When you zoom in on nutrition facts for vegan “butters,” the health differences usually come down to two things:
1. Saturated fat per tablespoon (the biggest lever). The American Heart Association recommends keeping saturated fat under 6% of daily calories. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping saturated fat under 10% of daily calories.
2. Sodium per tablespoon (secondary, but it adds up if you use a lot). The Daily Value for sodium is < 2,300 mg/day.
Most vegan butters get their “butter-like” performance from tropical fats (coconut, palm, palm kernel), which tend to push saturated fat up. So “healthiest vegan butter” usually means: lowest saturated fat while still tasting good, and no partially hydrogenated oils (modern mainstream options are typically 0g trans fat).
How I ranked these
Rank order is primarily by:
• Lower saturated fat (g) per 1 tbsp serving (most important)
• Then lower sodium (mg)
• Then ingredient profile (more unsaturated oils like canola/olive/high-oleic sunflower is a plus; very long additive lists are a small minus)
A quick heads-up: brands sometimes change formulas. If something is a “forever staple” for you, double-check the package label once.
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Ranked recommendations (health-first)
1) Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread (tub)
Why it ranks #1: Lowest saturated fat tier while keeping a butter-like feel; moderate sodium.
• Per 1 tbsp (11g): 80 cal; 2g sat fat; 75mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): oil blend includes palm fruit + canola + safflower + flax + extra virgin olive oils, plus water, salt, pea protein, lecithin, lactic acid, annatto.
Best use: Toast, finishing veggies, everyday spreading (less ideal if you need a perfect “butter stick” for pastry structure).
2) I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! It’s Vegan (tub)
Why it ranks #2: Same low saturated fat tier, and it’s also lighter in calories and total fat; slightly higher sodium and more “spread” than “butter.”
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 60 cal; 2g sat fat; 90mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): water + soybean oil + palm/palm kernel oils, salt, soy lecithin, vinegar, flavor, added vitamin A, beta carotene color.
Best use: Spreading and light cooking. (It’s not my first pick for laminated pastry-style baking.)
3) Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread (tub)
Why it ranks #3: Next tier up on saturated fat; still reasonable compared to many stick-style vegan butters.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 100 cal; 3g sat fat; 105mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): palm + canola + soybean + flaxseed oils, plus water, salt, pea protein isolate, lecithin, lactic acid, annatto.
Best use: General-purpose tub spread; decent all-rounder.
4) Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread (tub)
Why it ranks #4: Same saturated fat tier as #3, but a bit higher sodium; good if you’re avoiding soy.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 100 cal; 3g sat fat; 110mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): canola + safflower + flaxseed oils plus palm oil, water, salt, natural flavor, pea protein isolate, sunflower lecithin, olive oil, lactic acid, annatto color.
Best use: Soy-free everyday spread.
5) Melt Organic “Original Spread” (tub)
Why it ranks #5: Moderate saturated fat, relatively moderate sodium; ingredient list is fairly straightforward for this category.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 80 cal; 3.5g sat fat; 80mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): organic coconut oil + sustainable palm oil + organic canola + organic sunflower oil, water, sea salt, rosemary extract, sunflower lecithin, annatto color.
Best use: Spreading + cooking where you want a clean-ish ingredient profile.
6) Country Crock Plant Butter Spread (tub) with Avocado Oil
Why it ranks #6: Higher saturated fat than the top spreads; very common brand, easy to find.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 100 cal; 4g sat fat; 105mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): soybean + palm kernel + avocado + palm fruit oils, water, salt, pea protein, soy lecithin, lactic acid, flavors, tocopherols (vit E), vit A, beta carotene.
Best use: “Mainstream grocery” option that behaves reliably.
7) Country Crock Plant Butter Spread (tub) with Olive Oil
Why it ranks #7: Essentially the same nutrition tier as #6; olive oil is present, but saturated fat is still in the 4g range.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 100 cal; 4g sat fat; 105mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): soybean + palm kernel + palm fruit + olive + extra virgin olive oils, plus water, salt, pea protein, soy lecithin, lactic acid, flavor, tocopherols, vit A, beta carotene.
