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

*Last updated: Dec. 2022

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. It struck me recently that I typically just purchase whichever vegan butter happens to be on sale, without considering exactly how much different brands vary.

I decided to purchase as many as I could find locally (I’m located in Colorado) and create a guide for you, dear reader. I’ll let you know which ones (in my opinion) are worth the money, and why. My partner Eric and I taste tested each one as a spread on bread, as well as baked into a chocolate chip cookie.

Our Video Review

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: Purchased at Kroger for $4.29 per 15 oz tub; $4.49 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.

For spreading: This ended up being my favorite option on the more affordable end. It’s the saltiest of the bunch, with 100 mg sodium per serving. (I found this to be quite tasty, but it comes down to personal preference.) The buttery flavor is there but not over-the-top or highly artificial.

I was actually surprised I liked this so much! I remember not finding Earth Balance very tasty a few years back, and stopped purchasing it pretty much as soon as other options became available. I wonder if they have reformulated since then, or if my tastebuds have just adjusted?

For baking: My overall favorite in the baking test. This softens like regular margarine or butter and does not separate or liquefy at room temperature. The Earth Balance cookie was soft and chewy, and the flavor made me nostalgic — it tasted a lot like the cookies I remember my dad baking growing up. The edges didn’t crisp as much as other options.

Earth Balance also sell baking sticks, and a comparison of their labels shows there are a few minor differences in their formulas: surprisingly, sticks contain more sodium, different proteins (soy vs. pea), and different types of lecithin (sunflower vs. soy). I will update the blog post once I have a chance to try baking with the sticks once again.

Melt Organic

Price: Purchased at Kroger for $4.49 per 13 oz tub.

Accessibility: Can be found at many mainstream grocery stores. Also available in a probiotic formula and in baking sticks (both salted and unsalted), although availability is inconsistent for these variations.

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

Flavor: This one has a more noticeable “movie theater butter” flavor, although it is a tad less salty than the Earth Balance spread.

In the cookie test, I found this butter to taste a bit more like vegetable oil than some of the other options, but it still tasted good. They reminded me of the cookies you’d buy from a grocery store bakery section.

For spreading: It softens more quickly than some of the other options, so it will melt quickly into your toast, pancakes, etc. This is a strong contender and one I will continue to purchase due to its affordability, wide availability, and flavor.

For baking: This product liquefies when left out too long if your kitchen is even a little warm. As such, I wouldn’t recommend it for frosting or anything that you need to “set” at room temperature. It won’t have the same ability to cream or hold air when beaten, so avoid using it in recipes with finicky textures.

It’s worth noting that Melt’s website also advertises baking sticks, but availability is inconsistent. I was able to find them at my local Sprouts when I lived in San Diego, but since I have moved back to Colorado, I’ve yet to see in any stores near me. If I’m able to find them again, I will update this guide. I’m sure these soften more similarly to real butter.

Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil

Price: Purchased at Kroger for $3.99 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.

Flavor: This is actually the saltiest option of the bunch, coming in at 110 mg sodium per serving. The buttery flavor is very mild; if anything, this tastes the most like your run-of-the-mill Land O’ Lakes or Challenge Butter to me. (I can’t say whether the Almond Oil and Olive Oil varieties taste the same. I will update this guide when I try them.)

For spreading: Since I tend to enjoy a more buttery flavor when spreading on toast or pancakes, this probably wouldn’t be my first choice for that application. This has a more neutral flavor so I’m more inclined to use it to sauté something.

In the test, I found the Country Crock cookie to have just the slightest hint of vegetable oil flavor, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It would probably not be detectable in cakes, muffins or brownies, but you might consider avoiding it in something like a shortbread, pie crust, croissants, or any recipes where the butter is one of the main ingredients.

For baking: By far my most-purchased vegan butter, simply because it’s one of the few that’s available in stick form. The standard half-cup sticks make it super easy to substitute for butter in almost any recipe. It doesn’t liquefy or separate at room temperature, so it’s a good option for frosting or any recipe requiring you to cream butter and sugar until light and airy.

Violife Plant Butter

Price: Purchased for $4.99 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.

Flavor: This butter has a nice, realistic flavor that doesn’t taste artificial. Violife is probably the most consistently A+ plant-based dairy company, so this is no surprise. It’s just a very solid flavor that’s super versatile.

For spreading: The Violife butter is great for spreading because as it softens, it holds its form like dairy butter. As in, it will get soft but it won’t totally melt or separate at room temperature. Other vegan butters soften to a point where the oil separates from everything else and it becomes difficult to use. This doesn’t happen with the Violife!

This makes it a good candidate for something like frosting, in which you need your butter to be soft at room temperature but not completely melt away.

