The answer to whether butter is dairy free depends on how it’s made. Butter can be made with cow’s milk or a combination of cow’s milk and cream. The butter’s fat ratio to water depends on the type of milk used, with whole milk producing a higher fat ratio than low-fat or skim milk.
The most common non-dairy alternatives for butter include coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), palm oil, and margarine. Butter substitutes are typically available in sticks or tubs at grocery stores and health food stores, but some can also be found in a powdered form online.
Can You Eat Butter If You Are Dairy-Free?
Butter is made from cream and is a dairy product. If you are following a dairy-free diet, butter should not be included in your food choices. The same is true for any other fat derived from milk products.
Butter Ingredients
It consists of butterfat, milk proteins, and water. These ingredients are found in all types of butter, salted or unsalted. The only difference between salted and unsalted butter is that salt is added to the latter type.
Butterfat
The fat content can range from 80% to 90%. Butterfat gives butter its creamy texture and makes it spreadable at room temperature. It also contributes to the flavor of butter by delivering flavor compounds from the grass cows eat during the grazing season.
How Much Dairy Is In Butter?
Butter contains
Butter contains fat (lipids), which makes it more energy-rich than other dairy products.
| Milk fat | 80% |
| Water | 16% |
| Salt | 1.5 – 2 % |
| Other Milk Solids | 2% |
The fat in butter
| Saturated | 67% |
| Monounsaturated | 29% |
| Polyunsaturated | 4% |
| Butterfat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) protects against cancer. |
What Are The Main Ingredients Of Dairy-Free Butter?
The main ingredients in dairy-free butter are:
Vegetable oils, including coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil. These oils are solid at room temperature but can be turned into a liquid state by melting them.
Buttermilk powder is the dried extract from cultured buttermilk and provides a creamy taste and texture to the spread.
Gelatin or pectin is used to make the spread thicker and creamier.
Natural flavorings may also be added to give the spread its distinctive taste and aroma.
Peanut: Peanut butter contains about 90% fat content and has a smooth consistency similar to real butter. It’s also cholesterol free!
Avocado Oil: Avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), considered heart-healthy oil. It also has a neutral taste, so it pairs well with other flavors like cinnamon or vanilla bean powder.
Forms Of Butter
Butter is sold in several different forms:
Whole Butter
Whole butter is also known as unsalted butter because it contains no salt. It can be stored at room temperature for up to six months without spoiling.
Salted Butter
This butter contains added salt for flavor enhancement and preservation. Salt helps maintain the moisture content of the product at a higher level than unsalted versions. Salted versions are also more expensive because of this extra ingredient. If you want to check its nutritional fact, click here.
Lightly Salted Butter
A light-salted version contains less salt than regular salted butter but still has a noticeable taste of saltiness due to its high moisture content. This butter type is commonly used in restaurants or bakeries because it has a longer shelf life than unsalted varieties, which need refrigeration once opened.
Is Butter Vegan?
Butter is made from cream — a byproduct of the cheese-making process — which means it’s not vegan-friendly. The only way to make vegan butter would be to extract the milk fat from soybeans or other non-dairy sources, then emulsify it with water or salt.
Butter is very low in Lactose
Butter is a dairy product derived from cream. Butter is very low in Lactose, so it’s safe for those who are Lactose intolerant. Butter contains only trace amounts of Lactose, the sugar in milk. Some people may find that they need to avoid eating dairy products because they experience gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, flatulence or diarrhea after consuming them. In this case, butter might be an option for those who still want to enjoy recipes that call for butter as an ingredient.
Dairy-Free Butter Brands For Lactose Intolerant, Vegan, And Milk Allergens
Lactose-Free
- Califia Farms Plant Butter
- Country Crock Plant Butter
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spread with Coconut Oil
Vegan
- I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spread – It’s Vegan!
Milk Allergens
- Earth Balance Buttery Spread and Sticks
- Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread
Which Are The Best Dairy-Free Butter?
There are a lot of plant-based butter options on the market today.
- Forager Dairy-free Buttery Spread
- Melt Organic Buttery Spread and Sticks
- Milkadamia Buttery Spread
Which Butter Spreads Are Dairy-Free?
