My diet:

Butter

No E-numberFats & oilsOrigin: Animal
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganNo

Butter is churned from cream.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes

Butter is milk fat. A flavor added to a spread can change that.

KosherYes

Butter is dairy, not meat. Kosher certification matters when it is processed with other equipment.

KetoYes

Butter is fat. The lactose left in a pat is small.

Low-FODMAPYes

Butter is low in lactose because the milk sugar went out with the buttermilk.

The short answer
Butter is a dairy fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free, and a normal pat is low enough in lactose that many low-FODMAP plans allow it. Peanut butter and cocoa butter are not this food.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromAnimal
What it doesFats & oils
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledButter, Sweet cream butter

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Butter is a standardized dairy food, not an additive with an E-number. The diet question is the dairy, and the nutrition question is the saturated fat and the small amount of milk sugar in the leftover whey.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Cream is agitated until the fat clumps and the buttermilk separates. European-style butter is churned longer, so the fat percentage is higher. Cultured butter is made from fermented cream and tastes tangier.

Where it comes from: Butter is the fat churned from cream, with a little water and milk solids left in. US law expects butter to be at least 80 percent milk fat. Salted butter has salt added. Unsalted butter does not.

Why it’s in food

  • Flakes pastry
  • Browns a sauce
  • Carries flavor
  • Finishes a steak

Often found in

ToastCookiesPie crustHollandaiseButtercreamPan sauces

Also listed as: Butter, Sweet cream butter, Salted butter, Unsalted butter, Cultured butter

Health & gut impact

Saturated fatConcern

Butter is roughly two-thirds saturated fat. Using it in place of an unsaturated oil raises LDL cholesterol in feeding studies.

Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)

A trace of lactoseBenefit

Most of the milk sugar stays in the buttermilk. A tablespoon of butter has very little lactose left, which is why it is handled differently from a glass of milk.

Lactose content of butter versus milk

What can I use instead?

Ghee

Ratio: Butter cooked until the milk solids leave

Best for: High-heat pans

Cocoa butter

Ratio: A plant fat when the recipe must be vegan

Best for: Confectionery

Related

More fats & oils:

Beef tallowBeef tallow is cattle fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free and used for high-heat frying. Halal and kosher versions exist only when the animal and the plant are certified.Use in moderationCanola oilCanola oil is a neutral cooking oil from low-erucic rapeseed. Canola oil is vegan and gluten-free. The old worry about erucic acid applies to industrial rapeseed, not to the canola sold as food.Generally safeCocoa butterCocoa butter is the vegan fat of the cocoa bean. It is what makes chocolate snap and then melt. It is gluten-free and keto-friendly, and it is not a dairy butter.Generally safeCoconut oilCoconut oil is a vegan plant fat that stays solid in a cool kitchen. It is popular on keto labels. Feeding trials show it raises LDL cholesterol more than unsaturated oils do.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is butter keto?

Yes. A pat is almost all fat. The milk sugar left in it is tiny next to a glass of milk.

Is peanut butter a kind of butter?

No. Peanut butter is ground peanuts. This page is the dairy food churned from cream.

Is Butter safe?

Use in moderation (72/100). Butter is a standardized dairy food, not an additive with an E-number. The diet question is the dairy, and the nutrition question is the saturated fat and the small amount of milk sugar in the leftover whey.

Is Butter vegan?

No. Butter is churned from cream.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
  • Lactose content of butter versus milk