Millions of people love to cook, bake and spread butter, but are actively looking for alternatives, whether to reduce cholesterol, avoid trans fats, or align with ethical or lifestyle choices, and at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2026, Brown Sugar 1st. introduced Better Than Butter, a plant-based spread crafted from coconut. This rich spread is made with an organic coconut oil base, plus coconut milk powder and a handful of other clean ingredients like water, sea salt, sunflower lecithin, natural flavor, citric acid and annatto (a natural color derived from the achiote tree.)
This dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan-approved spread, made with 96% coconut-based ingredients, is creamy, naturally contains MCTs, and is praised for its clean flavor, as well as its versatility and performance in professional bakery and cafe kitchens.
What's Driving This Trend
- Coconut-based Spreads
- Coconut-rich formulations are creating new space for dairy-free butter alternatives that deliver creamy texture, clean flavor and functional fats for everyday cooking and baking.
- Clean-label Vegan Fats
- Minimal ingredient plant-based spreads point to premium opportunities in products that combine ethical positioning with recognizable inputs and professional kitchen performance.
- Bakery-ready Dairy Alternatives
- Foodservice-grade vegan butter substitutes are reshaping bakery and cafe menus by offering allergen-conscious, cholesterol-free options that perform across spreading, baking and finishing applications.
Who This Affects Most
- Plant-based Foods
- The plant-based foods sector is expanding beyond meat analogs into high-utility staples where coconut ingredients can replace dairy without sacrificing indulgence or versatility.
- Specialty Grocery
- Premium grocery channels benefit from differentiated butter alternatives that align with vegan, gluten-free and clean-label shopping behaviors while supporting higher-margin specialty positioning.
- Foodservice and Hospitality
- Professional kitchens are gaining access to dairy-free spreadable fats that simplify menu adaptation for vegan, wellness-focused and allergy-aware consumers.
