The Best Vegan Butter for Baking & More – Comprehensive Brand Guide

*Last updated: November 2025

When I first went vegan in late 2015, pickings were slim in the realm of plant-based butter. I believe only Earth Balance and Melt were on the scene at the time (at least at my local grocery stores), and I was never fully satisfied; I found the former to taste somewhat like vegetable oil in my finished baked goods, and the latter was difficult to find in stick form.

An avid baker in my pre-vegan days, I yearned for a more convincing alternative. My heart would have skipped a bit had it known exactly how many options I would have in just a few years’ time. For a while, I just purchased whichever vegan butter happened to be on sale, without considering exactly how much different brands vary.

Over time, I’ve definitely developed strong preferences for certain brands. Different scenarios call for different butters, so I’m going to break down the best vegan butter for baking, spreading on bread, and cooking (sautéing, used in pasta dishes, etc.).

Our Video Review

*Note: this video is from 2020, so it’s a little outdated. However, there are still a handful of relevant brands in it so I’ll leave it linked here.

Vegan Butter Sticks for Baking

• Melt Organic
• Earth Balance
• Miyoko’s Creamery
• Country Crock with Olive Oil
• Trader Joe’s
• Country Crock Dairy Free – Salted
• Country Crock Dairy Free – Unsalted
• Open Nature Buttery Spread

Spreadable Vegan Butter (in Tubs)

• Melt Organic
• Country Crock (Olive Oil & Avocado Oil)
• Land O’Lakes Plant-Based
• Earth Balance

The Best Vegan Butter for Baking

1. My Top Pick: Melt Organic Plant Butter

Pros: Melt is a solid all-around option that’s fairly easy to find and sits in an average price range. The flavor is clean (no weird aftertaste in your baked goods), the texture works well in baking recipes, and you can choose salted or unsalted depending on the recipe. It’s made with a blend of sunflower oil and sustainable palm oil, and since Melt is a fully vegan brand, it’s one I’m always happy to support.

Cons: It’s a bit softer than traditional dairy butter. For temperature-sensitive recipes (think croissants, biscuits, or pie crust) where you really need the fat to stay cold and firm, it can be a little less forgiving and therefore tricky to work with. If you use it in frosting and want it to hold any decorative piping, you will probably want to keep that item refrigerated if you need it to hold its shape.

2. For Temperature-Sensitive Recipes: Trader Joe’s Vegan Butter

Pros: It is a bit more solid both when chilled and at room temperature (I think owing to the shea butter in the recipe), making it a good choice for anything where butter needs to stay firm and cold (like pie crusts, croissants, or biscuits). I’ve successfully made croissants with this butter on several occasions! It is also a pretty good price and tastes great.

Cons: Only comes in one large block rather than baking sticks, so you will need to cut and weigh out amounts if you need a specific amount. It’s also exclusive to Trader Joe’s, which is why I have less experience with it than some other butters.

3. For Affordability & Accessibility: Country Crock Dairy-Free Butter

Pros: This one is widely available, budget-friendly (especially at Walmart), and comes in both salted and unsalted varieties. It blends smoothly into baked goods without leaving any strange flavor or aftertaste, which is great.

Cons: Similar to Melt, it runs on the softer side, which can be tricky for laminated doughs. It’s also made with more conventional oils like palm and canola, so ingredient quality isn’t as high as some other brands.

The Best Vegan Butter for Spreading

1. Top Pick for Daily Use: Melt Organic Plant Butter

Pros: Melt also comes in a tub, which makes it super convenient for spreading on toast, bagels, etc. It has the same great flavor as the stick version, with no odd aftertaste, and the softer texture actually works in its favor here. Even straight from the fridge, it spreads pretty easily.

Cons: The only downside is that if you leave the tub out too long, it will (ironically) melt and soften quite a bit. You may even see a little separation, but honestly, it’s not a dealbreaker.

2. Top Pick for Special Occasions: Miyoko’s Plant Milk Butter (Salted)

Pros: This one is definitely more of a luxury pick. It’s made with premium, minimal ingredients and has a cultured flavor that sets it apart. It comes in salted and unsalted varieties, and it’s absolutely something you could serve to non-vegan guests without hesitation. It feels elevated and special.

Cons: The main drawback is the price. High-quality ingredients and the extra steps involved in culturing make it more expensive than other options.

The Best Vegan Butter for Cooking, Sautéing, etc.

