violife wins for taste.
3. Trader Joe’s Dairy Free Buttery Spread
⭐️ Overall Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️
Trader Joe’s, known for its unique and often affordable products, offers this dairy-free butter alternative exclusively in their stores. This product has recently improved its formula, and now performs very well in baking applications. I was actually shocked at how well it baked!
It performs very similarly to Violife, but is much saltier. Because there is no unsalted version on the market, it’s versatility is slightly limited and therefore it’s ranked below Violife and Earth Balance.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
2/2 points
- Cookies: Nice shape with crinkled edges; golden color; crisp edges with good chew; soft centers.
- Cakes: Soft texture; uniform crumb; pleasant flavor.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.75/1 points
- Taste: Mild, buttery taste but very salty. Knocked 0.25 points off because of this.
- Color: Light to medium yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0.5/0.5 points
- $2.99 for 8.82 oz or $0.34 per oz.
- The most affordable option without any sales applied.
🛒 Availability:
0/0.5 points
- Only available at Trader Joe’s stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.75/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Very Firm
- Texture at Room Temp: Soft while retaining shape
- Unsalted Version? No.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring cold, softened, or melted butter [pastry, crust, cookies, cakes and more].
4. Country Crock Plant Butter (Olive Oil)
⭐️ Overall Rating: 3.75/5 stars ⭐️
Country Crock, a well-known name in the spread industry, has successfully entered the plant-based market with their avocado oil and olive oil-based vegan butters. This product combines the brand’s expertise in spreads with modern plant-based ingredients, offering a rich taste in a convenient stick form.
Bakes decently, but better for cooking.
I will say this vegan butter substitute is super salty, which I love for savory recipes and spreading on a slice of toast but it may not be the best option for baked goods. If using it in baked goods, I recommend omitting or decreasing the amount of salt called for.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
1.5/2 points
- Cookies: Very light with golden edges; domed and soft doughy centers; thin crinkly edges with minimal chew.
- Cakes: Soft, moist, and slightly crumbly texture.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.75/1 points
- Taste: Very salty with a rich taste. They offer an unsalted version but it is hard to find.
- Color: Very pale yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0.5/0.5 points
- $5.79 for 16 oz, however it’s often on sale for $3.79 making it very affordable
- $0.36 per oz (regular price), $0.24 per oz (sale price)
- The most affordable option when on sale.
🛒 Availability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Readily available in many stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.5/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Soft.
- Texture at Room Temp: Very soft while retaining shape.
- Unsalted Version? Yes, they recently released one.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring softened or melted butter [cookies, cakes and more; not ideal for pastry like pie crust or croissants].
5. Earth Balance Buttery Spread (Tub)
⭐️ Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars ⭐️
Complementing their stick version, Earth Balance’s tub offering provides a softer alternative ideal for spreading. This version contains a lower percentage of plant oils, so it still bakes well while allowing you to spread it on toast and bread straight from the fridge.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
1.5/2 points
- Cookies: Dark golden color; pointy peaks that remained raised; crisp, chewy edges with soft centers; slightly greasier than the stick version.
- Cakes: Good rise with uniform domed top; texture slightly coarser than the stick version.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.75/1 points
- Taste: Same taste note as the stick version.
- Color: Light yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0.25/0.5 points
- $5.99 for 15 oz or $0.40/oz.
🛒 Availability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Readily available in many stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.5/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Soft.
- Texture at Room Temp: Very Soft while retaining shape.
- Unsalted Version? Yes, but hard to find.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring softened or melted butter [cookies, cakes and more; not ideal for pastry like pie crust or croissants].
6. Miyoko’s European Style Plant Milk Butter
⭐️ Overall Rating: 2.75/5 stars ⭐️
Miyoko’s Creamery is known for its artisanal approach to plant-based dairy alternatives. Their European-style cultured vegan butter offers a unique tangy flavor that sets it apart from other brands. But does different always mean better?
Let me start by saying, I love Miyoko’s vegan cheeses. So, I had high hopes for their Plant Butter. I’ve heard such great things about it from other reviews and forums like Reddit…how it tastes just like the real thing, how well it bakes and more. But I’ve got to be honest, it didn’t live up to the hype for me.
