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    Home » Recipes » Special » How-to

    Cultured Vegan Butter

    By: Thomas Published: 1 Dec, 21 Updated: 10 Dec, 21 387 Comments

    RecipeVideoPrintComments
    4.70 from 75 votes
    Vegan Cultured Butter
    The Best Vegan Cultured Butter

    Learn how to make your own vegan butter at home! This vegan butter smells and tastes exactly like real dairy butter! It is spreadable, melts, and is perfect for baking. Plus it's cheaper than store-bought, and you know exactly what is inside!

    Vegan Cultured Butter
    Jump to:
    • 🧈 Introduction
    • 📘 Why Make Your Own Butter?
    • 🥣 How to Make Vegan Cultured Butter
    • 🥞 How to Use Vegan Butter
    • 💬 FAQ
    • More Dairy-Free Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🧈 Introduction

    After camembert, blue cheese and yogurt, now comes butter. It's starting to feel like a real creamery here!

    The recipe was supposed to be released a looong time ago, but I kept tweaking it because I was not fully satisfied with the texture.

    I tried many recipes for vegan butter but couldn't find one that smells, tastes and spreads like real dairy butter. So I had to make my own version. I don't claim to have created cultured butter though since there are already recipes that rely on yogurt to give the butter a tangy flavor. Anyway, this butter is flavorful, has the perfect texture and is soy-free, dairy-free and palm oil-free. Did I mention it also melts like real butter?

    After some research on how butter is made, I found out it's actually a fermented product, did you know that? I didn't. But we know making fermented food is easy, right? So, ready to make your own butter?

    📘 Why Make Your Own Butter?

    There are several advantages of making your own vegan butter from scratch:

    • Ingredient control: Did you know that over 80% of vegan butter available in supermarkets contain palm oil and flavorings? By making your own butter, you know exactly what you put inside, meaning no palm oil, no flavorings, no preservatives. AND you can flavor it! Add chives and garlic for a savory spread, or cinnamon and raisins for a sweet treat.
    • It's a fun process! Don't be scared to try it, this recipe is very easy, the only thing is that it requires some patience. Like any fermented recipe.
    • Save money: Vegan butter alternatives can be quite expensive, and not available everywhere, especially if you live in a small town. With just a few ingredients from your pantry, you can make your own butter anytime. I made a quick calculation and the cost for 16 ounces of butter comes at around $5,8. This is over half the price of store-bought vegan butter!

    🥣 How to Make Vegan Cultured Butter

    Before starting, you will need a few specific ingredients:

    • Raw cashews
    • Acidophilus probiotic (or a pinch of mesophilic culture)
    • Refined coconut oil
    • Liquid sunflower lecithin

    Start by blending soaked raw cashews with water and cultures. Then let the cashew milk ferment at room temperature for 24-48h, depending on the temperature of your house. Culturing the cashew milk gives the butter a tangier taste, a more complex body, and a richer texture. It's the secret to make it smell and taste like real dairy butter!

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    After about 24 hours you should see some air bubbles in your cashew milk, this means the fermentation worked and it's now ready to use. It usually let ferment mine at room temperature for 36 hours, then cover, place it in the refrigerator and use within the next 4 days to make the butter.

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    Once the milk has a thickened a bit and has a sour, lemony smell, blend it with refined coconut oil, grapeseed oil (or sunflower, canola oil), sunflower lecithin, salt, and a teaspoon of carrot juice for the color. I first tried using turmeric to give it a yellow color but it didn't look natural, too yellowy. So I went back to testing and I found out carrot juice gives it a nice beige color, don't worry you can't taste the carrot!

    Sunflower lecithin is mandatory, without it the cashew cream will separate from the coconut oil and you will end up with two different layers. Definitely not what you want! You can also use soy lecithin if you prefer, both work.

    In my opinion, ¼ teaspoon of salt is the perfect amount, it's not too salty but enhances the flavor of the butter.

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    Once this is done, transfer to a container and let harden in the freezer. After chilling in the freezer for a few hours, transfer to the refrigerator.

    Thick, creamy, and soft, this vegan butter has the perfect texture. It's spreadable right from the fridge and works so well in baked goods!

    Since this butter is traditionally cultured, it won't keep as long as margarine. You can keep the butter for up to 7 days in a fridge, or 2 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it I recommend cutting it into small cubes so you can thaw just what you need.

