When Is Butter not Butter?

From dictionary.com

but·ter

n.

1. A soft yellowish or whitish emulsion of butterfat, water, air, and sometimes salt, churned from milk or cream and processed for use in cooking and as a food.

2. Any of various substances similar to butter, especially:

a) A spread made from fruit, nuts, or other foods: apple butter.

b) A vegetable fat having a nearly solid consistency at ordinary temperatures.

It's that second definition that can cause the confusion. Apple butter, peanut butter, cocoa butter, and lots of other soft spreadables made from non-dairy sources are called butters. None of them should have any lactose or any other dairy product.

Same with all products sold as "cremes" rather than "creams."

Unfortunately, every once in a while dairy products are added to the completely dairy-free original. Coconut "milk" (sometimes called cream of coconut) is non-dairy. But there are coconut milk products in the U.S. that have real dairy milk added to them for better flavor and consistency.

It's a plot to drive us crazy. When in doubt, repeat after me, always read the ingredients list.

More of these Supermarket Foolers on my web site.