Surprising performance.
I was really surprised by how this butter performed. It has a hard texture that was oily like solid coconut oil rather than super creamy. It also melts into a bit of a puddle at room temperature (see picture below).
While Miyoko’s Plant Butter might have specific applications where it shines, its color and flavor is a double-edged sword. The white to gray-white hue (which doesn’t look like regular butter) is perfect for achieving pristine white cakes, making it ideal for wedding cakes. However, this same quality leads to noticeably paler cookies, lacking that appetizing golden-brown color we often associate with perfectly baked treats. It’s a trade-off: great for white cakes, not so great for golden cookies.
Its unique tangy flavor and tendency to melt at room temperature present challenges in baking and everyday use like spreading on toast. All that, and it also happened to be the priciest option I tested. For me, it’s not the go-to vegan butter I was hoping for, especially considering its high cost and limited versatility.
🗒️ TLDR: Miyoko’s Plant Butter has been well reviewed by others. It didn’t live up to the hype in our testing. Other brands taste better and perform better.
Anyway, here’s the breakdown:
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
1.75/2 points
- Cookies: Very light-colored with slight golden edges; domed tops and slightly crinkled edges; soft centers with distinctive taste and aftertaste; lacked significant chew.
- Cakes: Produced very light-colored cakes; soft texture; could be beneficial for making white cakes.
- Note: -0.25 points for pale cookies, but +0.25 points for uniquely light-colored cakes.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.25/1 points
- Taste: Very tangy taste.
- Color: White/white-gray color.
💵 Affordability:
0/0.5 points
- $5.99- for 8 oz at Whole Foods or $0.74 / oz.
🛒 Availability:
0.25/0.5 points
- Available at Whole Foods and some Targets.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.5/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Slightly Firm.
- Texture at Room Temp: Melts and separates.
- Unsalted Version? Yes.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring cold, slightly softened, or melted butter [pastry, crust, cookies, cakes and more; not ideal for leaving at room temp. for extended periods].
7. Melt Organic Plant Butter
⭐️ Overall Rating: 2.75/5 stars ⭐️
Melt Organics specializes in creating organic, plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy products. Their plant butter, available in convenient stick form for easy measuring, is made with a blend of sustainable oils, including sustainable palm oil.
Very melty.
However, the brand name “Melt” proves to be all too accurate. This butter liquefies at or slightly above room temperature, which can be problematic. I learned this the hard way when a stick of Melt butter escaped my grocery bag, found its way under my car seat, and transformed into a puddle by the next day. Keep in mind, this happened when the temperature was around 50-60°F (10°C).
Word to the wise: always double-check your vehicle for stray butter after a shopping trip. It’s a lesson I won’t soon forget!
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
1/2 points
- Cookies: Spread excessively, resulting in thin, greasy texture; soft centers with slightly crisp edges; lacked the desirable chewy texture. When the cookie dough was chilled, it performed better and spread less.
- Cakes: Very soft and bouncy texture; pleasant flavor; the softness was likely due to the butter’s low melting point. Stayed moist for days.
🤤 Taste & Color
1/1 points
- Taste: Mild taste.
- Color: Medium yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0/0.5 points
- $3.99 for 8 oz or $0.50/oz.
🛒 Availability:
0.25/0.5 points
- Readily available in most grocery stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.5/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Very soft.
- Texture at Room Temp: Melts.
- Unsalted Version? Yes.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring melted butter or as a vegan butter spread for toast [cookies, cakes and more; not ideal for pastry, pie crusts, or leaving at room temp. to soften].
8. Refined Coconut Oil
⭐️ Overall Rating: 2.25/5 stars ⭐️
While not technically a vegan butter, refined coconut oil is a popular choice for vegan baking. Its neutral flavor and softened-at-room-temperature properties make it a versatile option for those looking for a minimally processed alternative.
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
1/2 points
- Cookies: Rounded shape with crinkly edges; slightly greasy to touch; somewhat bland taste; soft center with very crisp edges; virtually no chew.