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    🥞 How to Use Vegan Butter

    You all know where to use butter, but here are a few ideas of what you can do with it:

    • Breakfast: Spread on warm toast, sandwiches, top your pancakes or even stir into oatmeal. Breakfast will never be the same!
    • Use in baked goods: Cookies! Banana bread, cupcakes, pies, the possibilities are endless. Oh, and what about puff pastry!
    • Make frosting: Yep, you can use this butter to make buttercream frosting the traditional way, it will be soft and fluffy.
    • Brown: I successfully made brown butter from it, you have to be careful not to burn it though. Then use in cookies, sauces, etc.
    • Add flavor: Stir in risotto before serving, add to sauces, or melt on vegetables, a knob of butter will take your meal to the next level.
    Vegan Cultured Butter

    💬 FAQ

    • Can I omit the lecithin? Unfortunately no, the lecithin is essential to emulsify the oils and the cashew milk. It prevents it from separating.
    • Does this vegan butter melt? Yes! It melts just like real butter, so you can use it to make sauces or to stir-fry veggies.
    • Can I use this vegan butter to make puff pastry? While I haven't personally tried, I have no doubt it will work just like regular butter!
    • How long does vegan butter keep? It will keep for about one week in the refrigerator, after that I find it a bit too tangy.
    Vegan Cultured Butter

    More Dairy-Free Recipes

    • Vegan Camembert
    • Almond & Cashew Greek Yogurt
    • Vegan Blue Cheese

    Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan Cultured Butter

    Cultured Vegan Butter

    Author: Thomas
    Creamy and spreadable cultured vegan butter that smells and tastes like real butter! Palm oil-free, soy-free, and dairy-free!
    4.70 from 75 votes
    Print Pin Review
    Prep Time : 30 mins
    Resting Time : 2 hrs
    Total Time : 2 hrs 30 mins
    Servings 16 oz (450g)
    Calories 96 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Cultured Cashew Milk

    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • ⅔ cup water
    • 1 capsule acidophilus (or a pinch of mesophilic culture) about ⅛ tsp

    Cultured Butter

    • ½ cup cultured cashew milk
    • 1 and ¼ cup refined coconut oil
    • ⅓ cup grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
    • 1 teaspoon liquid sunflower lecithin or 2 teaspoon powdered lecithin
    • 2 teaspoon carrot juice for color, optional
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Place the raw cashews in a bowl. Cover and let soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
    • Drain the cashews and put them back in the bowl. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, pour the water over the cashews. This step will kill possible bacterias. Drain the cashews.
    • Add them to a blender with the ⅔ cup water and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides from time to time until everything is smooth.
    • Transfer to a small bowl or container and stir in the acidophilus powder. Cover with a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours. The cashew cream should have a light sour taste, and you should see some air bubbles.
    • Melt the coconut oil over low-medium heat. Measure 1 and ¼ cup of melted coconut oil and put it in a blender. Add ½ cup of cultured cashew milk, neutral oil, sunflower lecithin, salt, and carrot juice. Blend on high speed about 1 minute.
    • Line a 6x4-inch container with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the container and place in the freezer at least 1 hour, or until firm. Once firm, transfer to the refrigerator. It will become softer after a few hours.
    • This vegan butter will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Since this butter contains live cultures it might get stronger in taste/smell as time passes. If the smell is too strong, trash it. It will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

    Video

    Notes

    Recipe adapted/inspired by Vegan Baking, Miyoko's VeganButter, and Nutcrafter's Bettah than Buttah, as well as traditional butter-making techniques.
    If using mesophilic instead of acidophilus, just use a tip of a fork, or a pinch. If there are too many bacterias the cashew milk will turn bad.
    To make flavored butter: follow the recipe as stated. Once firm, let the butter on the counter for 1-2 hours, or until soft. Stir in your add-ins (herbs, garlic, or raisins, cinnamon, or chocolate for a sweet version), and transfer to a container. Place in the refrigerator until firm again.
    Nutritional information is an estimate.
    Soy lecithin can be used as a substitute for the sunflower lecithin.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 tablespoonCalories: 96 kcalCarbohydrates: 0.5 gProtein: 0.3 gFat: 10.5 gFiber: 0.1 g
    Course : Condiment
    Cuisine : American, French
    Keyword : cultured butter, dairy-free buttert, homemade butter, vegan butter
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paayel

      November 12, 2017 at 7:05 pm

      Can i use sunflower lecithin powder instead of liquid. What will be the proportion.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 13, 2017 at 8:02 pm

        You need to use a bit more if it's powdered, about 2 teaspoons should be enough.

        Reply
        • monika

          November 17, 2017 at 2:25 am

          If we opt to use soy lecithin (because we cannot find sunflower), it is always in powder. Would we use 2 tsp? You're very innovative with your recipes. I am not a vegan and will never be because I don't think it's healthy, but I like to eat a variety of things and this is really cool!