Best use: Same as #6, just a different flavor profile.
8) Miyoko’s Oat Milk Butter, Salted (tub)
Why it ranks #8: Same saturated fat tier as many stick products, but lower sodium than most; palm-oil-free if that matters to you.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 80 cal; 4.5g sat fat; 70mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): high-oleic sunflower oil + cultured oat milk + coconut oil, lecithin, sea salt, mushroom extract, flavors, vegetable/fruit juice + turmeric for color.
Best use: If you want a “nicer” taste and a more premium vibe, while staying mid-pack on saturated fat.
9) Melt Organic Salted Plant Butter Sticks
Why it ranks #9: Stick format tends to increase saturated fat versus the lowest-sat tubs; still reasonable sodium.
• Per 1 tbsp (14g): 80 cal; 4.5g sat fat; 80mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): organic sustainable palm + canola + coconut + sunflower oils, water, sea salt, sunflower lecithin, annatto color.
Best use: Baking and cooking where stick performance matters.
10) Good & Gather Plant-Based Organic Non-Dairy Salted Buttery Sticks (Target)
Why it ranks #10: Similar nutrition profile to other sticks; very easy to buy in Minneapolis because it’s Target’s house brand.
• Per 1 tbsp: 80 cal; 4.5g sat fat; 80mg sodium
• Ingredients (high-level): water + organic refined coconut oil + organic sunflower oil + organic palm oil, sea salt, lecithin, “natural flavor,” tocopherols, annatto color (Target listing).
Best use: Best “easy-to-find + affordable” stick option.
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Products I would not call “health-forward” (but you may still like them)
These are more “butter-mimic” than “health-leaning” because saturated fat climbs.
• Violife Plant Butter, Salted: 100 cal; 6g sat fat; 85mg sodium per tbsp; includes canola + coconut + sunflower oils and faba bean protein.
• Country Crock Homestyle Dairy Free Butter, Unsalted (sticks): 100 cal; 6g sat fat; 0mg sodium; oils include palm fruit/palm kernel/canola.
• Miyoko’s European-Style Cashew Milk Butter, Unsalted (sticks): 90 cal; 8g sat fat; 0mg sodium; coconut oil is the big saturated fat driver.
If you’re switching from dairy butter mainly for heart-health reasons, these three behave most like dairy butter in the body (saturated-fat-wise), even though they’re vegan.
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What to buy in Minneapolis if you want “healthy-ish” and enjoyable
If your goal is “health-first, still tastes like a butter spread”:
• Start with Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread (#1) for everyday toast/finishing.
• Keep I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! It’s Vegan (#2) as a lighter-calorie spread option.
• If you bake a lot, keep one stick around, but treat it as a “use deliberately” fat: Good & Gather sticks (Target) or Melt sticks.
Practical label checklist (fast, works in any grocery store)
When you’re standing at the dairy case comparing tubs and sticks:
1. Saturated fat: try to stay at 2–3g per tbsp if “health-first” is the mission. (Many sticks are 4.5–8g.)
2. Trans fat: should be 0g, and avoid “partially hydrogenated” in ingredients.
3. Sodium: if you use it a lot, aim closer to 70–90mg per tbsp rather than 105–110mg.
4. Oil mix: more canola/olive/high-oleic sunflower generally helps keep saturated fat down; coconut/palm tend to drive it up. (Tropical oils are a common saturated fat source.)
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If you want an even healthier “butter-like” habit
If your real goal is “a satisfying fat on bread,” the biggest health upgrade is often rotating:
• Use extra-virgin olive oil (dip with salt/pepper), or
• Avocado (mash + salt), or
• Hummus for savory,
and keep vegan butter for when you truly want butter flavor.
Seth Orion Viebrock 