Best Homemade Cauliflower Vegan Butter
This creamy, spreadable cauliflower Vegan Butter requires only 6 simple ingredients and a blender. Spread it vegetables, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and more! It also happens to be oil-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.
Though prepackaged vegan butter can be purchased at many grocery stores, it is always loaded with oil and fat which most whole-food plant-based folks are avoiding. After all, we are trying to improve our health, right? Our article about the reasons not to cook with olive oil might be helpful. We also have a terrific roasted garlic butter recipe on this website that you need to check out.
That’s why I decided to look around at healthy vegan butter options online, and I stumbled upon one made with cauliflower (yep, you read that right!) from Cooking With Plants. Their recipe called for psyllium husks which I didn’t have and honestly didn’t even know what it was, so I decided to mess around in the kitchen a bit with different ingredients to create this new simple version.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Healthy & Low-Calorie – This vegan butter made with cauliflower is a lighter alternative to traditional butter, offering a low-calorie option without any added oils.
- Rich & Creamy Texture – Despite being oil-free, the cauliflower creates a smooth and creamy consistency, perfect for spreading or cooking.
- Whole-Food Ingredients – Packed with nutrient-rich cauliflower, this butter is made from whole foods, making it a nutritious choice for health-conscious eaters.
- Dairy-Free & Vegan – A plant-based, dairy-free alternative to butter that’s ideal for those with dietary restrictions or looking to enjoy a guilt-free spread.
Ingredients in oil-free plant-based butter
- Cauliflower is the main ingredient and it’s low in calories.
- Plant milk such as almond, soy, etc gives this recipe its creamy texture.
- Nutritional yeast has a cheesy flavor that is perfect for this vegan butter recipe.
- Garlic powder is our seasoning of choice to give the perfect flavoring.
- Sweeteners such as pure cane sugar, date sugar, or another type can be used to add balanced sweetness.
- Salt is an ingredient you will need to include to mimic the salty flavor of traditional butter.
What does cauliflower butter taste like?
I will be real here. This vegan butter recipe is made with cauliflower, and it has no oil in it, so it’s not possible for it to taste like regular butter or margarine. Without added fat, I don’t know of a way that can be done, and it is artery-clogging fat that we are trying to get away from.
However, this spread adds delicious flavor to corn on the cob, roasted veggies, and baked potatoes, so it’s a great healthy option.
How to vegan butter with cauliflower
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
This plant-based butter really is one of the easiest recipes to make, and it’s a delight to finally have a healthy vegan butter substitute that I can feel good about eating and serving.
STEP #1: Begin by cooking the cauliflower. Personally, I like to place mine in a microwave-safe bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water and steam it for about 5 minutes. You can also cook it on the stovetop if desired.
I haven’t tried making this with previously frozen and thawed cauliflower but think it would work fine, though you might need to start out with a little less plant milk to play around with the consistency.
STEP #2: Place the cooked cauliflower and all other ingredients in a blender and process until nice and creamy.
Since we are using only small amounts of ingredients for this recipe, if your blender has a small cup attachment or adapter, it will be the perfect size for this.
Otherwise, you might need to stop your blender and scrape down the sides a few times during the process. Another option is to make a double batch to have plenty to reach the blades and keep things spinning. That’s what I like to do.
STEP #3: I haven’t tried using an immersion blender on this, but it would likely be a great choice if you don’t have a cup attachment for your blender. These handheld blenders are great when making creamy soups as well.
The consistency should be nice and creamy and will thicken a little more after refrigeration.
What to serve vegan butter on
This stuff is creamy and delicious and great on many dishes like the ones listed below.
- Air Fryer Baked potatoes
- Roasted oil-free potatoes and carrots, steamed, or grilled veggies
- Corn on the Cob
- Pasta
- Homemade No-Knead Wheat Bread
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use cauliflower butter in baking, but it works best in savory dishes or as a spread. For traditional baking, especially in recipes requiring fat for texture, you may need to combine it with other ingredients like nut butter or applesauce.
Frozen would work just fine in this. The only thing I would suggest is reducing the amount of plant milk to 1 Tbsp until you figure out the right consistency.
Depending on the freshness of your cauliflower, this vegan butter should keep for about 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be frozen in small portions, making it convenient for later use. Just thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature before using.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Vegan Cauliflower Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons plant milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sweetener such as date sugar or others optional
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more if desired
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the cauliflower. Personally, I like to place mine in a microwave-safe bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water and steam it for about 5-minutes. You can also cook it on the stovetop if desired.
- Place the cooked cauliflower and all other ingredients in a blender and process until nice and creamy.
- Since we are using only small amounts of ingredients for this recipe, if your blender has a small cup attachment or adapter, it will the perfect size for this. Otherwise, you might need to stop your blender and scrape down the sides a few times during the process. Another option is to make a double batch to have plenty to reach the blades and keep things spinning. That’s what I like to do.
- The consistency of this plant-based butter should be nice and creamy and will thicken a little more after refrigeration.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Thank you for this recipe. My husband recently had a mild heart attack and as a result, has now agreed to eat like I do (WFPB). I made this recipe today for him to use as a butter substitute and it’s a winner. The only comment was maybe less garlic, which is an easy fix.
I am so glad that you liked it and am wishing you husband all the best with restoring his health. You’re a wonderful wife and role model to help him!
Is it good for baking bread in a bread machine?
Denise- I haven’t tried making it in a bread machine before. If you do, I would love to hear how it comes out.
Can this be frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing it before. It might change the consistency a bit, but you could spin it in a blender again to get it creamy.
Dumb question: ANY cauliflower taste or smell?
LouAnn- It doesn’t taste like cauliflower to me, but some others have shared that they can taste it.
did anybody ever bake with this?
Britt– It’s not going to be good for baking because it doesn’t have the fat that oil and butter do.
So good! Great texture. A little garlicky for my morning toast though – I will use less garlic powder next time or omit it.
Sophie- So glad that you like it! Thank you.