butter

This raw/vegan “butter”/margarine recipe is not only quick and easy, but also free of palm & hydrogenated oils. The base is comprised of one of the healthiest (and most delicious) fats available: a very mildly flavoured, raw, unrefined coconut oil.

Despite having been unable to eat any of my own experiments over the past few weeks (I have been fasting & juicing only), my “taster” assured me that this particular batch was divine and tasted “very much like salted butter.” This experiment was developed quite some time ago (when cooked food was still an option in my diet – it’s incredible on cinnamon toast & in brown rice), posted on the blog by special request, and is being offered as my gift to you in honour of Earth Day 2013.

Ingredients:

 

• 1 Cup raw, unrefined, virgin organic coconut oil. I used Living Tree Community’s brand, which is quite delicious with a very light (nearly nonexistent) coconut aroma/flavour.
• 2 Tbsp organic & RAW extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed). I prefer the unrefined variety, USA sourced. As most readers are aware, I choose to support non-commercial U.S. farmers as much as I possibly can since having returned to live in the States. After extensive research and sampling, I have found that the olives & oils from the farm linked above are absolutely unbeatable (please be sure to let them know I sent you)! =)
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt (or more, to taste)*  

• 1/8 tsp (or less) turmeric (creates a yellowish “butter” colour – turmeric also provides anti-inflammatory properties)

 *please note: I suggest grinding even the “fine” consistency salt even further down with a mortar & pestle so that salt is a lighter, powdery consistency. Salt should be as powdery as possible for this recipe, to reduce sinking/settling during congealing process. Granular salt has a tendency to collect in one place, which will create an uneven flavour and texture in delicate, liquid-based recipes such as these.

 

Equipment needed:
 
– Liquid measuring cup
– Measuring spoons
– Shaping mould or container
– Vitamix, or similar high-speed blender (a regular blender could also work, though the high-speed mechanism of the Vitamix seems best for whipping & incorporating ingredients)

 

Preparation:
 
Important note: Coconut oil should be in liquid form. If it is a white solid, place a well-sealed container of it into a bowl of very warm water until liquification occurs.
 
Blend all ingredients together in Vitamix at high speed, but be sure to keep from allowing the mixture to heat up (touching the sides of the carafe should help with monitoring any heat being generated during blend time). 
Place receptacle container into a bowl of ice water, then pour “butter” mixture in as soon as blending has finished (pouring it into a cold container will cause it to congeal quickly, which will keep the oil from separating from the salt and turmeric. Separation will kill this recipe, so please do be careful).

Yields two “regular” sized sticks of butter (or kept singularly in a covered tub – I would use glass or stoneware), which can be stored for several weeks or longer in a refrigerator.

 

ButterLong

32 Comments

  1. 5-17-2013

    I do not have a Vitamix. I do have a blender and a food processor. Would I be able to make this with either of these?

  2. 5-17-2013

    Hi Mary,

    Cheers for your question. Since having posted this recipe, I have received feedback from some people who have used regular (non-high speed) blenders and reported positive results. In fact, I’m actually considering making my next batch in a blender instead of the Vitamix. I would think it might be too messy for the food processor (mine doesn’t do so well with liquids).

  3. 6-14-2013

    Hi,

    Your recipe looks fantastic!! I’m super glad to have found a vegan butter recipe without lecithin. Can we use your butter in recipes (crusts, making bread, etc)?

  4. 6-15-2013

    Hi Annemarie,

    Thank you for your comment! When still eating cooked food, I successfully managed to incorporate this recipe into pie crusts. I have also received positive feedback from friends who have reported that this recipe has worked well in their baking projects.

    Personally, I occasionally enjoy eating it in raw form with raw breads, porridge, etc.

    I hope you find a great deal of pleasure and success in using this recipe in whichever ways you deem suitable to your own needs. =)

  5. 10-19-2013

    Is this butter good for a butter spread – to spread over toast?

  6. 10-19-2013

    Hi Tahlia! Thank you for your question. I’m certain that it would suit your purpose quite well, as it worked perfectly as a spread over raw bread (which had been brought to a temperature around 93ºF in my Sedona food dehydrator). To see how beautifully and evenly it melts at slightly over room temperature, please view my entry on “Raw Apple Cinnamon Porridge” for a detailed image of this recipe in action. =)

  7. 12-5-2013

    Looks very interesting. I am thinking of making an avocado butter based on this. If I do, I’ll post it on my food website and be sure to give you a shout-out.

