The Vegan Good Life Homemade Spreadable Butter

We’ve all heard that water and oil don’t mix, but that’s exactly what buttery spreads are. The key to combining the two is usually an emulsifier, lecithin. Here, we substitute aquafaba, the starchy water from a can of chickpeas, as a more accessible emulsifier, albeit weaker than lecithin itself. No worries, though the key to making this whip into creamy, buttery goodness is all about process and temperature of the ingredients. If you don’t have a thermometer, no problem – the process can fix it all even if the mixture doesn’t emulsify immediately.

6 tablespoons nondairy milk, unsweetened, cold from the fridge
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cups refined coconut oil, melted (weigh), around 80 degrees F (26 degrees C)
¾ cup liquid oil of choice, cold (freeze for a couple of hours prior to using)
¼ cup aquafaba (chickpea water), cold from the fridge
½ to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Mix the milk with the vinegar and let sit for two to three minutes to acidify and thicken. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until emulsified, creamy, and thick. If it doesn’t come together, no need to fret; just pour it into a dish and put it into the freezer for about an hour. When it starts to solidify around the edges, pour it back in the blender and reprocess. It should emulsify then.

Pour the mixture into a storage container and store in the refrigerator. This keeps for 3 to 4 weeks and can be used for toast, cooking, and some baking (works for cakes, muffins, and some cookies; not as great for flaky pastries as the water content is too high).