When I originally developed my first Vegan Butter recipe I had no idea it would be helpful to so many bakers. I just wanted something that was truly homemade where I had full control of the production process so I could introduce variations to tailor the vegan butter to the application I was working on. Other advantages were that it didn't need to rely on palm oil, which much of the commercial vegan butter industry utilizes, which is linked to rainforest destruction, as well as placing Sumatra orangutans in perilous danger.
The original Vegan Butter recipe uses refined coconut oil for a base, but what happens if there begins to be environmental issues with that type of oil? What if it's difficult to find coconut oil in your area? What if you recently had a dumptruck empty 3500 pounds of deodorized cocoa butter in your driveway and you're wondering what to do with it? I don't know which one of these issues led to this, but soon after posting the first Vegan Butter recipe, people started inquiring how to make it using cocoa butter instead of coconut oil.
So, by popular demand, here is the recipe for Regular Vegan Butter - Cocoa Butter Base. Due to the difficulty of melting cocoa butter, the process of making this variation of Vegan Butter is different which is why I decided to post it on its own recipe page. Just like coconut oil, cocoa butter comes in both regular and deodorized, also known as refined versions, where they run it through an activated charcoal filter to remove its chocolatey flavors. This results in a wonderfully versatile solid fat that's extremely useful for a variety of uses. Looking to take advantage of the chocolate flavor of regular, unrefined cocoa butter? Then check out White Chocolate Vegan Butter.
When making these vegan butters it's highly recommended that you use a silicone mold like the Tovolo King Cube Extra Large Silicone Ice Cube Tray. This will allow you to make gorgeous butter cubes that can easily be slid out of the molds.
Learn more about the food science behind Vegan Butter.
Regular Vegan Butter Recipe - Cocoa Butter Base
¼ cup + 2 teaspoons soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (100 grams) refined (deodorized) cocoa butter, melted
¼ cup canola oil, safflower oil or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon liquid soy lecithin -or- liquid sunflower lecithin -or- 2 ¼ teaspoons soy lecithin granules
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1) Curdle your soy milk
Place the soy milk, apple cider 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 cocoa butter in a small saucepan over low heat so it's barely melted and as close to room temperature as possible. You can also use a microwave but the melting is considerably faster using the saucepan melting method. Measure it and add it and the canola oil to a food processor. 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 cocoa butter 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
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. Pour the mixture into a mold and place it in the freezer to solidify. An ice cube mold works well. The vegan butter should be ready to use in about an hour. Store it 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. This recipe makes 1 cup (215 grams), or the equivalent of 2 sticks Regular Vegan Butter - Cocoa Butter Base.
For more vegan butter recipes check out the Vegan Butter section.
Get a price on the Liquid Soy Lecithin I Recommend at Amazon.
