Best vegan butter for baking and spreading

For most people, butter (or a buttery spread) tends to be a staple with permanent residence in the fridge, ready to be used in sandwiches, mixed into sauces, melted over toast, or whipped into cakes and other bakes. If you’re plant-based though, finding the best vegan butter is paramount.

Vegan alternatives to butter are made with plant-based oils, which could be anything from rapeseed and shea butter to olive, avocado or coconut oil. Some may contain other ingredients such as nuts (cashew and almond, for example), too.

It’s worth making a distinction between vegan butter and margarine before we delve into the options. Margarines are spreads that are made with vegetable oils but they aren’t always vegan, as they can also contain animal fats.

Whether you prefer salted or unsalted; a spread that’s ideal for quickly smoothing over bread, or a firmer block of butter that melts into golden pools on your toast, there are plenty of vegan options to sink your knife into. Keep reading for our top taste-tested selection of the best vegan butter.

How we tested

Taste was part of our testing