          Reply
          • Thomas

            November 17, 2017 at 7:17 am

            Thanks Monika!
            Yes 2 tsp of lecithin powder equals about 1 tsp of liquid lecithin. Soy or sunflower, it doesn't really matter, you can use the same amount.

            Reply
          • Oza

            October 01, 2018 at 4:52 pm

            Hi Monika!
            What do you think is unhealthy in a vegan diet?

            Reply
            • DJeff

              April 04, 2020 at 10:13 am

              Oreos cookies are the worst

            • Norm

              August 19, 2022 at 12:01 am

              4 stars
              The stamp "Vegan" !
              Vegan food is, in general, a lot of junk and chem food. It just doesn't make use of any animal product, that's all. But that's all good because 9.8/10 Vegans don't care about their own health. 😉

        • Paayel Agarwaal

          November 22, 2017 at 7:30 am

          Thank you Thomas!

          Reply
        • MairiAnna Birse

          April 30, 2018 at 6:22 pm

          Hi Thomas I could only get granules. Will I grind them into a powder?

          Thanks

          MairiAnna

          Reply
          • Thomas

            May 03, 2018 at 5:25 am

            Yes, I think it can work if you grind it into a powder. I'm also going to try using a powdered version next time to try it. I will make sure to update the recipe with the results!

            Reply
            • MairiAnna Birse

              May 03, 2018 at 7:32 pm

              Butter is another raging success in this house. Many thanks Thomas. Can the butter be frozen?

              MairiAnna

            • Thomas

              May 09, 2018 at 5:28 am

              You're welcome! Yes, it can be frozen and freezes very well. Just thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

    2. Sarah

      November 21, 2017 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      You really are amazing! I have made some of your cheeses and theu are so time intensive, but worth it (ie i could never have come up with it myself)

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 22, 2017 at 3:51 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for the rating 😉

        Reply
    3. Sandy

      November 25, 2017 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for another great recipe, Thomas!! This butter tastes great and made wonderful gluten, dairy and soy free pie crusts.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 27, 2017 at 8:04 pm

        Glad to hear you liked it Sandy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Maria

      November 25, 2017 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      It came out just perfect. I love your very creative recipes.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 27, 2017 at 8:05 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Maria!

        Reply
    5. dana

      November 25, 2017 at 10:54 pm

      This is brilliant! I'm curious if you can use other nuts besides cashews as a base - so many people seem sensitive these days. Will have to give your version a try! Bravo!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 27, 2017 at 8:08 pm

        Thanks Dana 🙂 I guess it could work with almonds, or maybe macadamias but haven't tried it yet.

        Reply
        • N Lewis

          August 15, 2018 at 8:42 pm

          I've just made this with sunflower seeds instead of cashews and it worked perfectly

          Reply
          • Thomas

            August 17, 2018 at 5:38 am

            Awesome! Glad to hear it worked!

            Reply
          • Charlotte Jones

            January 02, 2019 at 8:51 pm

            Hi what was the weight of the sunflower seeds you used, thanks

            Reply
    6. Robert

      December 03, 2017 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Thank you very much for this recipe. It works really brillant and also omnivores are satisfied. As I am vegan since more than 5 years, was looking for a product without palmoil-seeds. Perfect and thank you very much for your work! As I held workshops for making vegan cheese I always recommend your page.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 04, 2017 at 8:07 am

        You're welcome Robert! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

        Reply
    7. Anne

      December 03, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Hi Thomas,
      I was wondering : is refined coconut oil the same as deodorized coconut oil? Meaning, if I buy some for this recipe, will I be able to use the rest for the foie gras recipe? 🙂 It says it has a neutral flavor on Amazon.
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 04, 2017 at 8:08 am

        Hi Anne,

        Yes it's the same! So you can use this coconut oil for both recipes 🙂

        Reply
    8. victoria

      December 21, 2017 at 7:22 am

      5 stars
      So I made this butter. I was buying Miyoko's vegan butter at Trader Joe's, but then they stopped carrying it. It was right around then that I got your recipe. You made it look like something I could do. I really wanted to make it a couple days ago, but I didn't have sunflower oil. I had already cultured the cashews, so I decided to go ahead and make it. I used about 1/8 cup olive oil and a little extra coconut oil to make up for the other oil. I happened to have some red palm oil that I had bought on a whim and I added a teaspoon of that. It made it THE perfect color. Mine is like real butter - hard right out of the refrigerator, and better to spread after it warms up. I like it like this. It is soooo good! I love this butter. It's my new favorite thing! I made bread just to go along with it.
      Thomas, you are genius. I think your blog is really underrated. You should be nominated for one of the most innovative vegan chefs!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 22, 2017 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Victoria!
        I'm so happy to hear you like the recipe and that you can now make your own instead of buying it!

