Is Earth Balance Vegan?

Earth Balance has been a flagship vegan butter brand since 1998. As of 2025-2026, every product in their lineup is vegan by ingredients: no dairy, no whey, no eggs, no honey, no animal-derived anything.

The core buttery spread line includes Original (palm fruit, canola, soybean, flax, olive oils), Soy-Free (palm fruit, canola, safflower, flax, olive oils with pea protein), Olive Oil, Organic Whipped, Omega-3 (with algal oil, not fish oil), and European Style. Buttery Sticks are the baking-format equivalent and also fully vegan.

Peanut butter spreads (Creamy, Crunchy, Coconut Peanut, Peanut Flaxseed) use only plant ingredients. Snacks, including Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs (cornmeal, navy beans, sunflower oil, yeast extract) and Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares (wheat flour, canola oil, yeast extract), are labeled vegan and contain no dairy.

The mac and cheese line was discontinued. No Earth Balance product currently uses whey or any dairy derivative.

The one ongoing debate is palm oil: most spreads rely on palm fruit oil, and since Conagra acquired the brand, the sourcing has moved from the stricter POIG standard back to basic RSPO certification, which many environmental and animal advocacy groups consider insufficient to prevent habitat destruction for orangutans and other wildlife. This does not make the products non-vegan in the traditional sense, but strict ethical vegans may prefer palm-free alternatives.

PETA has explicitly endorsed Earth Balance and the brand won a peta2 award for Best Vegan Snack.