- Flora Light Spread
- Flora Plant Butter Spreadable
- Vitalite Dairy Free Spread
- Stork Original Baking Block
- Pure Sunflower
- Flora Pro Activ Light Spread
- Pure Dairy Free Buttery Spread
- Flora Plant Butter Salted
Dairy-Free Butter Substitutes
The most common non-dairy alternatives for butter include coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), palm oil, and margarine. Butter substitutes are typically available in sticks or tubs at grocery stores and health food stores, but some can also be found in a powdered form online.
Vegan butter substitutes include coconut oil, and vegan margarine spreads like Earth Balance Buttery Spread and Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread. Many people who follow a plant-based diet prefer these products because they contain no animal products whatsoever.
Which Butter Is Dairy-Free And Which Is Not? – We Have Enlisted All
Peanut Butter
Yes, Peanut butter is dairy-free. Peanut butter is made from ground peanuts mixed with a small amount of vegetable oil. The fat in peanut butter comes mostly from peanut oil, but some brands may use coconut oil instead due to its high saturated fat content. Peanut butter is naturally lactose-free and can be used as a substitute for regular peanut butter if you are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts.
Cocoa Butter
Yes, Cocoa butter is dairy-free. Cocoa butter comes from cocoa beans roasted and crushed into chocolate liquor paste. Cocoa butter contains no protein or carbohydrates and has little flavor, so it doesn’t affect the taste of chocolate candies or baked goods containing cocoa powder or chocolate chips (which also contain cocoa solids).
Ghee Butter
No, Ghee is not a dairy-free product but completely lactose-free. All milk solids were removed while processing and heating on a low flame.
Butter Chicken
No, Butter chicken is not dairy-free; using coconut cream or cashew cream as an alternative to dairy products in this recipe, you can easily make butter chicken without any dairy products. This makes it possible for people who have lactose intolerance or are vegan to enjoy this delicious meal without compromising taste!
Clarified Butter
Yes, Clarified Butter is a dairy-free butter with 18 months without freezing support shelving. It is a by-product of Butter making process, which removes all water and milk solids from Butter to make it more stable and easy to work with.
Aldi Butter
No, Aldi Butter isn’t dairy free, which means that if you’re lactose intolerant or have an allergy to cow’s milk, you should avoid eating this product. This can be difficult for people who don’t like alternative milk like soy or almond because those products tend to be expensive and hard to find in grocery stores.
Earth Balance Butter
Yes, Earth Balance butter is dairy-free. The only difference between types is the amount of salt added by the manufacturer. You can find non-dairy butter in stores or online. Vegan butter is made with soybean oil instead of animal fat. Earth Balance butter is made with natural oils like palm fruit, canola, soybean, flax, olive oil, filtered water, pea protein, and sunflower lecithin. It also contains a natural flavor from corn (no msg, no alcohol). It contains no gluten or lactose but has soybeans, so those who are allergic should avoid it.
Margarine Butter
Yes, Margarine butter is dairy-free. Originally, margarine was made from animal fats, but today, margarine comes in varieties. Such as soybean oil, canola oil, and palm kernel oil. The level of hydrogenated fats (trans fat) varies greatly between brands of margarine and even within brands depending on what type of plant oils were used to make them.
Margarine can substitute for butter or other spreads, such as peanut butter or jelly on toast or bagels. It can also be used in cooking and baking recipes that call for shortening or vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening because it has similar properties to both of these products when heated up (e.g., frying).
Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter with Cashews
The Artisana Organic Walnut Butter is made with raw walnuts and cashews without added salt, sugar, or other additives. The nuts are slow-roasted for 24 hours to ensure the perfect consistency and flavor. This butter is perfect for anyone who wants a healthier alternative to peanut butter, which can be high in saturated fat and calories.
Bottom Line
Butter is a dairy product. It’s made from milk and contains significant amounts of protein and sugar. But you shouldn’t be disappointed if you are dairy-free because various substitutes and dairy-free butter options are available in the market, such as vegetable oil butter, avocado butter, peanut butter, Buttermilk powder butter, cocoa butter, Clarified butter, and Earth Balance butter. If you’re lactose-intolerant or have a dairy allergy, it makes the most sense to use dairy-free options.