    Do you taste the coconut in this at all?

  8. 12-26-2013

    Greetings, and many thanks for your feedback! Please forgive my lengthy delay in response time – holiday chaos has kept me at bay over these past few weeks, so I’m just now working on playing “catch-up” with everything!
    I’m intrigued to learn more about your avocado idea (I <3 avocados!), and will certainly check out your site. =)

    When I make this recipe, I do *not* taste the coconut oil. However, I've only ever made it using raw & unrefined coconut oil from Living Tree Community Foods (which already tastes more "buttery" than coconut-esque). Results may vary with different oils, depending upon the flavour of those raw ingredients.
    I hope that information may be helpful to you in some way!

  9. 2-28-2014

    thanks for your recipe. can i make frosting out of it? if you have tried, can you please post the recipe here…

  10. 3-2-2014

    I want to second the thank you for having a recipe that didnt include any litchien! When I did a search for its safety,it wasnt something I wanted to include in any recipe! So again,thank you so much!

  11. 3-21-2014

    Hello Meg!

    I see no reason why you could not use it for frosting, though I would not use it for such as all of my frosting recipes are comprised of different elements (all raw, and no “butter” necessary). I’m assuming that you’re hoping to use it for a cooked food recipe? If you do opt to try it for such a project, best of luck and please let us know of your experience! =)

  12. 6-30-2014

    Hi, this looks great. Do you know if we can use this to substitute butter block in croissant making?

    Regards
    Lisa

  13. 6-30-2014

    Hi Lisa!

    Thanks for your question, for which I’m sorry to say that I honestly have no truly definitive answer.
    Due to lack of experience with dairy butter (I’ve been vegan for over two decades), I am not entirely certain of how a simple raw blended formulation such as this could work as far as chemistry is concerned…
    My past experience in croissant making included use of only plant-based margarine products, which are processed under high heat and contain far more ingredients than this recipe (most including rainforest-unfriendly palm oil). I’ve been told that some of those commercial products are similar in many ways to traditional butter blocks, but this recipe was developed after having transitioned to a gluten-free & entirely raw diet close to a decade ago (respectively)–mainly as an ethical solution to the desire for something “buttery” in place of aforementioned margarines. However, I would likely be inclined to give it a whirl if I were to make an attempt to prepare croissants for someone else at present. After all, it is mainly coconut oil! =)

  14. 6-30-2014

    Hi Lady Stardust
    I agree with what you said. Most commercial margarines also contain chemicals derived from animals to hold them together. Which is a reason why we resort to vegan lifestyle anyway. Let’s see if this will work when I do get my hands on making them. One great challenge is the weather here (Malaysia), being hot and humid. Meaning I have to get working really fast after removing the block from the fridge.

  15. 9-11-2014

    Does it taste like coconut?

  16. 10-12-2014

    Hi Pamela,

    Sorry for the very late reply, I’ve been away quite a bit over the past several weeks & fell way behind with the blog.
    I suppose the flavour may depend upon the coconut oil used to prepare this (the kind I use is actually *raw*–as there is a difference between virgin and truly raw oils), all feedback I have received states that mine does not taste even remotely of coconut. Hope this helps! =)

  17. 11-26-2014

    Thanks for this awesome…rawesome recipe!

  18. 11-1-2015

    Thanks for this recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
    Is it possible to leave our the salt? Or is that required for chemistry?

  19. 11-1-2015

    Hi Debby!

    Thanks for the comment! The salt is not really necessary, but I like to add it for flavour enhancement purposes. You may be better off without it, as at times I have had it all sink to the bottom before the solution fully hardens in the mould. Please feel free to make it to best suit your needs and personal preferences! =)

  20. 11-22-2015

    Dear Lady Stardust,

    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    I would like to ask you whether you have tried to replace coconut oil with another oil – sunflower oil, for example.

    I look forward to hearing from you; many thanks in advance!

