A firm block of emulsified plant oils built to butter's approximate 75-80% fat content, intended for baking rather than spreading.
What it does in a recipe: A dairy-free solid fat that creams, laminates and melts closely enough to butter to be used cup for cup. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Plant butter, Dairy-free butter block, Vegan baking block
4substitutes
1close matches
Fats & oilscategory
Quick answer
Butter
1 cup vegan butter block = 1 cup butter
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace vegan butter block
Butter
Closest match
1 cup vegan butter block = 1 cup butter
The vegan block is engineered to match butter's fat and water proportions, so the exchange runs cleanly in either direction.
Trade-offBrowns better thanks to milk solids and holds its shape a little longer in a hot oven. Obviously not vegan or dairy-free.
Allergen checkThis reverses the entire point of a vegan block: butter is dairy. Only reach for it if the block was chosen for taste or availability, never where a milk allergy or a vegan diet is the reason.
Refined coconut oil
Reliable
1 cup vegan butter block = 1 cup refined coconut oil, chilled until firm
Solid at room temperature and close to pure fat, so it cuts into flour and sets up much as the block does.
MethodChill it to the firmness of cold butter before cutting it into flour, and add a pinch of salt per cup to make up for the seasoning most blocks carry.
Trade-offNo water means no steam lift, so pastry is short rather than flaky and cookies spread less. It also sets harder once cool, giving a more brittle bite.
Allergen checkCoconut is classified as a tree nut for US labelling, so this is not a nut-free swap in practice. Check the jar for shared-line statements, and let a clinician rule on a diagnosed coconut or tree-nut allergy.
Shortening
Reliable
1 cup vegan butter block = 7/8 cup shortening (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)
Shortening is close to 100% fat while the block is around 80%, so slightly less matches the fat the recipe expects.
MethodAdd 2 tbsp of plant milk or water per cup in a cake, to replace the moisture the block would have contributed.
Trade-offCompletely neutral in flavour and unsalted, so season accordingly. Cookies stay taller and cakier without the water to encourage spread.
Allergen checkMost shortenings are built on palm and soybean oils, so this is not automatically soy-free even though it avoids coconut and nuts. Read the ingredient panel, and confirm a severe soy allergy with the manufacturer.
Neutral oil
Reliable
1 cup melted vegan butter block = 7/8 cup neutral oil (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)
Oil is pure fat against the block's roughly 80%, so a slightly smaller volume delivers the same fat to the batter.
MethodOnly in recipes that melt the fat or stir the batter together. Anything creamed needs a solid fat to hold air, and oil cannot do that.
Trade-offMoister crumb that keeps better, but no browning at the edges and no structure for a creamed cake. Add 1/4 tsp salt per cup to compensate for the unsalted swap.
Tub-style vegan spreads carry far more water than baking blocks and will slacken doughs and flatten cookies. Buy the firm block, and check the fat percentage on the wrapper if the packaging is ambiguous.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.