"The only thing I can't have is dairy!”
Ring a bell? Cast your mind back to Friends season six, and you’ll remember Rachel and her sister Jill bickering over Ross. While most viewers were preoccupied with whether Reese Witherpsoon’s character would get together with David Schwimmer’s, dairy-free onlookers were delighted because they finally felt seen.
One brief glance at the list of symptoms - bloating, diarrhoea, gas and nausea - and it’s easy to see why being dairy-free is not only frustrating but also anti-social.
Dairy products include butter, milk and cheese, so having free-from alternatives is a huge help to those who can’t process the ingredients. Until recently, dairy-free products were not considered appetising, but times are changing.
These free-from products have come on leaps and bounds in the taste department. Oat, almond, soya and cashew milk are popular picks from the supermarket shelves. The same goes for dairy-free butters, which are often formed using olive, coconut, rapeseed and sunflower oils. They can also double up as vegan products, appeasing all plant-based foodies as well as those with fussy stomachs.
Gone are the days when it was reserved only for the lactose intolerants and vegans. Nowadays, this fridge-staple product is something that all kinds of people reach for, thanks to its never-ending list of advantages over traditional butter.
What’s the difference between being dairy-free and lactose-free?
Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products. One becomes lactose intolerant when the small intestine doesn’t make enough lactase, a digestive enzyme that is essential to break the lactose down.
Being dairy-free means that your immune system overreacts to the dairy in your body. This can result in swelling, breathing problems and anaphylaxis. Dairy allergies tend to be more severe than lactose intolerances, which is not an allergy but a reaction in the gut.
In short, dairy-free means no milk or milk products while lactose-free means milk without the lactose. One is an allergy and one is an intolerance.
A brief history of dairy-free butter
Before the dawn of mainstream vegan food products, dairy-free butter thrived. Back in the 1870s, margarine was popular among those affected by food shortages. Margarine was invented by the French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés in 1869 after a food shortage prompted the French government to offer a prize to anyone who could create a cheap alternative to butter.
Margarine, the name of which draws upon the Latin word for “olive oil", is a water-fat emulsion primarily made from vegetable oils. It was hailed as an inexpensive butter alternative that was readily available.
The margarine effect quickly spread across to the USA, where it was met with health concerns. Factories began to tint the margarine yellow as the product’s white hue turned off potential consumers - and so began the alt butter’s turbulent trajectory.
Fast forward a century (and a bit) and vegan spreads have boomed in popularity. Brands enhanced the quality of their products, marking a notable shift away from poor-quality margarine that dominated the dairy-free butter scene for so long.
Why eat dairy-free butter?
If you can't or prefer not to eat dairy products, you've probably spent some time learning all the benefits of these vegan-friendly alternatives already, set in place to reel off the next time someone questions why you're skipping the buffet sandwiches or cakes. But, if you're looking into making the swap to dairy-free butter and need a few pointers, read on for a few reasons why switching this product in your weekly shop is a great move.
First things first, dairy-free butter can be used just like traditional butter in any number of recipes and cooking methods. You can spread it on toast, use it to baste meat with your favourite herbs and spices, bake pastries and more. The best dairy-free butter won't even give up your secret that you've made the switch.
And why do it? Many dairy-free butter brands are lower in saturated fat than traditional butter made from cow's milk, making them an easy swap for those counting calories or macros. It's also cholesterol-free.
And then there's the environmental benefit: Choosing dairy-free butter is also a more sustainable choice, as it requires fewer resources and has a lower environmental impact than cow's milk butter.
We've rounded up all of the best dairy-free butter to go alongside your milk alternatives and your vegan cheese.
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Naturli Vegan Block
Widely considered the best vegan butter, this Naturli Vegan Block is one of the best dairy-free kinds of butter around for fooling you into thinking you’re using your old, dairy-clad favourites still. This vegan block is made of a mix of shea butter oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil and the unusual addition of carrot juice. But don’t let that put you off: this is a dairy-free butter that’s well-loved by dairy-free-ers and dairy lovers alike.
It boasts a silky soft texture that knives glide through with ease, meaning there's no need to grapple with rock-solid butter when trying to rush out the door for work.
Buy now £2.25, Sainsbury's
Pure Dairy Free Olive Spread
As the name implies, Pure prides itself on being a brand that’s free from all types of potential irritants. This includes lactose, dairy, gluten, artificial flavours and preservatives.