  21. 11-24-2015

    I made this today using a very pure olive oil that was heavily infused with rosemary. I pulverized the Himalayan Pink salt. The result is nothing less than spectacular. Delicious spread on toast. Finally a non dairy butter that I can process myself! I can’t wait to drop some of this on steamed veggies, rice, vegan pancakes: oh my.. here come those holiday pounds! I’m sure this can be used (maybe without the rosemary!) in any baking recipe that coconut oil is used in. Thanks for posting this!

  22. 1-9-2016

    You mentioned tumeric in your instructions, was that a mistake or did I miss something?

  23. 1-9-2016

    Hi!
    Please forgive my delay in response. I’ve not had much time to spend online since the passing of my father, as I’ve been moving around quite a bit and dealing with family matters.
    In answer to your question, no other oil will work for this formula since the chemistry of coconut oil is quite different from others. It is the only oil which will “firm up” properly in cooler temperatures, therefore lending itself best to creations requiring a creamy or “buttery” consistency.

    Many thanks for your question, and best of luck! ♡Ⓥ★

  24. 1-9-2016

    No mistake, Lisa!
    There is absolutely turmeric in this formula.
    Perhaps you missed my explanation for this in the ingredients list?

    Best of luck! ♡Ⓥ★

  25. 1-23-2016

    Thank you so much for your reply, Lady Ⓥ Stardust,

    I am sorry for your loss; I hope that 2016 will be a year full of happy moments for you and your loved ones!

    Best regards,
    Afroditi

  26. 3-17-2016

    This is truly the best raw vegan “butter” recipe out there ! (but when I googled raw vegan butter I only got recipes with more intricate ingredients and instructions…..) This one should be accessible to all — since it’s so simple and amazing ! Wonderful on raw vegan pancakes and breads , so THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH !

  27. 3-17-2016

    P.S. for those worried about coconut oil taste —– one can purchase organic virgin coconut oil that has had the taste removed …..( though I don’t personally prefer it , but….. )

  28. 8-29-2018

    I am a little concerned about stabilizing the mold in the ice water. What do you use for a mold? Have you had an problems with the ice water (that the mold is sitting in) seep into the mold? Is the butter easy to remove from the mold? Would it be easier to have the mold and final container be one in the same? Thanks.

  29. 9-25-2018

    Can this butter be canned into jars ?

  30. 11-8-2018

    Hi Judith!
    Thank you for your mindful question, and please forgive my late reply.
    I have been offline quite a bit, as access to Internet/blog/email has been somewhat limited for some time.
    To answer your question, I use silicone moulds. Most everything in my kitchen is either glass, silicone, wood, or ceramic.
    I have never had any issue with water seeping into the moulds, but am rather careful when handling things as they’re in the process of forming.
    Silicone can easily bend, thus making it relatively effortless to remove the butter once it’s formed.
    If you’re concerned about removal, I recommend potting it. I use brown stoneware crocks in my own workspace for applications such as these (cooling them first will help the butter to set more quickly and more uniformly) and quickly chilling it so that separation may be less likely to occur.

  31. 11-8-2018

    Hi Anna,

    Please pardon my long delay in response time.
    As outlined in my reply to the previous question (posted by Judith), it should be fine to pot it and I’m most inclined to use brown stoneware crocks in my own workspace for applications such as these (cooling them first will help the butter to set more quickly and more uniformly) and quickly chilling it so that separation may be less likely to occur.

    Wishing you the best of luck and health!

  32. 11-8-2018

    Laurie, that sounds TOO FABULOUS and you are so very welcome!
    What you’ve done sounds absolutely amazing, and I am so incredibly grateful to learn of your positive results.
    I absolutely -must- try this method out for my own family!
    Thank you so much for your detailed feedback, which has added an amazing glimmer of helpful insight to this post.

    Be well, and may peace be with you.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. #veganrecipehour 13th March 2014 #veganbreakfast theme | veganrecipehour - […] How about this one? ‘Apple cinnamon porridge‘ and a fascinating like to ‘raw vegan butter‘ thank you @RawVeganista for…
  2. #veganonabudget theme | The Veganrecipehour Blog - […] @yogivegetarian has a fab Vegan on a budget blog, crammed full of handy hints and tips! Love this guide…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *