I never ate much butter as a kid. I grew up in the 1990s, the low-fat decade, and the only fat source my mom allowed in our kitchen was a drizzle of olive oil when absolutely necessary. We had one vintage butter dish that would surface only when we had corn on the cob. So when I became a vegan ten years ago, I desperately missed yogurt, cream cheese, and just about any baked good, but never really butter. And it’s a good thing, because the plant-based alternatives have always skewed more toward “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” than Bordier. Then I tried Miyoko’s.
My gateway was the brand’s vegan cheese (their mozzarella is pretty uncanny), but I didn’t fall in love until I found the cultured butter at Whole Foods. Looking at the label, I liked that it didn’t have any weird colorants, gums or “flavors.” It was just a blend of coconut and sunflower oils, cashews, salt, and cultures. I threw it in my cart.
First I added a pat to a perfectly roasted sweet potato. Then I used it to coat steamed broccoli. I slathered it on a slice of Fitness Bread. I sautéed mushrooms in it, then I went full-on fancy chef and browned it to top a shaved celeriac salad. The butter was going on/in/with everything, and I couldn’t get enough. EVOO and I went on hiatus.
I found that Miyoko’s works brilliantly with sweet foods, too, like on top of stacks of pancakes and inside homemade morning buns. I even use it to make a vegan buttercream, and it gives the frosting a slightly savory, cultured tang. Perhaps my favorite thing about Miyoko’s is that it doesn’t require a trip to a specialty grocer; you can get it at Trader Joe’s, Target, or online.
It’s funny that I had to go vegan to discover a butter that I loved. My next move is to get my mom to try it, and I bet it will find its way onto her next slice of toast. Maybe she’ll even give it a home in that vintage butter dish.
Buy it: Miyoko's European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, $6.
All products featured on Healthyish are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.