Vegan butter

Vegan butters are blends of oils such as coconut, palm, olive or sunflower, made to mimic butter's firmness and melting point. Stick versions are firmer and closest to dairy butter, so they cream, cut into flour and laminate reasonably well; they usually swap one for one.

Tub spreads tend to hold more water and less fat, which can make cookies spread and pastry less flaky. Brands differ a lot in salt and firmness, so chilling dough well and tasting the frosting before adding salt helps.