For baking: As mentioned, since the texture is so good, it works well in baking. This has actually become one of our favorite butters to use since it has great overall taste, texture, and availability.

Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter

Price: Purchased 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.

Flavor: In my opinion, this is one of the best tasting options on the market. As a cultured product, it has a convincing tanginess. It contains cashew and coconut oil but neither lends much flavor to the spread, which is a good thing if you’re looking for a convincing option. It is on the more expensive end, but it does taste like a high-quality product.

For spreading: If I were serving bread and butter to dinner guests, this would be one of the top contenders. Flavor and texture are both great.

For baking: It’s been a few years since I last purchased this, and since then its packaging has been improved (it’s now wrapped in wax paper with tablespoon measurements marked, rather than in plastic).

I also suspect the formula has been tweaked, as I used to find this product separated and got extremely soft when left out. On more than one occasion I found it had melted all over my counter if I set it out to soften too early. This time around, however, it softened just like regular butter, with no separation whatsoever.

There are some cashew solids in this product, and these do cause this butter to brown more quickly and dramatically than other options. The test cookie made with this butter took on a browned butter flavor and was very crispy. It tasted great, but may not be what you’re looking for. If using this product in a pie crust, for example, you may need to take extra care to tent the edges to prevent them from overly darkening.

This product’s texture would make it a great candidate for frosting or buttercream, as it won’t melt all over the place at room temperature.

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

Price: Purchased at Whole Foods for $5.99 for a 12 oz tub.

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

Flavor: This product has a strong sunflower oil flavor when used as a spread, which may or may not be your preference. Like her original cashew-based butter, it is a cultured product, which contributes a nice tang and perhaps some mild probiotic benefits.

For spreading: Miyoko’s Creamery has been on the vegan butter scene for a few years, but her oat milk butter spreads are new. Personally, I wouldn’t purchase it again, even though I appreciate the integrity of the brand and its high-quality ingredients. She does offer the same product in a Garlic Parm flavor, however, which I’ll certainly try in the future.

For baking: Leave this product out too long at room temp, and it will separate completely. It does not mimic the texture of real softened butter, nor would it be an appealing option to leave out on a party spread for too long.

The test cookie had a nice texture and the sunflower oil flavor was not detectable (though it might be in a more butter-forward recipe, such as pie crust or shortbread). I wouldn’t recommend this for recipes with finicky textures or which require butter to be creamed with sugar.9

Simple Truth Organic Plant Based Buttery Spread

Details: Purchased at Kroger for $3.79 per 8 oz tub.

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

Flavor: I found this to have a noticeable sunflower oil flavor, which I personally don’t enjoy.

For spreading: I found the texture of this to be quite nice, thick and spreadable. We noticed that butter beans are actually the first ingredient listed for this product, which makes it unique and may contribute to its pleasant texture. I personally will probably not repurchase — not because it’s terrible, but simply because there are other affordable options I prefer.

For baking: When left out at room temperature, this product softened less than other options, but did not separate. The sunflower flavor did come through in the test cookie slightly, but wasn’t overly offensive. Perhaps because of the extra thickness from the butter beans in this product, the dough did not spread as much in the oven, and the result was a slightly taller, fluffier cookie. I quite liked the texture, and although the flavor wasn’t the worst, it also didn’t blow me away.

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

PureBlends Avocado Oil Plant Based Butter

Details: Purchased at Kroger for $3.28. Seen at Target and Wal-Mart as well.

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

Flavor: Not a strong option, in our opinion. It has a fairly obvious vegetable oil flavor. Its affordability may be the only thing it has going for it. I’ll be using up the rest of this tub by using it in lieu of oil when sautéing.

For spreading: Its top ingredient is water, and as such it’s slightly lower in calories than many of the other options (60 kcal per 1 tablespoon serving, as compared to Earth Balance’s 100kcal). So perhaps if you’re searching for a buttery spread that’s more amenable to your diet, you might select this one.

For baking: Again, not our favorite. Probably owing to this product’s high water content, the test cookie was extremely soft (to the point where it was almost falling apart). This came as somewhat of a surprise, given that it pretty closely resembled your typical margarine when softened, with no separation at all.

The flavor was surprisingly not terrible when baked; my first remark was that it tasted like your run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookies from a grocery store bakery (the kind that come in a plastic clamshell). A little bit processed, but still quite tasty. Even so, I won’t be repurchasing this for any application.

Milkadamia Buttery Spread

Details: Purchased at Whole Foods for $4.99 for a 9 oz tub. It comes only in a salted variety.

Attributes: Palm oil free. Cashew-free. Contains coconut.

Flavor: Probably my favorite of the bunch. It has a buttery flavor that’s noticeable but not excessive or artificial. I would absolutely be happy to serve this to non-vegans as a spread for bread, pancakes and the like.

