Vegan Herb Butter

An easy homemade vegan herb butter (a.k.a. compound butter) made with fresh ingredients like thyme, parsley, tarragon, shallots, and lemon zest. It is a delicious addition to pasta, potatoes, toast vegetables, you name it!

Vegan herb butter is a super easy way to make your next meal or hors d’oeuvres extra fancy! I mean, butter is already delicious to begin with, right?! But taking the next step and making a compound butter will elevate whatever you use the butter with (and also impress your friends and family!).

You definitely won’t regret whipping up this easy vegan herb butter (aka compound butter) made with thyme, parsley, tarragon, shallots, and lemon zest. In no time, you’ll have a rich and flavorful addition for pasta, potatoes, toast, vegetables, you name it!

What is Compund Butter?

But what exactly is compound butter, you ask? Compound butter refers to butter that has been mixed with other ingredients, generally to enhance flavor and/or texture. Common ingredients added are herbs, spices, and aromatic liquids such as lemon juice, white wine, or vinegar.

Vegan Herb Butter Ingredients

You might already have many of these ingredients ready to go in your pantry!

• Vegan butter – Vegan butter has come a long way since I went vegan in 2015! For this recipe, it’s best if you find a vegan butter in stick form. Luckily, there are several brands that offer this now, including Miyoko’s and Earth Balance. There’s also Country Crock plant butter, which I’d recommend only if you can’t find the others as it contains palm oil. 
• Shallots/garlic – Shallots, or garlic if you substitute, are alliums. Allium vegetables are rich in organosulfur compounds, which research shows may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure!
• Thyme – Thyme contains vitamins A and C, as well as copper, fiber, iron, and manganese.
• Tarragon – Tarragon contains manganese, iron, and potassium.
• Parsley – Parsley is rich in vitamins A, C, K (547% daily value!), and folate. 
• Lemon zest – Did you know the lemon peel packs a good deal of fiber and vitamin C? More reason to zest it up! 
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper – We need a certain degree of sodium in our bodies, particularly after sweating. And black pepper is anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants! Fresh cracked is best because it’s more aromatic and thus more flavorful.

Why this Recipe will be Your New Go-To Butter

This recipe will be your new go-to butter because it’s so easy, so tasty, more nutritious, and incredibly versatile! 

• It’s easy – This recipe, in essence, consists of combining butter and herbs. The little trouble it takes to whip it up (pun fully intended) is completely worth it!
• It’s nutritious – Just see the benefits listed above! Herbs and spices are not only amazing in terms of flavor, aroma, and color, but they also offer a great deal of health benefits. In general, spices and herbs contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumorigenic, anticarcinogenic, and glucose- and cholesterol-lowering properties.  
• It’s versatile – This butter goes so well with so many foods! My personal favorites include using it to top potatoes and roasted vegetables. Yum! 

How to Make Vegan Compound Butter?

1. Mash room temperature butter down in a medium bowl. Add all of the ingredients, and mix until well combined.
2. Place butter in plastic wrap and form into a log about 1 inch around. Wrap completely in the plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to firm up (about 1 hour).
3. Enjoy on pasta, potatoes, toast vegetables, you name it!

Recipe FAQ

What is herb butter good on?
Herb butter is amazing anytime you would use regular butter for something savory—try it on toast, pasta, potatoes, veggies, really anything you like! I personally have tried this butter on top of my pumpkin pasta, and WOW!

How long does the butter keep?
The butter should keep in your fridge just as well as the butter that you use for the base.

Is this herb butter customizable?
Yes! Simply swap in your favorite herbs or tailor it to a specific recipe. You could also get really creative and make a sweet compound butter with maple (or agave) and cinnamon or sage. Some delicious additions would be minced garlic, chives, fresh basil, cilantro, lime zest, sun-dried tomatoes, or paprika.

What’s the best vegan butter to use?
It’s really up to you! Some have different health and flavor profiles that may appeal to you. I personally enjoy Miyoko’s butter, and Earth Balance and Melt are widely available. I would just encourage you to try to avoid palm oil when possible, as many animals and their habitats are harmed by palm oil production.

Let me know if you try out this recipe for vegan herb butter, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.

Find More Vegan Recipes Below:

• 5-Minute Garlic Aioli
• Nut-Free Pesto
• Mango Ginger Jam
• Stuffed Fried Olives
• Pumpkin Pasta
• Pumpkin Soup
• Beyond Beef Shepherd's Pie
• Creamy Broccoli Leek Soup
• Beyond Sausage Paella
• Grilled Tofu Burgers
• Lemon Orzo Soup
• Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Baked Apple Oatmeal
• Apple Pancakes
• Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
• Classic Pierogies

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