Plant-based Butter (Oil Recipe)

This is my original plant-based butter recipe. There is no dairy cream; so some will argue it can’t be butter, but is margarine. It is made from cold-pressed avocado oil and REFINED coconut oil, which I will discuss later in this post.

Before I get into nutrition, let’s talk about butter. There are a number of references to butter in the Bible. Butter is mentioned in the KJV Bible 11 times and is paired mainly with three things in these verses: 1) Milk, 2) Honey, and 3) Oil. The use of butter with milk or honey occur about four times each, while butter is only mentioned with oil twice. Isaiah 7:15 KJV states, “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” I loved this verse because anyone who has ever eaten buttered bread with honey knows how tasty this combination is. However, the plant-based diet excludes butter as it is made from dairy cream. As we long to get away from everything animal-based and closer to a plant-based lifestyle as given by God in Genesis (See Genesis 1:29; 3:18), we remove dairy from our diet. Not only that, but Hosea 4:3 says that in the last days the beast will languish–this means become diseased. Therefore, it will be unsafe to eat these foods.

I often praise the Lord for foods that serve as healthy substitutes to everything that will cause our bodies harm. We will not eat these in large quantities, as fats are not to be consumed in large quantities, but moderately. This recipe can be used just as you use butter. At times, I stretch it when sautéeing by adding water or broth. If I need more fat, I’ll add more avocado oil. There is no such thing as a fat-free butter, though many people are asking for this. I have a recipe for a coconut cream butter, which does have a hint of coconut flavor, but there is fat. The fat-free butters online that I’ve seen online and made from cauliflower and corn, can only be used as spreads, but to truly flavor as butter, fat must be present (as in the fat naturally in the nut, avocado, or coconut).

Now, I really like this recipe. I generally do not touch refined oils; however, I make it with cold-pressed avocado oil and Nutiva refined coconut oil (See FAQ section on the Nutiva site), which is the only refined coconut oil I know that is processed with steam, not chemically processed. Refined coconut oil does well in high heat. You may use virgin coconut oil as well, but it will have a slight a coconut taste. If you’re like me, and rather not have a coconut taste, then you may use Nutiva’s refined version too. I love the Nutiva brand for both virgin and refined coconut oil. I check back periodically to be sure they haven’t changed their processing for the increase of the almighty dollar. If they do, I’ll update this post. At this present time, I only use them in my kitchen for coconut oil. Because I highly recommend them, I must say that I am not getting ANY MONEY for recommending them. I just love the pureness of the brand.

I will also state here that if the oil is not cold-pressed, I try my best not to use it, but I do use expeller-pressed oils at times. I love the avocado oil for this recipe is cold-pressed and naturally compatible with high heat. Avocado oil may be used up to a 500 degree smoke point, while the smoke point  for REFINED coconut oil is generally about 450 degrees. Whenever you use oils, you may want to research the heat tolerance of the oil before it loses its potency for health (See this article on why ‘Smoke Point’ Matters).

Now, there are many debates regarding finding pure Vitamin C powder. I support the NOW brand at present.  They explain what’s in the NOW brand Vitamin C crytsals on their site. I pray you research your food for yourself. I use an itsy-bitsy amount of this in the below recipe to provide the sharpness that is generally missing without vinegar. A little bit of the skin off of a peeled lemon works too, but more trial and error. Start with just a very little bit, blend, taste, repeat! Less is more, don’t overdo it.

I do pray that you will try this version, which has been updated several times over the years. I was never quite happy until this experiment. I used to use buttermilk instead of pure alkaline water, but I’ve found that this is the BEST recipe. I also love the addition of the maple syrup. It is not sweet, but just right to me. You’ll end up with about two cups of butter.

Now, without further ado, enjoy the recipe!

Plant-based Butter (Oil-based)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup boiling pure water
• 2 Tablespoons NOW Sunflower Lecithin Pure Powder
• 1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon organic maple syrup 
• 1/16 teaspoon (a pinch) turmeric powder
• A speckle (a flick of your finger) vitamin C powder (a little goes a long way, optional but recommended, a little skin off a lemon works too)
• 1/16 teaspoon konjac root pure powder or 1/2 teaspoon psyllium husks powder (optional helps it spread better)
• ¼ cup cold-pressed avocado oil
• ¾ cup REFINED Nutiva-brand Organic Coconut Oil, room temp (Can use unrefined but more coconut taste)

Instructions:

1. Place lecithin in blender with the water, then add the rest of the ingredients, except oil, and blend until smooth.
2. Next, measure out three-fourth’s cup of room temperature coconut oil (which should be about one cup melted) and place in blender along with avocado oil. Blend until oils are well-combined. The mixture should be runny and may have tiny bubbles at top. It will taste like melted butter.
3. Pour into butter mold or a covered container, and refrigerate until hard. For best results, refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hours. Makes about a pint of butter.