1. When the Flavor Really Counts: Miyoko’s Plant Milk Butter (salted or unsalted)

Pros: Its high quality ingredients lend to a delicious flavor, and the culturing process imparts a little tang which tastes great in all sorts of savory dishes. It shines in dishes where the butter flavor is front-and-center. For example, use this to make the best simple buttered pasta of your life! I splurge on this brand for much of my holiday cooking. It’s great in Thanksgiving stuffing and any creamy dishes.

Cons: Pricey. It can brown faster than other brands because it contains cashew solids, so you will want to keep an eye on it to avoid over-browning. This butter also melts very easily and separation can occur, so don’t leave it out on your counter for too long or you will have a messy puddle!

2. For Everyday Sautéing: Melt, Country Crock

When just little bit of butter is needed for sautéing aromatics, I usually just use whichever butter is easy to find near me and happens to be on sale. I do a majority of my shopping at Sprouts, which is why more often than not, Melt is what’s in my fridge. I usually go for the sticks for easy measuring.

That said, most of the plant-based butters on the market will work just fine for this application! I don’t think you need to be too picky.

Factors Considered

We evaluated each based on the following factors:

• Price.
• Accessibility.
• Texture when used as a spread.
• Flavor.
• Textural similarity to butter when softened.
• Performance in baked goods.

Let’s dive right in, because there is a lot to cover here — even without the few other options I wasn’t able to find locally. (I will update this blog if/when I find these.)

Comprehensive Brand Guide

Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

Price: Available at Kroger for $6.49 per 15 oz tub; $6.49 per 1 lb of sticks.

Accessibility: Can be found at most grocery stores. Available in many varieties, including Organic, Soy-Free, European Style, and more. They even have an Unsalted version now!

Attributes: Gluten-free; non-GMO; nut-free; contains palm oil.

Melt Organic

Price: Available at Sprouts for $5.99 per 13 oz tub.

Accessibility: Can be found at many mainstream grocery stores.

Attributes: Gluten-free; non-GMO; contains palm oil (Rainforest Alliance Certified).

Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil

Price: Available at Kroger for $4.99 per 1 lb of sticks.

Accessibility: Available at a few other mainstream grocery stores. Sticks also available in Almond Oil and Olive Oil varieties. Also available as a spread in the Almond Oil and Olive Oil formula.

Attributes: Contains palm oil; gluten-free; nut-free.

Violife Plant Butter

Price: Available at Safeway for $5.49 per 8.8 oz block.

Accessibility: Available at major grocery chains such as Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart.

Attributes: Palm oil free; gluten-free; soy-free; nut-free.

Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter

Price: Available at Kroger for $5.99 per 8 oz block.

Accessibility: Available at many mainstream grocery stores like Kroger and Trader Joe’s, as well as health food stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts. Available in salted and unsalted varieties, but I have only seen the salted version in my local stores.

Attributes: Gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, palm oil free. Contains nuts and coconut.

Miyoko’s Creamery Spreadable Cultured Vegan Butter (Made with Oat Milk)

Price: Available at Whole Foods for $6.49 for a 12 oz tub.

Attributes: Gluten-free; soy-free; cashew-free; non-GMO; palm oil free.

Good & Gather Organic Non-Dairy Butter

Details: Available at Target for $4.99 per 1 lb of sticks; $3.49 for 13 oz tub.

Attributes: Organic; gluten-free; soy-free; nut-free; contains coconut; contains palm oil.

We’ve only seen this at Target maybe one single time and we didn’t spring to buy it. So, we can’t give a review yet but wanted to just put it out there that this is an item that exists now! It seems like it’s currently hard to find, but maybe that will change over time.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! It’s Vegan Vegetable Oil Spread

Details: Available at Wal-Mart for $2.52 per 15 oz tub.

Attributes: Gluten-free; contains soy; nut- and coconut-free; contains palm oil.

I haven’t been able to get my hands on this one in recent times! As soon as it turns back up in stock at a local store, I will update this guide.

Discontinued Brands

Here’s a list of plant-based butters that we have tried and reviewed in the past, but which we believe to have been discontinued. (Or at least we can’t find them anymore.)

PureBlends Avocado Oil Plant Based Butter

Simple Truth Organic Plant Based Buttery Spread

Milkadamia Buttery Spread

Califia Farms Plant Butter

Forager Project Organic Vegan Butter