We have been trying to find more vegan alternatives (daughter’s and friend’s delicate stomach) so we have been using more plant based spreads (or margarine for us old school people). That stuff can be expensive, and it seems to have some hidden animal products; my daughter’s animal protein detector (aka, dodgy stomach) is set on sensitive. She had digestive trouble whenever she eats any animal protein at all; no cheese, no butter, no eggs, certainly no meat and even no animal based rennet used in soy cheese making. Some margarine brands have been making her feel sick and since we use a lot of margarine, I thought I would have a go at making my own. As usual, I researched it all online and found some alternatives.

It seems that it is basically an oil of some sort, whipped with water and an added emulsifier to stop it all separating. I found many recipes, mostly with fancy ingredients, and finally settled on one that looked fairly simple.

First I had to find some sunflower based lecithin (which is not that hard to find online), this was found and ordered in about 15 minutes. This is the all-important emulsifier, that keeps the oil and water components in suspension. In the case of my chosen recipe the water part was actually a mixture of soy milk and apple cider vinegar, but the principle still stands. After a three week wait, the lecithin finally arrived and I could have a go at making margarine.

The recipe below is modified (slightly) from the original (to see the original, just click on the title).

Spreadable Olive Oil Vegan Butter Recipe

1) Curdle your soy milk

2) Mix your Vegan Butter ingredients

3) Transfer the Vegan Butter to a mold so it solidifies

Ingredients gathered and ready to go.

Soy milk with Himalayan pink salt added

After I added the vinegar it curdled and thickened a bit

I didn’t have any unflavoured psyllium husk powder, so I used some orange flavoured stuff, hoping the orange wouldn’t come through (it is only a small amount after all)

pouring ingredients into the blender cup

Everything blending nicely

Poured into a container and ready for the freezer

Looks good

Spreads easily

The resulting spread has a great texture, is very spreadable and apart from a faint orange flavour (I was wrong), tastes like any other margarine. I will be making this again, once I can get hold of some unflavoured psyllium husk powder.

I also found a recipe for hard vegan butter on the same site. I have included the recipe and the link below (click the title).

Regular Vegan Butter Recipe – Coconut Oil Base

Yield: 1 cup (215 grams), or the equivalent of 2 sticks

¼ cup + 2 teaspoons soy milk
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon coconut vinegar (if you can’t find coconut vinegar, substitute with ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar so the total is 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar)
¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup + 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (130 grams) refined coconut oil, melted
1 Tablespoon canola oil, light olive oil or rice bran oil

1 teaspoon liquid soy lecithinorliquid sunflower lecithinor 2 ¼ teaspoons soy lecithin granules
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or ½ + ⅛ teaspoon psyllium husk powder

1) Curdle your soy milk

Place the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut vinegar and salt in a small cup and whisk together with a fork. Let it sit for about 10 minutes so the mixture curdles.

2) Mix your Vegan Butter ingredients

Melt the coconut oil in a microwave so it’s barely melted and as close to room temperature as possible. Measure it and add it and the canola oil to a food processor. Add the soy milk mixture, soy lecithin and xanthan gum to the food processor. Process for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through the duration.

 TIP: Making smooth Vegan Butter is dependent on the mixture solidifying as quickly as possible after it’s mixed. This is why it’s important to make sure your coconut oil is as close to room temperature as possible before you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.

3) Transfer the Vegan Butter to a mold so it solidifies.

Pour the mixture into a mold and place it in the freezer to solidify. An ice cube mold works well. It should be ready to use in about an hour. Store Vegan Butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Vegan scones made with the vegan butter recipe. Just ignore my little mishap with the baking paper being too close to the oven flame, it was very exciting

Served with vegan margarine and jam, very yummy