Enjoy Homemade Vegan Polenta Butter that’s oil-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free and gluten-free. Quick and easy only 4 ingredients. Spread smooth creamy vegan butter on toast, baked potatoes even on Portuguese Sweet Bread.
I reach for the butter knife as two slices of bread pop-up from the toaster. And the smell of warm toasted bread fills the air.
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Growing-up my mom baked homemade bread and Portuguese Sweet Bread. At times, I can still smell the scent of bread baking.
Anticipation grew as my siblings and I waited impatiently for the bread to finish. Before mom had time to wrap the bread in a cloth, we grabbed it away.
Piping hot, burning our hands, we pounced on it like a pack of wolves. Before you knew it half had disappeared. The butter melted as it touched the fresh baked bread.
Ooh, does it get better than that?
Homemade Vegan Polenta Butter – Oil, Nut, Dairy & Gluten Free
The Problem.
So many recipes include butter. It’s in everything. In every day cooking, baking, sauteing even as a condiment at the dinner table.
The main ingredient in “regular” butter is dairy. And it doesn’t go bad when left “forever” on the counter! Don’t even get me started on margarine, butter is the “healthier” of the two.
Spreading butter on warm bread was the norm for so long.
But since transitioning to a whole food plant-based diet, dairy hasn’t been on the menu or a part of my day to day diet.
For this girl butter has disappeared along with all the weight.
Related: Before Starting a Plant-Based Diet
This post includes affiliate links. Which means if you click and make a purchase I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. – read more on my disclosure page
And then it happened.
I came across Dr. McDougalls October 2006 newsletter. Mary McDougall published a recipe for Corn Butter. I tried the corn butter, but for me something was missing.
About the same time, I discovered a new savory whole food grain called Polenta (Corn Grits). A coarsely ground cornmeal with a yellowish color.
The yellowish color reminded me of butter.
So with Mary’s recipe as a guide, I substituted Polenta for cornmeal and created Vegan Polenta Butter.
Now butter is back on the dinner table! ….One of these days Portuguese Sweet Bread will be too!
Gluten-Free Vegan Polenta Butter
Grind Polenta into flour
Bring saucepan to a boil. Once ingredients start to boil reduce heat to low. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes.
Add all the ingredients and blend in a high-speed blender. Remember it will be hot. (There are two High-Speed Blenders I recommend: Blendtec or Vitamix. I used a refurbished Blendtec with the four side jar)
Easy Homemade Vegan Polenta Butter
- ½ cup polenta
- 2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, optional but recommended
- 1 or 2 teaspoon lemon juice (depending on your taste)
- Grind polenta on high in a high-speed blender or coffee grinder. Grind/blend into a fine powder.
- In a cool saucepan add ground polenta
- With a whisk slowly add cold water to the ground polenta. Stir until all lumps are gone.
- Bring saucepan to a boil. Once ingredients start to boil reduce heat to low. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes. Be careful while stirring, as the polenta will bubble up while cooking.
- Remove pan from the heat after cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, lemon and polenta mixture in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Be careful as ingredients will be hot.
- Let cool and refrigerate.
Ideas For Polenta Butter:
Toasted Bread
Add to Mashed Potatoes
Add to pasta
Baked Potatoes
Pancakes
Corn on the cob
Related: Baked Potatoes Cooked in the Crock-Pot
WHAT’S NEXT?
- Pin the Recipe for later, of course!
- Click the Like button below and share with a friend, if you enjoy this recipe!
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
What items have you given up but miss at times? Let’s chat in the comments below!
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This looks interesting! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Please let me know what you think when you try it.
I love this recipe! Protective Diet member.
I’m so glad you like it!
Hi Maria! This sounds delightful, I can’t wait to give it a try. I love the versatility of cooking with polenta and knowing it can serve yet another purpose is exciting! I was just wondering, how long will this keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Ashley,
I’ve keep my leftover about 5 days before. Make sure to not cross contaminate your spoon or lick the spoon then dip it back in. That will make it last less time.
Look forward to hearing how it went.
Thanks!
Can you use this as a replacement to oil/butter in recipes?
I have not tried is as a replacement in a recipe yet. I plan on testing it out on air popped popcorn.
Thank you Maria,
I made this today and look forward to trying it out on various items.
I used about 1.5 tsp of lemon juice and will probably use only 1 tsp. next time. I also added 1 tsp. of nutritional yeast. It would make a great sauce over steamed vegetables!
Nicole,
Thanks for trying it out. I will try adding the NY next time. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Maria, tried your Polenta Butter and it’s delicious! It’s like the real thing but so much better for us. I love this way of eating and now I have one daughter and a granddaughter that is eating this way too. I gave them your recipe for your Polenta butter and they are anxious to try it. Love it on my toast in the morning, and on other things as well. Thanks Maria
Louise,
I’m so happy you like the Polenta Butter! It’s amazing how many wonderful things we can eat. I’m excited that your daughter and granddaughter are eating plant based! You are all going to be healthy together.
Thanks you for your review!
Great recipe thank you. I added a shake (or two!) of nutritional yeast which helped it immensely. Don’t know if anyone has tried the cauliflower/plant milk/psyllium husk “butter” recipe, but this polenta one is much nicer than that. Huge congratulations on your major “then and now” transformation too! I can’t believe how easy it has been for my husband and I to embrace the WFPB regime – it is such a wonderful way to live and eat. We too have had incredible weight loss and enjoy feeling so well.
Thanks Christine!
I need to try adding NY. I haven’t heard about the cauliflower “butter” before.
Congratulations on you and your husband going WFPBD! That’s wonderful!