        Reply
      • DebraLee

        January 12, 2018 at 3:58 am

        I agree 100% I'm blessed that he is here sharing all of this talent with us. This is making me happy and satisfied to eat vegan!

        Reply
      • Melody

        March 13, 2022 at 10:21 pm

        Thank you! I was just going to ask if it would work to use olive oil instead. It has a buttery flavor and a much better omega ratio. The coconut oil will do everything the red palm with do (except the color) without the environmental hit (sustainable labels aren't real for palm oil - some of those labelled sustainable are worse than the conventional - and those are horrifying!). Anyway, thanks for validating the olive oil.

        Reply
    9. Riikka

      December 22, 2017 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      I am definitely making this butter again for Christmas. I will flavour it with dill and salt flakes. The basic recipe is also very good, first I thought it was bland but I got used to it and it is just the best butter! Perfect with my homemade sourdough bread. Happy Christmas!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 23, 2017 at 7:21 am

        Thanks for the feedback and rating Riikka!
        Usually, the butter flavor develops even more after a few days. Have a Merry Christmas too!

        Reply
    10. Bev

      December 30, 2017 at 1:41 am

      5 stars
      Wow! You did it once again! This is so much better than most of the vegan butters on the market, and SO MUCH less expensive than Miyoko's.

      It is delicious! Unfortunately, I love spreading it on fresh bread and toast. I say unfortunately, because well, it's hard to stop eating it!!!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        January 02, 2018 at 7:30 am

        I know, it's super addicting! Spread it thick! 🙂
        Thanks again for your feedback Bev!

        Reply
    11. DebraLee

      January 04, 2018 at 4:45 am

      Hi! I tried making Myiokos butter from her book and it doesn't taste the same as her butter that you buy.
      I'm looking forward to your version. It is way too expensive at $6.00 a block.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        January 04, 2018 at 11:44 am

        Hi Debra, I never tried the version from her book or the store-bought one, so I can't say for sure but I think you will like this one 🙂 Since it's cultured, it has the same taste and flavor as regular butter. Let me know if you try it!

        Reply
        • DebraLee

          January 05, 2018 at 2:45 am

          I have everything to make it. I'll be doing it this weekend and let you know 🙂

          Reply
      • Sharon sUZANNE Obrien

        July 29, 2021 at 11:09 pm

        Her book version isn't cultured like he store bought is. We asked her at a Vegfest.

        Reply
    12. Jacky

      January 07, 2018 at 9:50 pm

      Hi There. I have a question if that's ok?

      The butter mixture looked curdled after blending the cashew cream, oils and lecithin. I've put it in the freezer to see how it looks afterwards but, I think something has gone wrong.

      Maybe too much pro-biotic? - the cream was quite thick when I added it.
      Or maybe not enough Lecithin? - I have a powder so used 2 tsp
      Maybe coconut oil too warm after melting?

      I'm ready to give it another go anyway so, if you have any advice, that would be great. I can tell it's going to be great when I get it right!

      Thanks for any help

      Reply
      • Sandy

        January 08, 2018 at 12:49 pm

        Jacky, Mine did something similar the first time. It seemed as though the powdered lecithin would not blend entirely in the blender. I now use an immersion blender to blend the 2 teaspoons into the cream mixture first. I blend till I can hardly see the lecithin specks. Then add the remaining oils and blend till creamy. It's perfect!

        Reply
        • Jacky

          January 08, 2018 at 11:01 pm

          Amazing. thank for the tip. I'll try again at the weekend and report back.

          Reply
      • Thomas

        January 09, 2018 at 6:59 am

        Hi Jacky,
        I never had this problem, so I'm not sure what went wrong. I don't think the thick cashew cream is the problem because mine is also thick. Maybe the coconut oil was too hot, not sure.
        I have some powdered lecithin so I'm going to try it soon to see if it works the same as the liquid one.

        Regarding your first batch: maybe try to let your butter sit at room temperature for one hour, then put it in your food processor and process until smooth and fully combined. Transfer back to the container and place in the fridge to harden.

        Reply
        • Jacky

          January 13, 2018 at 12:05 pm

          Thanks for the advce. I'm trying again right now! I'll report back the results.

          Reply
          • Jacky

            January 13, 2018 at 2:51 pm

            The second batch came out amazing! a mixture of ensuring the oil was sufficiently cooled, stirring in the powdered lethicin to the cashew first and then pouring oil in slowly made the resulting mixture much creamier. I thought I could see it start to split a little when I stopped blending but a coupe of hours in the freezer sorted it out.

