Veganism is a dietary lifestyle where people do not consume animal products. Vegan butter is a dairy-free alternative to butter made from vegetable oils and fermented juices. It can be used in most recipes but may not add the same rich flavor as butter.
Veganism is a dietary lifestyle choice in which a person chooses not to consume products derived from animals remotely. A person who practices veganism is referred to as a vegan and does not eat meat, poultry, fish, dairy products or other products derived from an animal. It’s similar to vegetarianism, where people don’t eat meat, but vegetarians are typically not as restrictive as vegans and can eat dairy products. Many baking staples contain animal byproducts, so vegans may need to purchase alternatives to maintain their diet. For a dairy-free alternative to butter for cooking, baking, or as a condiment, vegans can substitute vegan butter, a product that is processed to mimic the taste and texture of butter.
Authentic butter is made from cows’ milk. The thickest part of the milk, typically referred to as heavy cream, is placed in a tall container and vigorously churned until the cream thickens, in a process known as churning. Butter adds a rich flavor to baked dishes and can also be a main part of controlling the texture of baked goods.
Cakes generally rely on a combination of butter and sugar to add a light, fluffy texture to the finished product. When butter and sugar are mixed together in a process known as creaming, it allows air to penetrate the mixture, keeping the cakes from being too dense or flaky. Butter also keeps cookies from spreading too much as they bake and becoming overly crunchy, as well as adding a light texture to cookies and some breads. Vegan butter is designed to work the same way as dairy-based butter, but using only vegan-based ingredients.
The exact ingredients may vary by manufacturer, but generally vegan butter uses vegetable oils as a base. Most butter will generally be made from a combination of plant-based oils, such as canola, olive, or soybean oils. To mimic the naturally occurring acids, known as lactic acids, found in dairy products, corn or beetroot juices can be extracted and allowed to ferment. These fermented juices produce acid that has a consistency similar to the lactic acids in milk. When corn or beet based acids are added to vegetable based oils, it can produce a semi-solid texture that can be substituted for real butter.
Vegan butter can generally be used in place of butter in most baking and cooking recipes, but can have effects on the final taste and textures of the recipes. It may not add the same rich flavor as butter, and it may also not be as useful in leavening cakes, cookies, and biscuits as butter. Using the substitute as a spread, topping or as a frying fat can generally be more successful than in baked goods.
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