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!
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.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
This sounds intriguing. I have frozen cauliflower from our winter CSA. Since the cauliflower is cooked, do you think the frozen would work?
Hi Charlene- 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.
This is fantastic!!!!!! Thank you so much!!! My husband wanted butter, and I found this recipe and whipped it up while his bread was toasting. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!! Yum!
Hi Rene- For the WIN! I’m so glad your husband liked it. That’s awesome!
Hi! Did anyone ever bake with this? I’m wanting to do an oatmeal bake and curious if it would work
@Chelsea, try using applesauce to replace the oil in your cookies
I’ve made this cauliflower butter 3 times now. We love it and make larger batches as the blender handle it better. It comes out more like a sauce and we love it over steamed veg etc. I’m going to try it with less milk next time. Does cooling the cauliflower make a difference to the end texture?
Hi Zillah- That’s a good question! I haven’t tried cooling the cauliflower first but would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try. I am so glad that you like it enough to make it 3 times already. That’s awesome to hear!
This was amazing! I successful in making it creamy by first mashing with a potato masher and then putting it all in the “bullet”.
I was wondering if we could add the Agar Agar to make it sliceable.
Thanks Terry for another amazing recipe.
Hi Robin- Yes, I think adding agar would work. Please let us know if you give it a try. And, I’m so glad that you liked it!
Terrific. Reminds us of mashed potatoes. Very good on bread. Will use it on mashed potatoes and veggies. Thank you. Perfect blend of flavors and good consistency.
Can’t wait to try this! Does it melt? could I try on popcorn or is it just too wet?
Tina- Personally, I think popcorn wouldn’t be a great idea. It’s more suited for corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, etc. Hope you enjoy it!
How long does this keep for?
Hi Cathryn- This should keep up to about 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can you bake with this butter?
Hi Chenita- I haven’t baked with it. It doesn’t have any oil, so it wouldn’t offer the same benefits to baked goods as far as keeping them moist.
Any issues with freezing this?
Hi Kevin, I haven’t tried freezing it but think it should do just fine since it’s made with cauliflower.
Can you freeze this butter?
Hi Beth- I haven’t tried freezing it but think it would do just fine. At most, it might need to be popped back into the blender for a quick spin after defrosting. If you give it a try, I would love to hear how it goes.
Has anyone tried baking with this “Butter” ?
At the top you mentioned salt, but not in the recipe? Thank you, Nana
Hi Nana- Thanks so much for letting me know about that omission. I use approximately 1/2 tsp salt in this recipe.
Omg i got so upset lol it would not every get creamy:( very lumpy tried in vitamin then nutribulltet! Well then i re read your recipe guess i should have made a double batch YIKES that would have reached the blades NEXT TIME ill do just that MY BAD!!
Hi Melody- HA! Yep, making a double batch helps a lot with the spinning of the blades, and a small cup adapter makes it even easier. I can always find plenty of things to use it on. 🙂
I” am amazed at the wonderful recipes you develop. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
Hi Susan- Thank you, and I hope enjoy this one! 🙂