Pure Dairy Free Olive Spread is an all-natural spread made from quality olives that’s perfect for anyone looking to avoid dairy in their diet. Unlike many vegan spreads, this one contains only ‘proper’ ingredients, with no artificial preservatives or additives in sight. Its light and creamy texture makes it ideal for spreading on toast, sandwiches, crackers and more. It’s also a more balanced option than many around, with a mild, nutty flavour that goes great with all kinds of dishes.
Buy now £2.15, Ocado
Vitalite Dairy Free Spread
Vitalite Dairy Free Spread is renowned for being a healthier (and, crucially, dairy-free) alternative to butter, margarine and other spreads. It’s made with 100 per cent plant oils, which means it’s free from cholesterol, trans fats and hydrogenated oils. It’s also a top choice for cooking thanks to its high smoke point. Looking for the most vitamin-packed vegan spread? This option is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and contains vitamin D.
Buy now £2.15, Ocado
Bertolli Spread with Olive Oil
We’d be amazed if you haven’t seen Bertolli’s spread before. The light-tasting, olive oil-based spread contains an impressive 69 per cent less saturated fat than butter for almost half the price. Paired with a slick of marmite on toasted sourdough, you have yourself a glorious breakfast or midnight snack.
Buy now £2.00, Waitrose
Pure Dairy Free Sunflower Spread
Not a fan of olive-based spread? Try Pure’s Dairy Free Sunflower Spread. With its combination of sunflower oil and rapeseed oil - both of which combine to give it its naturally creamy texture - it provides a top source of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. Suitable for all kinds of diets, it’s free from gluten, dairy and peanut traces as well as being Non-GMO Project verified and certified as Halal.
Buy now £2.15, Ocado
Flora Plant Butter Salted
Looking for a dairy-free alternative to bring those heavily-salted buttered toast dreams back to life? Try Flora’s Plant Butter Salted - a dairy-free butter that gives real butter a run for its money. This vegan-friendly alternative to traditional butter is ideal for baking cakes, pies and other sweet treats as well as swapping out for pretty much any other occasion when you’d usually reach for butter. It's also perfect when generously spread on nutty rye bread and submerged in soup, or used to hold sandwiches in place for office days in.
Suitable for those calorie counting or watching their macros, the butter has only 1 gram of saturated fat per 15g serving.
Buy now £2.00, Tesco
Stork Original Baking Block
You might kid yourself with margarine when it comes to buttered toast or sandwiches but, if you’re baking something where butter plays a starring role, you’ll want to ensure you’ve got a good quality dairy free substitution ready. Enter: Stork’s Original Baking Block.
A naturally dairy free product, this baking block is a popular baking essential that helps home cooks and professionals alike to create an endless stream of delicious cakes, biscuits, pastries and desserts. When used for cooking, this block leaves your dishes with golden-brown edges and a rich flavour that rivals even traditional butter desserts.
Buy now £1.50, Tesco
Biona Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spread
If you’re looking to step things up a notch in the dairy free world, you’ll want to reach for Biona Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spread. This is a spread that doesn’t hold back on the flavours thanks to the addition of organic extra virgin olive oil. This spread is also enriched with vitamin E and contains no added preservatives or artificial flavours: it’s perfect for adding an extra layer of flavour to toast, sandwiches, salads and more.
Buy now £3.80, Abel&Cole
Mouse's Favourite Vegan Gold Butter Alternative
This dairy free butter might be a little more expensive than you’d expect to pay for traditional butter. But, if only the best will do for your swaps, Mouse’s Favourite Vegan Gold Butter Alternative is the butter to go for. Made from coconut oil and sunflower oil, this dairy free butter is the perfect choice for those looking for a healthier, more ethical option when it comes to their cooking needs. And, with its golden colour and creamy texture, this dairy free butter tastes just like traditional butter - no compromising on flavour.
Buy now £5.75, Abel&Cole
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Original
We feel like the ads for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! defined our childhood. The clue’s in the name with this one, this is a delicious dairy-free spread that tastes just like butter, but without the dairy. Its smooth texture makes it perfect for spreading on toast or adding to sauces and recipes alike: a staple to keep in the fridge for whenever a butter-based recipe calls your name.
Buy now £1.60, Waitrose
Verdict
If you know your butters from your margarine, it can be tricky to find a dairy free butter that lives up to the standards you're used to. But Naturli Vegan Block might just be the closest vegan-friendly option and spreads in a similar manner, too.
