Vegan compound butter: 3 easy flavors
Elevate your dishes with these easy and delicious vegan compound butters. Made with creamy dairy-free butter and fresh herbs or zest, these flavorful spreads are perfect for bread, veggies, grains, and more. Choose from sun-dried tomato & basil, garlic chive, or lemon dill. Pick ONE of the flavors for one block of vegan butter. (To make more than one flavor, use extra blocks of vegan butter, or pick two variations & halve the recipe for two smaller batches.)
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 102kcal
Ingredients
Base ingredient (for all flavors)
- 8 to 8.8 ounces vegan butter* (about 2 sticks or one block), softened
Sun-dried tomato & basil flavor
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons julienne-sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (Chop small if not using food processor)
- 2 heaping Tablespoons thinly-sliced basil (About 16 small to medium-sized leaves)
- 2 garlic cloves grated, pressed, or minced
Garlic & chive flavor
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 2 garlic cloves grated, pressed, or minced
Lemon & dill flavor
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (Zest of 1 to 2 lemons, depending on size)
- ¼ cup loosely packed finely chopped dill fresh
Instructions
Instructions (apply to all flavors)
- In a bowl or food processor, whip the softened vegan butter until creamy and smooth.
- Add the chosen flavor mix-ins from above (sun-dried tomato & basil, garlic & chive, or lemon & dill). Then stir or pulse until evenly combined.
- Transfer the compound butter onto plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll into a log shape, twisting ends to seal. (If you prefer, instead of rolling into a log, you can store the butter in a covered glass container.)
- Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*I recommend using salted vegan butter. But if you prefer unsalted, add salt to taste. Violife and Miyoko’s are great options. Trader Joe’s dairy-free buttery spread (8.8 oz block) was used in the photos, but it may be discontinued.
If using a tub instead of sticks or a block, use a kitchen scale to measure 8 to 8.8 ounces.
Tip for softening vegan butter: Depending on your kitchen temperature, it can take 20–30 minutes or more for the butter to soften enough to whip easily. To speed things up, cut the butter into small cubes and let it sit at room temperature. Do not melt it in the microwave.
Storage instructions: Cover the compound butter tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. It also freezes well. Freeze in logs, slices, or molds for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label with flavor and date.
To freeze slices, space them on a parchment-lined tray, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you're ready to use it, let it thaw at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before spreading.
Note on nutrition information: Nutrition info listed is for the garlic & chive butter flavor. The other flavors are in the same general wheelhouse. However, the sun-dried tomato version may be slightly higher due to the oil in the tomatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.03mg
