Vegan Herb Compound Butter

Fresh herbs have a way of making even the simplest foods feel special, and this Vegan Herb Compound Butter is one of those little kitchen luxuries that's surprisingly easy to make. Creamy, rich, and bursting with the flavors of fresh parsley, thyme, garlic, and shallot, it's the kind of staple you'll find yourself reaching for all season long.

This recipe begins with the brilliant homemade vegan butter technique developed by Miyoko Schinner, whose plant-based butter recipe has become a favorite among home cooks for its smooth texture and buttery flavor. Once the butter has chilled and set, it's transformed into a flavorful compound butter by folding in fragrant herbs, aromatics, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Keep a log of this herb butter in your refrigerator and you'll instantly elevate everything from warm sourdough and grilled corn to roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, pasta, and baked potatoes. It's equally at home on a holiday table, tucked into a picnic basket, or served alongside a summer barbecue. Because it freezes beautifully, you can make a batch whenever your herb garden is overflowing and enjoy the fresh flavors for months. Once you've made homemade vegan herb butter, you'll discover it's one of the easiest ways to add restaurant-quality flavor to everyday meals.

Vegan Herb Compound Butter

Makes: About 1½ cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
Chill Time: 1 hour

This Vegan Herb Compound Butter is based on Miyoko Schinner's brilliant homemade vegan butter method, which creates a rich, creamy butter using a simple emulsion of coconut oil, liquid oil, and plant milk. Once the butter has fully set, it's blended with fragrant herbs, garlic, and shallot to create an elegant compound butter that's perfect for entertaining or elevating everyday meals.

Ingredients

Vegan Butter Base

• ¾ cup refined coconut oil, melted

• 1 cup chilled avocado oil (or other neutral liquid oil)

• ¾ cup unsweetened plant milk

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Herb Mixture

• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest for brightness

• Optional: ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

Make the Butter

1. Add the melted coconut oil, chilled avocado oil, plant milk, and salt to a high-speed blender.

2. Blend for 30–60 seconds until completely smooth, creamy, and fully emulsified.

3. Pour into a small glass container or shallow dish and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Make the Compound Butter

1. Once the butter has fully hardened, transfer it to a mixing bowl and allow it to soften at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes until easily stirrable.

2. Fold in the minced shallot, garlic, parsley, thyme, black pepper, and lemon zest (if using) until evenly distributed.

3. Spoon the herb butter onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log, or pack it into a ramekin or butter dish.

4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Spread on warm sourdough or crusty baguette, melt over grilled corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, steamed asparagus, mushrooms, green beans, or freshly grilled vegetables. It's also wonderful stirred into hot pasta, dolloped onto baked potatoes, or melted over grilled vegan steaks.

Storage

• Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

• Freeze for up to 3 months. Slice off rounds as needed and thaw briefly before serving.

Recipe Note: This recipe is adapted from the homemade vegan butter method developed by Miyoko Schinner, whose innovative technique creates an exceptionally creamy, spreadable plant-based butter that serves as the perfect foundation for flavored compound butters.

Recipe Notes

• Refined coconut oil provides a neutral buttery flavor without a coconut taste.

• Chilling the avocado oil before blending helps the butter emulsify into a smooth, creamy consistency.

• Finely mince the shallot and garlic so they distribute evenly throughout the butter.

• For the freshest flavor, use flat-leaf parsley and fresh thyme rather than dried herbs.

• Allow the compound butter to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes after mixing so the herbs and garlic have time to infuse the butter.

• If you prefer a smoother finish, pulse the herbs into the softened butter in a food processor instead of mixing by hand.

• This butter is delicious on grilled vegetables, fresh corn on the cob, baked potatoes, sourdough bread, pasta, vegan steaks, and roasted mushrooms.

• Freeze the butter in a parchment paper log so you can slice off rounds whenever you need them.