Is Butter Vegan? Can Vegans Eat Butter in 2024?

Last updated on December 13th, 2023

The straightforward answer is: no butter is not vegan. This is because it uses ingredients that come from animals. Regular butter contains dairy which is an animal product, so it’s not suitable for a vegan diet.

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Regular butter isn’t plant-based but yes, vegans can still eat butter and enjoy buttery toast because there are plenty of dairy-free options out there. Keep reading and let me fill you in, I’ll show you exactly where to get dairy-free butter. 

Is butter suitable for vegetarians? Yes, butter is suitable for vegetarians. People following a vegetarian diet exclude meat and fish but will still consume products that come from an animal such as dairy, eggs and honey. The main ingredient that you’ll find in butter that’s not plant-based is buttermilk and as vegetarians include dairy in their diet this makes butter count as vegetarian.

So, in the most obvious sense when we ask the question ‘is it vegan?’ the answer needs to be a big NO. And that’s because it’s traditionally made using buttermilk which is, as the name suggests, made with milk. Vegans exclude all products that come from animals and this, of course, includes milk. 

So, when you’re in your local café and they ask if you want butter on your toast you’re safer to polity decline and go for a dollop of jam instead.

But don’t worry, just because butter as we’ve always known it, isn’t dairy-free, we’re living in an innovative time, and there are always options. If you know where to look there’s there’s no need to worry because there are plenty of plant-based alternatives to butter.

Anything that’s made using non-animal-derived ingredients is generally vegan-friendly. You’ll often find butter made out of ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter oil, cashew nuts and other plant oils like sunflower and rapeseed oil.

• Flora Plant Butter Spreadable Vegan Butter Alternative – Amazon
• Violife Vioblock Salted Vegan Butter Alternative – Amazon
• Flora Plant B+tter Salted Alternative to Butter – Ocado

• Flora Plant Butter Unsalted 250G – Tesco
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Original Spread – Tesco
• Flora Pro Activ Buttery Taste Spread – Tesco

• Vitalite Dairy Free Spread – Asda
• Flora Plant B+tter Salted Alternative to Butter – Asda 
• Stork Baking Spread Alternative to Butter – Asda
• Pure Dairy-Free Buttery Taste – Asda

• Stork Baking Spread Alternative to Butter 500g – Sainsbury’s
• Flora Plant B+tter Salted Alternative to Butter – Sainsbury’s
• Plant Pioneers Vegan Slightly Salted Spread – Sainsbury’s

Well, above I’ve given you some options of dairy-free butter options that are all suitable for vegans. But if I have to choose the best I’ll go with the one that tastes best on toast and that is….Mouse’s Favourite Vegan Gold you can get it on their website.

No, vegetarian butter is not vegan. And this is because it’s just regular butter, it’s made using buttermilk which vegans do not consume. Vegans don’t eat any products that come from an animal. 

So, I hope I’ve not only answered the question but also given you some options that you can easily get your hands on! 

If you’re interested in finding out what else is vegan and what’s not, maybe you’ll want to take a look at Vegan Ferrero Rocher – And Where To Get Them or Vegan Jelly UK – Where to Buy Jelly for Vegans

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Meet the Author

Meet Sinead O’Carroll: Vegan explorer, sustainability advocate and the founder of The Wondering Wandering Vegan. Embracing veganism since 2018 and vegetarianism since 2005, Sinead is armed with a Vegan Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle qualification, and is on a mission to share her passion for cruelty-free living. 

With a taste for adventure and a heart for eco-conscious choices, she’s here to prove that vegans never miss out on flavour, fun or style. Join her in enjoying the delights of a vegan-friendly world! 🌱✈️🌍
Want to know more? Check out Sinead’s About page here.

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