It’s been an enjoyable journey. I’m glad I gave WFPBD a try.
Hi Maria!
I’m pretty sure the cauliflower butter Christine is talking about is Anja’s recipe for Oil-Free Vegan Butter. Her website and YouTube channel is Cooking with plants. I literally just made it a few minutes ago. I leave out the psyllium husk so I can use it for more than a cold spread. I have comments on her website on the various ways I have used it. After Christine’s comment; I may be giving your recipe a try the next time ?
Hi Becky,
I will have to check out Anja’s recipe. Let me know what you think about the Polenta Butter.
Hi!
Curious to know if the pre packaged polenta I’ve seen in the tubes would work just as well as the dry polenta.
As a mother of a toddler I don’t have much time on my hands but would lo e to try whipping this up someday. It looks super tasty and I’m sure the kiddo would love it too.
Violet,
I’ve never tried the pre-packaged polenta. I don’t know how that would turn out.
I would recommend using the whole grain polenta. When cooking the polenta you would be fine stepping away from the stove for a few minutes. just lower the temperature a little.
Does it melt when cooked? I want a whole food butter substitute I can use in the middle of cinnamon rolls. 🙂
Hi Christian,
When it’s first made it’s creamy and soft. And thickens when it cools then thins out when it’s warmed up again.
I would love to hear how it turns out in your cinnamon rolls.
Could this be used on popcorn? Air popped?
Hi,
So far I have not been successful in putting it on popcorn.
I’ve tried the cauliflower and physilliun husk recipe and whilst I love cauliflower, I thought it was gross but this, this one right here is gold. I omitted the lemon juice and I added salt to taste but it was perfect. The consistency, I thought, if it melts down again when reheated, would be great for doing a ‘cheese’ recipe to be melted on toasted. But anyways, this was delicious and perfect. Sick of all the vegan foods being so unhealthy, out there! Thank you!
Hi Alicia,
I’m glad you liked it.
Would cornmeal work instead of polenta?
No, It doesn’t turn out the same as using Polenta.
I’m making my second batch! I’ve enjoyed this on toast. The only alteration is that I added a single tablespoon of earth balance vegan butter. Perfection! I’ll be trying this on potatoes tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Ginger,
I’m glad you liked it. What the reason for adding the earth balance vegan butter?
I’m allergic to corn, so I tried your recipe with millet, and a bit of turmeric for color. It was fantastic!
Hi Laura,
That’s an interesting combination. I will have to give it a try!
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Laura,
That’s interesting. I will give it a try.
Kia ora Maria.
I’ve just whipped this up, popped it in the fridge, and will try it in the morning on my toasted home made bread. Can’t wait.
Since going WFPB four months ago, I have to say I do miss butter. So thank you.
Out of interest, do you think this night work with couscous?
Cheers
Jeannie
I hope you liked it. I’ve added it to couscous and it was fine.
Looks great! Does it work in brownies, cookies, and other baked goods?
Maria, this looks amazing, I’m going to try. What is the yield, please, and can it be frozen?
I made this recipe this morning and am enjoying it on toasted sourdough bread. I can’t believe how close this is to the real thing! Moreover, I can’t believe it’s actually good for me! I used 1 and 1/8th tsp of each lemon juice and salt. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you like it.
Wonder if you could use masa flour instead of having to do the grinding to flour part?
When I’ve tried other flours it hasn’t come out the same.
Yum! Just tried this and it was super smooth after the blendtec. I did add a bit of turmeric and garlic powder made the salt on the higher side of range. And boom, a great tasting spread.
Thank you for giving it a trying. I’m glad you like it.
Has anyone used this for baking? My nephew has FPIES, leaving an EXTREMELY limited number of foods that he can eat. He loves the polenta butter, just curious if anyone has had luck with using it as a substitute for butter in baking or other cooking, rather than just a spread. Thank you so much for sharing this game-changing recipe!!!
I’m glad you like it. I haven’t tried it in baking item.
Hi Maria,
I just made your Grits Butter. It is so delicious!! I did not expect it to be that good.
Thank you for the FREE Printables , it is exactly what I needed to be more accountable.
I have been trying to stay WFPB, but after a week or so, I fall back to the old way of eating.
I have made some great meals and am so happy I found your website.
Your transformation is very inspiring. I hope I can stick with this lifestyle!
Hi Anke,
I’m glad you enjoyed the Butter and the free printables.
Just keep going. Look at what happened that made you fall back to your old ways and what you can to to avoid that fall back. Don’t look at it as a negative but as a learning process.
Any movement forward is something to celebrate.
Enjoy the Journey!
Hi Anke,
I’m glad you like the Butter and the free printables.
Keep going you are doing great. Don’t look at the fall back as a failure but a learning experience. Review what happened and what you can do to avoid it the next time. Movement forward each day is key.
Enjoy the Journey!
What do you use to grind the polenta?
Hi Candice,
I use a blendtec but a vitamix is also considered a high speed bender. You could use a regular blender but I’m not sure how smooth the butter would be.
Wow, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Is it possible to store the polenta butter in the freezer and thaw later? Or will freezing ruin it?
I haven’t had the greatest luck with freezing.
Maria,
We just made your recipe and as we had tried others before we found yours we were not expecting it to taste very good. What a surprise. I can actually eat this. This is the recipe for vegan butter that we have found anywhere. I like my food on the spicy side so I may need to add a little ‘kick’ to the recipe. Thank you for the great recipe and I hope you are staying safe where ever you are.
Thank you, that means a lot. Let me know what you end up adding to the recipe to give it some ‘kick’.
I tried it, I loved it, I passed it on!!!
I’m glad you liked it.