            Thanks Sandra and Thomas for the tips to get it right and Thomas, thank you so much for the recipe, it's really is great...we are just shovelling it in spread on fresh bread!! My New year diet has taken a sudden downturn

            Reply
            • Thomas

              January 14, 2018 at 1:29 pm

              So glad to hear your second batch went well! I'm sorry to hear about your New Year diet but it had to stop at some point right? 🙂

          • Hanna

            January 07, 2022 at 3:46 pm

            Mine has looked curled as I was pouring it into a container…

            Reply
      • Jakki

        March 29, 2021 at 11:03 pm

        Lecithin powder can sometimes take a while to dissolve. I stirred mine into the cashew cream and let it sit for half an hour. Also, I found 2 tsp wasn’t quite enough to stop it splitting. 3 tsp worked better.

        Reply
    13. Runu

      January 12, 2018 at 3:57 am

      Can we use guar gum or arabic gum instead of sunflower lecithin. Pls reply. Thanks

      Reply
      • DebraLee

        January 12, 2018 at 4:01 am

        I'm not the ex pert but that doesn't sound like it would work.

        Reply
        • Runu

          January 12, 2018 at 4:50 am

          I saw it here and hence asked .
          https://www.myspicesage.com/lecithin-powder-p-543.html

          Thanks 🙂

          Reply
      • Thomas

        January 14, 2018 at 1:16 pm

        I'm afraid it won't work as those are not emulsifiers.

        Reply
    14. Ann

      January 17, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      Hi...Thanks for sharing! I'm trying out this recipe... Question: As the recipe only requires 1/2 cup of cultured cashew milk what are your suggestions to do with the rest of the milk in the recipe? Looking forward to your comments!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        January 19, 2018 at 10:17 am

        Most of the time I use it in curries, it adds a nice sour cream flavor. You can also use it to make pasta sauces!

        Reply
        • Chef Bug

          June 09, 2018 at 1:08 am

          5 stars
          Hi Thomas!

          Great recipe, I decided to give it a shot as I am familiar with Miyoko’s Vegan Butter in stores and wanted to make a similar product myself.

          Everything went super great! However, after going over the recipe a third time after making it and noticing a slight separation, I realized I used all of the cashew cream from steps 1-4. Whoops!

          Might I suggest adding n step 5 the words “1/2 cup” before “cashew cream”. Even though I read through your whole post twice and recipe twice before starting, I still assumed you meant “all of the cashew cream you made” because there is no separation of the cashew cream instructions and the final butter instructions. I now have a very off-balanced proportion, but luckily I measure everything by weight and take notes so I’ll be able to figure out how to save it! I’ll let you know how it all works out 🙂 I’m always up for a challenge 😉

          I also used Victoria’s suggestion of 1 tsp of organic, fair trade and sustainably sourced red palm oil, and it really does make the perfect color for those who don’t mind that type of ingredient. Thank you for that tip, Victoria!

          Thank you again, Thomas- I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog, and I am excited to try my hand at your cheese recipes as well.

          Sincerely,
          Chef Bug

          Reply
          • Thomas

            June 14, 2018 at 2:11 pm

            Hi Chef Bug!
            Cool name by the way 😉

            I try to make the recipes as clear as possible but you are right, if you don't read very carefully it can be confusing. I edited the recipe and added "1/2 cup" as you suggested. The reason I recommend making more cashew milk than needed is that it's very difficult to blend to a smooth consistency if you use less than 1/2 cup of cashews.

            Regarding the red palm oil, that is interesting and will definitely try it next time as making carrot juice for just two teaspoons is a bit time-consuming!

            Anyway, thanks for your feedback!

            Reply
            • Anna Nabil

              October 14, 2018 at 1:34 pm

              Thomas, you can always freeze the carrot juice in an ice tray, so that whenever you need 2 tsp, you can pop out one cube and dissolve it into your mixture.

            • Thomas

              October 16, 2018 at 5:04 am

              Great idea!

        • Kaylene

          February 29, 2020 at 7:10 pm

          Could you just use the extra cashew milk to make another batch? I'm thinking make enough to end up with double the end results without leftovers

          Reply
          • Thomas

            March 04, 2020 at 5:46 am

            I'm afraid the extra cashew milk won't be enough to make another batch.

            Reply
    15. Beetroute

      January 21, 2018 at 5:34 am

      3 stars
      Hi Thomas,

      Thank-you for generously sharing your creations. I'm in the process of fermenting my first batch of cashew camemberts. They are maturing into very convincing cheeses so far. My confidence in your research and my comfort with fermentation led me to try the butter. I completed the butter today and the texture is wonderful. However, as a non-vegan I can't say that it tastes like traditional butter. My batch is similar in flavour to raw button mushrooms! I'm open to the unexpected and I'm sure any number of things could have happened in the process that created this flavour, including the fermentation or perhaps the quality or quantity of cashews.