- Cakes: Average result; less rich flavor compared to other options.
🤤 Taste & Color
0/1 points
- Taste: Very neutral taste if using refined oil; no rich buttery flavor or mouthfeel.
- Color: White color.
💵 Affordability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Varies but generally very inexpensive.
🛒 Availability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Readily available in almost all grocery stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0.25/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Firm.
- Texture at Room Temp: Very Soft.
- Salted Version? No.
- Best Uses: Suitable for recipes requiring softened or melted butter [cookies, cakes and more; not ideal for pastry, pie crusts]. Not good for spreading on toast since it lacks flavor.
9. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Vegan)
⭐️ Overall Rating: 2/5 stars ⭐️
This vegan version of the popular spread offers a very soft butter alternative. The brand has adapted its classic formula to cater to the growing plant-based market, providing a familiar option for those transitioning to vegan alternatives. This is only 45% oil, so naturally it is a lighter option. But will it bake?
The Results:
🍪 Baking Performance
0.5/2 points
- Cookies: Slightly cakey texture; no true crinkly edges; very soft with no crispness; cakey center.
- Cakes: Nice soft, springy texture; lacked richness and flavor. Stayed moist for days.
🤤 Taste & Color
0.5/1 points
- Taste: Very salty, mild taste (salt level could be both good and bad).
- Color: Light yellow.
💵 Affordability:
0.5/0.5 points
- $4.50 for 15 oz or $0.30/oz.
🛒 Availability:
0.5/0.5 points
- Readily available in almost all grocery stores.
🥐 Versatility & Texture:
0/1 points
- Texture Out of Fridge: Very Soft.
- Texture at Room Temp: Very VERY Soft, but retained it’s shape.
- Unsalted Version? No.
- Best Uses: Better for melted applications and spreading [not ideal for pastry, pie crusts or many baking applications]. I’d really only recommend this for spreading on toast.
🥇 Ranking and Recommendations Review
Based on our testing and tasting results, here are our recommendations:
- Best Bang for Your Buck: Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- Best for Flavor & Baking: Violife Plant Butter
- Best Budget-Friendly Option: Trader Joe’s or Country Crock Plant Butter (when on sale)
- Best for Spreading & Savory Applications: Country Crock Plant Butter, Melt Organics, or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Vegan)
- Best for Unique Flavor Profile: Miyoko’s European Style Plant Milk Butter
- Best for Minimal Processing: Refined Organic Coconut Oil
Blind Taste Test Results
To add another perspective, I conducted a blind taste test with my husband, who isn’t 100% vegan and has a discerning palate for butter. I spread each option (except coconut oil) on white bread for him to try.
His top picks for flavor & texture when spreading on bread:
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Vegan): Praised for salt level and creaminess.
- Violife Plant Butter: Appreciated the salt level and flavor.
- Melt Organics: Enjoyed the flavor and creaminess.
His least favorite:
- Miyoko’s Creamery European Plant Milk Butter: Disliked the flavor and found the texture to be oily and unlike regular butter.
He was neutral about the rest.
Conclusion
After thoroughly testing these vegan butters, it’s clear that plant-based baking has made significant improvements in the past decade. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and Violife Plant Butter emerged as top contenders, with very close results in our tests. However, each brand we tried offered something unique.
Baking is a personal journey, and your ideal vegan butter might differ from mine. I’m curious to hear about your experiences. Have you tried any of these brands? Do you have a favorite that didn’t make our list?
Looking ahead, I’d love to know what other baking scenarios you’d like to see these butters tested in. Are you curious about how they perform in more challenging recipes like croissants, pie crust or buttercream? Drop your suggestions in the comments!
I’d also love it if you shared your experiences so we can learn from each other. Your insights could be helpful to fellow bakers navigating the world of vegan alternatives.
If you’re looking for more vegan resources, check out these guides:
- The Best Vegan Egg Substitutes
- Vegan Egg Wash Substitutes for Baking & Binding
- Vegan Heavy Cream Substitutes + Homemade Recipe
Happy baking, everyone!
⭐️ Want to save this for later? Pin this image to Pinterest! ⭐️