For spreading: Again, probably my favorite. (This became clear when, after the initial taste test, I found myself slathering it on slices of leftover baguette throughout the day.)

It’s noticeably higher quality than the more affordable options such as Melt or Earth Balance, and quite on-par with Miyoko’s European Style butter.

For baking: I went into this test with my expectations managed, since the product was specifically marketed as a spread, and nowhere on the package was baking mentioned. I was pleasantly surprised, however! The cookie made with this spread had a nice chewy texture and a little extra oomph taste-wise, I think owing to the subtle macadamia flavor. (This flavor wasn’t apparent to us when the product was used as a spread, but something about baking it may have intensified it.)

Its texture when softened was similar to real butter, with just a slight bit of oil separation around the edges of the tub. As such, it could probably be used successfully in a frosting recipe.

Although it yielded one of our favorite cookies, I’m not sure it had enough of a leg up on the competition to merit the extra expense. I’d be much more likely to purchase it to use as a spread.

Califia Farms Plant Butter

Price: Purchased for $4.99 per 8 oz tub.

Accessibility: So far I have only spotted this particular butter at Whole Foods.

Attributes: Palm oil free; gluten-free; soy-free; non-GMO; contains nuts.

Flavor: Unfortunately I think the tigernut paste lends an odd flavor to this butter which I found unappealing. This is definitely a matter of personal preference, though. This is available in two formulas: avocado and olive oil. Both contain predominantly coconut oil.

For spreading: This spread has a lot of body — it has a texture almost similar to a spreadable cheese or cream cheese, I think owing to the inclusion of cashews and tigernut paste.

For baking: This product stays considerably firmer than real butter when softened (again, it’s more like a spreadable cheese texture). Luckily the “odd flavor” referenced above wasn’t apparent in the test cookie; it tasted like a regular non-vegan chocolate chip cookie. (I’m not sure whether it would taste just as good in a more butter-forward recipe like biscuits, shortbread or pie crust.) Texturally, this cookie was one of our favorites, but it’s up to you as to whether the cost is justified for this application.

Forager Project Organic Vegan Butter

Details: Purchased at Whole Foods for $5.99 per 10 oz tub.

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

For spreading: Honestly, this is the one spread that I truly hated (as in, I will be throwing away the remainder). It didn’t taste like butter at all to me, but rather like a weird oil spread. The ingredients list includes fermented oregano, flax and plum, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one or all of these were the source of the weirdness.

I love the idea of supporting Forager Project as a brand (their cashew yogurt is the bomb), but I could never recommend this. My boyfriend didn’t mind it quite as much, but he also agreed it wasn’t particularly good.

For baking: I was tempted to not even bother trying this butter in a test cookie, but it ended up being not too bad. The weirdness mentioned above was more or less masked by the flavor of the sugar, vanilla and chocolate. It had a nice chewy texture and didn’t spread or brown excessively. Still, I would never purchase this to bake with.

Be forewarned that this product completely separates when softened; the oils and the other ingredients will form two separate layers, and it will be difficult to reestablish the original texture after this occurs. As such, you won’t want to use this in any recipes for frosting, or anything that requires creaming of butter and sugar together to incorporate lots of air.

Cookie Test: Side-by-Side Baking Comparison

I felt my evaluation of vegan butter wouldn’t be complete without testing how each performs in baked goods. You may have heard it said that cooking is an art, but baking is a science. I was surprised by exactly how much variation in ingredients there was between each product.

Below is a side-by-side comparison of each butter used in a tiny batch of test cookies. All other ingredients and measurements were kept constant, with only the brand of butter varying between batches. I used 1 tablespoon of softened butter per each test batch.

Final Verdict: My Favorite Vegan Butter

If price is not necessarily an object for you, my favorite options are:

• Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter
• Milkadamia Buttery Spread

If you’re seeking a more affordable option, my recommendations are:

• Melt Organic Rich & Creamy Butter Made from Plants
• Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

The Worst Vegan Butter

My hands-down least favorite was the Forager Organic Dairy-Free Buttery Spread. It had a flavor that I found truly disgusting and was the only one I had to throw away.

I was also not the biggest fan of the Pure Blends Avocado Oil Plant-Based Butter. It tastes a lot like straight-up vegetable oil when used as a spread, and the high water content makes it a poor choice to use in baking. I was able to use it up by using it in place of cooking oil when sautéing veggies.

Vegan Butter Brands I Probably Won’t Repurchase

The rest of the vegan butter options weren’t terrible, but they also weren’t my favorite, and I most likely won’t repurchase.

• Califia Farms Plant Butter
• Simple Truth Organic Plant Based Buttery Spread
• Miyoko’s Creamery Cultured Vegan Butter made with Oat Milk