      It won't be solo on toast, but I will find many ways to integrate it in dishes. I just thought I'd share my results and will try it again to compare notes. Although I commend you for creating a butter with a good texture, I can't offer a higher rating at this time due to the flavour and the slight difficulty of accessing the lecithin and refined coconut oil in a small community.

      Reply
    16. Lynn Mccrea

      February 06, 2018 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      I made this butter but added a half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to give it some acidity as my fermenting didn’t produce much. Also put half a teaspoon of nutritional yeast. My whole family are just amazed! It’s LIKE BUTTER. My husband who has joined us on the vegan path could not let his cows milk butter go. He has now. Thank you so much Thomas.
      I used soya lecithin granules , sokaedthem for an hour in water then added.
      I might have half of England reading your blog soon.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        February 07, 2018 at 6:06 pm

        So glad you and your family liked it!! 🙂 Your comment made my day Lynn!
        Regarding the acidity, maybe try to let the cashew cream ferment a bit longer at room temperature next time. I even noticed that the cream becomes sharper in the fridge after another 2-3 days.

        Reply
    17. Waleska

      February 24, 2018 at 1:13 am

      Hi! Thanks for sharing! I bought Now'a 50 Billion Probiotic Powder (https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/probiotic-10-50-billion-powder), and I use about 1q4 teaspoon to make cashew yogurt with it.. How much would you recommend to use for this butter? And cheese?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        February 25, 2018 at 5:29 am

        Hi Waleska,
        Well, it's hard to say exactly...your powder has a lot of probiotics. I wouldn't use more than 1/8 tsp for 3 cups of cashews.

        Reply
    18. Sandra Looney

      February 26, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      I have made your butter and it is delicious. I wanted to tell you that I colored mine with annotto (achiote) oil that I had on hand from cooking asian food. Just a few drops colored the butter beautifully. One recipe keeps in the fridge for a long time for use in cooking or coloring.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        February 28, 2018 at 11:59 am

        Thanks for sharing Sandra! I think annatto is also used in some cheeses to give them an orange color.

        Reply
    19. Sabrina

      March 07, 2018 at 3:19 pm

      Does the coconut oil have to be refined or does unrefined work as well?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        March 12, 2018 at 7:10 am

        Unrefined coconut oil will work but your butter will have a coconut flavor 🙂

        Reply
    20. Deb

      March 09, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Thomas,
      I am your number 1 fan for the camembert and I would love to try this butter but I can't find edible liquid lecithine. I see you are living in France now, as I am : can you tell me where to find it please ? The one I bought from Amazon said "do not ingest" on it. Thanks !!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        March 12, 2018 at 7:27 am

        Hi Deb,
        You can find sunflower lecithin here: http://caramel-a-tartiner.fr/nosproduits/lecithine-de-tournesol-ogm-100-gr/ or soy lecithin here: http://caramel-a-tartiner.fr/nosproduits/lecithine-de-tournesol-bio-460-gr-copie/

        Reply
    21. Sally

      March 15, 2018 at 7:16 am

      4 stars
      Hi there, I haven't yet made this but I have started with the cashew mixture. I could only find refined coconut oil in liquid form, rather than the usual solid stuff. Will this work?
      Thank you in advance. I was really excited to see a Vegan butter recipe as it's impossible to find one in the shops that doesn't contain palm oil!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        March 16, 2018 at 8:00 am

        Hi Sally,
        I'm not sure what you mean by liquid form, does it harden if you put it in the refrigerator? If it does then yes you can use it, otherwise, it won't work as coconut oil is essential to help firm up the butter.

        Reply
    22. Charles

      March 20, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      Hi, Thomas,
      New subscriber here, and I'd like to try this butter recipe. I have the Silk brand Cashew Milk in my fridge at the moment. I assume that I can start out with this product, rather than making my own cashew milk from scratch, right?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        March 21, 2018 at 6:05 pm

        Hi Charles,
        I have never tried using store-bought cashew milk to make this recipe so I can't tell. In my opinion, this milk is less rich in cashews than making your own. The fact that it contains natural flavors may also affect the taste of the butter.

        Reply
        • Charles

          March 21, 2018 at 9:14 pm

          Okay, thanks. Also I'm not sure if using coconut oil is good for my personal dietary needs. Is there an alternative oil that suits the purpose? Thanks.

          Reply
          • Thomas

            March 23, 2018 at 9:08 am

            I'm afraid there is not...maybe use refined cocoa butter, but you will have to tweak the recipe a bit to get a spreadable consistency.

