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TLDR Review: Smart Balance Buttery Spread

By ShopSavvy Team

Published: December 27th, 2025

Pros

•Tastes very close to real butter while offering a healthier alternative.
•Easy to spread, making it convenient for quick use, especially during busy mornings.
•Noairy and gluten-free, suitable for those with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies.
•Supports maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
•Frequently recommended as a tasty substitute for traditional butter.

Cons

•The product labeled as "Original Smart Balance" no longer matches the original recipe, leading to disappointment.
•Recent batches are described as soft, mushy, and less spreadable compared to the previously firm, knifcrapable original.
•The oil content appears to have dropped from 64% to about 39%, with less than 2% olive oil, and added water diluting quality.
•Significant changes to ingredients and texture have degraded both taste and health claims.
•An unpleasant, rancid, or fishy oil taste has been reported in new batches.
•Customer service has been criticized for inadequate responses, offering coupons instead of real solutions, and lacking transparency.
•Loyal customers feel misled by the labeling and frustrated by the lack of disclosure about reformulation.
•Many users have switched to competitor brands due to dissatisfaction with this version.
•The packaging no longer emphasizes noMO status or the health benefits originally touted.
•The product is softer and greasier than before, losing the original’s desirable mouthfeel.

Bottom Line

If you’re craving the *original* Smart Balance buttery spread experience, beware—the current formulation falls short in taste, texture, and health benefits, disappointing many long-time fans. The noticeable recipe change, combined with poor customer communication, has led many to jump ship to competitor brands. However, if you want a convenient, dairy-free, and gluten-free butter alternative that spreads easily and still offers some health perks, this might work for you. For those seeking a more consistent and original-quality spread, exploring other brands might be the smarter bet—for now.

Lowest at any Popular Retailer

$7.99 at Walgreens

How we researched this

About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from 9 retailers to give you the short version.