America has an unholy love for butter, but we also have a silent romance with the margarine. For decades, we have added both ingredients to all kinds of foods, sweet and savory, and we have even turned them into ice cream and candy. Now, with the new movement of food free of animal products (veganism and vegetarianism), people want more and more options that move away from the old margarine taste. Trader Joe’s sells in its private label one of the best spreads with butter flavor, but it does not have any dairy.
Then there’s the impact of animal based products: research has shown that animal products require significantly more land to produce compared to plant-based sources of fat/oil. That’s why Trader Joe’s and other retailers are increasing their offer of plant-based products, making the market more competitive with amazing alternative products that taste just like the real ones.
Trader Joe’s Vegan Buttery Spread That Taste Just Like Real Butter
Trader Joe’s Vegan Buttery Spread is essentially a butter substitute or a form of margarine made from hardened oil at room temperature. It’s advertised as a 1:1 substitute for butter, and it resembles the real thing very, very good. When you open the packaging, you’ll find a yellowish hue and looked just like high-quality butter. That’s a great first impression.
When you taste the Trader Joe’s Vegan Buttery Spread, you’ll bee pleasantly surprised by how similar it tastes to real butter. You can also feel a familiar buttered popcorn flavor called Diacetyl, which is commonly found in dairy products. However, there are ways to produce Diacetyl without animal fats, such as through fermentation. Although there might be some food chemistry involved in creating this product, you’ll be impressive how closely it resembles real butter.
You can try it to prepare dishes like scrambled eggs or French toast, or to make a spread on toasted bread. A few vegetables sautéed in this non-butter will delight the palate of your most elegant guests, who will not even realize that this product is dairy-free.
The Best Quality, All the Way From Europe
The supplier of this Trader Joe’s product is located in Germany, and he produces it with the highest European Union standards. This vegan spread is made from a blend of sunflower, coconut, and canola oils, with some small amounts of shea butter, bean protein, and a touch of salt to give it that buttery flavor.
Shea butter is technically a tree nut, which might alarm those allergic to nuts. However, studies have shown that it is a rare allergen, even for people with an allergy to tree nuts. Anyway, ask your doctor before consuming it, to dispel all doubts.