            Reply
    23. Karen Ackerman

      April 01, 2018 at 10:29 pm

      I do not know if the local CVS carries Acidophilus Probiotic. May I purchase any probiotic in capsule form? I have a feeling the answer is no, but I did want to ask. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        April 03, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Unfortunately, I can't give you a precise answer on that subject. There are so many different probiotics that some may work and others won't, it really depends on what/how many cultures they contain. If you make your own yogurts from a brand of probiotics, then use these, it will work. Otherwise, I would recommend acidophilus, or maybe check online to see which brand can be used to make yogurt.

        Reply
    24. Rox

      April 04, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      This is ridiculously tasty. I had to invest in the ingredients as I didn't have them otherwise but it was well worth it! Thank you so much! I put smoked sea salt in mine!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        April 05, 2018 at 3:32 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Rox, smoked salted butter sounds amazing!

        Reply
    25. Angy

      April 21, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love your recipes,thanks for everything

      Angy

      Reply
      • Thomas

        April 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm

        Thank you Angy 🙂 You're welcome!

        Reply
    26. Oluvia

      May 12, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      Is it ok not to perment the cashew ?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 15, 2018 at 5:23 am

        I'm afraid it's not, the fermentation is really essential to get a butter flavor.

        Reply
    27. Diana

      May 15, 2018 at 1:01 am

      Hi Thomas, thank you for the recipe! A quick question: When I use 1/2 cup cashews and 2/3 cup water, it makes 1 cup cultured cashew cream. But in the recipe it says 1/2 cup cashew cream. Is that correct?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 15, 2018 at 6:09 am

        Hi Diana,
        That is correct! You can use the full cup of cashew cream if you want but you will have to double the other ingredients. I recommend making 1 cup of cashew cream because it's very difficult to blend the cashews if you make less than that. Otherwise, you can use the cashew cream (add salt) leftover in curries, sauces, on top of potatoes, etc.

        Reply
    28. Valli

      May 15, 2018 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      Hey there! BIG FAN!
      Just one prob - If I follow the link for the Acidophilus probiotic - the page is blocked..
      is there something I have to consider before ordering my own Acidophilus probiotic ?
      can I get organic ones? what's the name of the ones you usually use?
      And are the capsules vegan too? 🙂

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 18, 2018 at 5:35 am

        Hey Valli,
        Thanks! I assume it's because you are not from the US and Amazon redirects doesn't always work. Here is the one I use. It's the Solgar Advanced Acidophilus Plus that contains 500M microorganisms. Sure, organic can work too!

        Reply
    29. Deb

      May 19, 2018 at 8:19 am

      Absolutely, delicious, Thomas. My lecithine had gone hard so I did without, making using the mayonnaise method of pouring the oils in slowly. Maybe the texture is not perfect but the taste…oh my goodness!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 21, 2018 at 3:41 pm

        The same happened to me once! Even though I close the packet very well the lecithin became hard after a few months. Happy to hear you still liked the butter!

        Reply
    30. Liron

      May 31, 2018 at 8:38 am

      This looks amazing! I'd love to try it.
      I have BlueBonnet's acidophilus probiotic that expired 12/2017. Do you think I can still use it? It was kept sealed in the fridge...

      Reply
      • Thomas

        May 31, 2018 at 2:04 pm

        Thanks Liron!
        Okay, so apparently one capsule of BlueBonnet’s acidophilus probiotic contains 3B microorganism, which is quite a lot. The brand I'm using contains only 500M so I would recommend using only 1/3 to 1/2 capsule. Regarding the expiration date, I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if you kept it in the fridge.

        Reply
    31. Heather

      June 07, 2018 at 12:14 am

      5 stars
      Recipe is great! Slight sunflower seed taste from the lecithin but I think it tastes great. I used the other half of the cashew milk to make a 2nd batch. With miyokos being $5.99 per small box of butter I’m saving about $2 each batch using this recipe and buying raw cashews and coconut oil in bulk. So it’s worth the savings for me since it doesn’t take that long to make and not a lot of active time preparing. WHEre do you buy your raw cashews from? Thank you for concocting!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 07, 2018 at 7:44 am

        Thanks for your feedback Heather! I found that the sunflower seed flavor goes away after a day or two. If you don't want it then use powdered soy lecithin, you won't taste anything. I think that powdered sunflower lecithin might have a more neutral taste but I have never tried.
        I'm happy to hear you are saving money 🙂 It's true that buying artisan vegan cheeses/butter can be quite expensive.
        As I'm experimenting a lot, I'm also buying cashews in bulk from a European website (around $9 per pound).

