FOR YOUR HEALTH: Summertime Living is Easy with Plant-Based Butter-ed Foods

(NAPSI)—From blueberry pies with flaky buttery crusts to grilled buttered corn on the cob, summer is filled with delicious foods that bring people together. Now summertime eating is getting a makeover by swapping that pat, dab or dollop of regular dairy butter with dairy-free Plant Butter.

The trend toward plant-based eating has become a full-fledged food movement! With prominent foodies—chefs, celebrities, and authors—sharing their personal stories of switching to plant-based diets for taste, health, and better-for-the-environment reasons, more and more consumers are embracing delicious, nutritious foods derived from plants.

What’s a plant-based diet? It’s focused on foods mostly made from plants—not just vegetables and fruits, but also nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans. Plant-based diets also tend to be healthier because they are rich in fiber, good fats and added nutritionals, like vitamins.

Plant-based foods are showing-up in grocery stores across the country—including the dairy aisle. Like Country Crock® Plant Butter—a dairy-free, plant-based butter that tastes like dairy butter. It’s made from plant-based oils and features avocado oil, olive oil, or almond oil in sticks and tubs. It’s gluten-free, kosher, and is suitable for vegan diets as it’s stamped “Certified Plant Based” through the Plant Based Foods Association.

So what about a dessert to round out that summer BBQ? A berry swirl butter cake made with Country Crock® Plant Butter is easy to make and delicious. It is sure to stir up some talk when folks find out it’s made with Country Crock’s dairy-free Plant Butter! Try more recipes on www.countrycrock.com.

Berry Swirl Butter Cake

Makes: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 cup (2 sticks) Country Crock® Plant Butter, softened (you can use Country Crock® Plant Butter with Olive Oil, Avocado Oil or Almond Oil)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ cup seedless raspberry jam

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment allowing extra to hang over the sides. Grease parchment.

2.) Beat Country Crock® Plant Butter with sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3.) Beat in eggs, one at a time, then milk and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder and beat on low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4.) Stir jam until smooth. (If jam is thick, microwave 20 seconds then stir until smooth). Drop dollops of jam all over the top of cake and use a knife to swirl the jam through the surface.

5.) Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes before lifting cake out of the pan to cool completely.

Learn More

For more facts, tips and recipes, go to www.countrycrock.com.