Butter has a powerful place in the culinary imagination – it’s nostalgic, indulgent and rich in flavour. I love the way it holds texture, then melts into a slice of warm toast. But is that really too much to ask from a spread, let alone a plant-based one? The truth is, I haven’t eaten margarine since the 1980s – at home, it’s always butter or extra-virgin olive oil – but spreads are hugely popular. Is it mainly the convenience? Culture? Something else?
The main benefit of a spread is that it’s firm but spreadable straight from the fridge. It ought to taste good, too, but that seems to be an afterthought for many brands, which taste of seed oils and emulsifiers. It should also have a perfect melt time, so it pools slowly and satisfyingly on your toast.
Once the bland, ultra-processed alternative to dairy butter, modern plant-based spreads are less processed, creamier, more flavourful and often motivated by ethics or the environment. Conventional dairy butter production carries a big environmental cost, mainly through land use and methane emissions. By comparison, many plant-based spreads have a significantly lower carbon footprint. That said, they are not all created equal: some are ultra-processed, rely heavily on palm oil, or come with sustainability claims that don’t quite add up.
I tasted all the spreads solo, to gauge texture and flavour, and then on toast to test their melting properties. Some had that familiar, synthetic margarine smell, while others really surprised me. Butter obviously wins for its richness and depth of flavour, but some plant-based options are unexpectedly good. I gave bonus points for less processing, healthier oils, responsible sourcing and being palm oil-free, because we all deserve a spread that’s tasty, and better for the planet and our health.
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The best plant-based spreads
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Best overall:
Naturli’ organic vegan spread
£3.90 for 450g at Sainsbury’s (87p/100g)
£4.10 for 450g at Waitrose (91p/100g)
★★★★☆
Barley-white in colour, this is very soft and slightly oily. There’s a refreshing scent of coconut and almond (a welcome change from the more neutral or synthetic-smelling spreads), while the flavour is enjoyable and balanced, with a light, buttery mouth-feel and good meltability that works well on warm toast. Organic-certified and palm oil-free, it also has low processing and saturated-fat levels compared with some other spreads. Fully recyclable packaging and minimal additives give this strong sustainability and health credentials, but its soft texture may not suit those seeking a firmer butter alternative.
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Best bargain:
Flora original spread
£1.75 for 450g at Iceland (39p/100g)
£2.65 for 450g at Morrisons (59p/100g)
★★★☆☆
Its rich, buttermilk-yellow colour and firm texture give this a butter-like feel; it melts beautifully on toast, too. Pleasantly salty and more complex than expected (thanks, perhaps, to the inclusion of coconut and fava bean), this melts nicely in the mouth and has a smooth, satisfying finish. The tub is fully recyclable, and this is one of the less processed options in this lineup, with low saturated fat and no palm oil, which is a significant ethical plus.
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And the rest …
Pure dairy-free buttery spread
£2.15 for 500g at Ocado (43p/100g) £2.15 for 500g at Sainsbury’s (43p/100g)★★★☆☆
A vibrant, candy-banana orange from natural colourings (carotenes) and the firmest texture of the entire test group, yet still perfectly spreadable and with a consistency akin to room-temperature butter. The flavour is classic margarine, with a firmer, slightly claggy mouth-feel, most likely due to the high ratio of certified sustainable palm oil. The tub is fully recyclable, and this is among the less processed options.
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Lurpak plant-based alternative to butter
£4.50 for 400g at Sainsbury’s (£1.13/100g) £4.75 for 400g at Morrisons (£1.19/100g)★★★☆☆
With a clean, ivory hue and a soft, easy-to-spread consistency, Lurpak’s plant-based option also melts beautifully. It’s light and mousse-like, with a pleasantly salty kick, though lacks impact overall. Its nutritional profile is a strong point: low in saturated fat, low in processing and palm oil-free. Packaging includes a non-home-recyclable insert, which is a minor letdown.
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ProActiv light alternative to spreadable butter
£4.75 for 450g at Ocado (£1.06/100g) £4.75 for 450g at Tesco (£1.06/100g)★★★☆☆
A pale yellow spread with a medium-firm, slightly soft texture. Sweet and pleasant, but slightly cloying. Performs solidly on taste and texture, and stands out for being low in salt and saturated fat, and relatively unprocessed. It’s palm oil-free and fully recyclable, which gives it an ethical and nutritional edge, though at a price.
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Tesco olive spread
£1.45 for 500g at Tesco (29p/100g)★★☆☆☆
Pale yellow and extremely soft with a whipped, aerated texture. Mild and slightly sweet, with little depth, but pleasant enough. The 10% olive oil content is a bonus at this price, and the pack is fully recyclable, but it contains palm oil. While the formulation is relatively simple, it does contain artificial flavouring too. A reasonable budget choice for everyday use, though lacking in character or richness.
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Sainsbury’s olive spread
£1.45 for 500g at Sainsbury’s (29p/100g)★★☆☆☆
Classic butter-yellow with a soft, yielding texture. Unfortunately, the texture is especially cloying, which overwhelms the mouth, but that’s less apparent on toast. Like the Tesco one, this contains 10% olive oil, and it’s a relatively simple formulation for the price, although it also features artificial flavouring – and palm oil. Fully recyclable packaging earns it some sustainability points, but the flavour lets it down. Still, a decent pocket-friendly option.
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I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter original spread
£1.60 for 500g at Tesco (32p/100g) £1.60 for 500g at Iceland (32p/100g)★☆☆☆☆
Corn-silk yellow with a firm, spreadable texture that melts nicely on toast. Falls short in the texture and flavour department, though: greasy, overly sweet and oily. Packaging includes a non-recyclable seal, and the ingredients feature a more processed formulation, including E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), and palm oil, which may be a concern for some. Despite its memorable name, this is not for anyone looking for quality.
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Vitalite dairy-free spread
£2 for 500g at Sainsbury’s (40p/100g) £2 for 500g at Tesco (40p/100g)★☆☆☆☆
Blanched almond colour with a medium-soft texture that spreads well. The subtly sweet aroma is pleasant, and the mouth-feel is creamy and aerated. The flavour, however, has a slightly odd note reminiscent of processed soya milk, despite it being soya-free. It’s a fully recyclable tub, but the ingredients list reveals a more processed formulation, containing E471 and E202 (potassium sorbate). The company says it uses only “fully segregated certified sustainable palm oil”, which means that 100% of the palm oil in its products is certified sustainable palm.
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Stockwell & Co soft spread
85p for 500g at Tesco (17p/100g)★☆☆☆☆
Parmesan-yellow in colour, this budget spread is very soft and emulsified, and vanishes in the mouth; it’s quite greasy and lacks any real flavour definition, too. While the pack is fully recyclable, and the formulation is relatively simple for the price, it does contain artificial flavouring and palm oil. But, at less than £1, it’s undeniably cheap and pretty good value for money.