        Reply
    32. Maz

      June 09, 2018 at 5:05 am

      I saw this on a group,I absolutely love it and have just gifted a friend almost 1 portion as her and her daughter are vegetarian - I have made cakes with it, adore it on crackers - life has changed for the better now we no longer have to have nasty plastic stuff - thank you, first recipe that actually looked doable and is awesome.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 14, 2018 at 2:12 pm

        Great! Happy to hear you also had success by baking with it!
        Thanks for your feedback Maz!

        Reply
    33. Michaela

      June 09, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Thomas, thanks for your inventiveness and this great recipe! I'm trying it again today with hemp seed oil to get all the good omegas. It's delicious!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 14, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        Hi Michaela, thank you!!

        Reply
        • Angelika

          June 17, 2018 at 3:36 am

          4 stars
          I have a question, its pretty hot here in israel at summer.i left it overnight and it looked kind of too much sower in the morning. Can it be possibly ruined by the temperature?its about 25-26°here

          Reply
          • Angelika

            June 17, 2018 at 7:50 am

            3 stars
            It turned out too sour and the texture is not perfect, may be it went wrong because it was too hot here? 25-26 °. Should i put it in the fridge next time for 24 hours or more? Why is it too sour taste and smell? Is it ruined? Also, my lecithin is very thick ( i bought online and i opened it was very thick like honey)may be it didnt work and thats why i havent succeed with the texture?

            Reply
            • Thomas

              June 19, 2018 at 6:10 am

              Yes, the temperature is the problem. What you could try is leave the cashew milk at room temperature for 2-3 hours and then place in the refrigerator for 36-48 hours. Then taste to check if it has a yogurt flavor.
              Liquid sunflower lecithin is always very thick in texture, a bit like molasses. This is normal. I guess it's a temperature problem again. Make sure the coconut oil is just melted, not hot as it can make everything separate.

          • Thomas

            June 19, 2018 at 6:05 am

            It's a possibility yes. Maybe you have a ceiling or a small refrigerator that you could put on the lowest setting so it's not too cold?

            Reply
    34. Ray Manna

      June 20, 2018 at 9:29 am

      I love it. It’s as good as Miyokos and a snap to make. Thank you for all you do.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 22, 2018 at 5:45 am

        Thanks Ray!

        Reply
    35. Moya Schouten

      June 24, 2018 at 10:47 am

      3 stars
      Hi Thomas. I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! I don’t use spreads often at all but sometimes I miss that buttery flavour.
      I froze it in little portions and I’m thrilled with it. Great flavour, great recipe.
      Thanks for sharing!
      Moya

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 25, 2018 at 11:19 am

        Thanks for the feedback Moya!

        Reply
    36. Jamie

      June 25, 2018 at 4:15 pm

      is it normal for a purplish color on top cultured cashew milk?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        June 27, 2018 at 2:58 pm

        No it's not, I would recommend starting again. Maybe you aged it at a too warm temperature.

        Reply
        • Jamie

          July 03, 2018 at 4:55 pm

          Thank you for your reply. My house is continuous at temp of 74-75 degrees in my house, too warm? I have used the acidophilus strength that you recommended. Will attempt to culture cashew milk again.

          Reply
          • Thomas

            July 05, 2018 at 12:26 pm

            75°F is a bit warm but it should be okay. Make sure everything you use (bowl, blender, etc) is very clean. Also, pouring boiling water on the cashews and letting sit for 1-2 minutes helps kill possible bacterias.

            Reply
    37. Belinda

      July 10, 2018 at 8:42 am

      I love this recipe, it’s easy and it tastes DELICIOUS. Unfortunately mine separated a bit when setting...is there anything I can do to try and stop this when I make it again?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        July 11, 2018 at 5:16 am

        Thanks Belinda, glad to hear you like it!
        Do you place it in the refrigerator or freezer to cool? Also, make sure your coconut oil is just melted, not hot.

        Reply
    38. Tatyana Semko

      July 10, 2018 at 10:39 pm

      4 stars
      Thanks for the recipe! Why do you refer to the dairy products as "real" and "natural"? Ist your cashew butter unreal and unnatural?!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        July 11, 2018 at 5:21 am

        I refer to dairy butter as "real" because the name butter officially describes something made out of dairy milk, which is not the case here with vegan butter. So to differentiate the two I refer to the dairy butter as the real one.

        Reply
    39. José Luis

      July 18, 2018 at 8:18 pm

      Hola, voy a hacer esta mantequilla para los clientes de nuestro restaurante y le pondremos el nombre de la “Butter Thomas”.
      Muchas gracias por compartir tu conocimiento.

      Reply
    40. Birgit Kerr

      July 19, 2018 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      Really delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        July 23, 2018 at 4:08 pm

        Thanks for the feedback Birgit! 🙂

        Reply
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