Can You Substitute Butter for Oil?

Updated on April 9th, 2023

Let us talk about fat. Fat is essential in the flavor and texture of any dish, whether it’s a stir-fry or a birthday cake. You can’t avoid the fat, but you can usually substitute it. Don’t worry if you’re halfway through cooking when you realize your olive oil container is empty. Here’s everything you need to know about using butter instead of oil in baking or cooking.

Butter and oil are essential ingredients that every baker and cook should have on hand. They can both serve similar functions, but they aren’t always interchangeable. Can you use butter instead of oil? Yes! Here’s what you need to know about swapping one for the other:

We should substitute butter and oil in a 1:1 ratio in all cases. Melting the butter first can help you get an accurate measurement. When substituting butter for oil, a few things to keep in mind.

So, can you Use Butter Instead of Oil in Cooking?

Consider your cooking method before substituting butter for oil. Butter is less heat resistant than most oils. In addition to fat, butter contains milk solids, which can burn at high temperatures. If you’re pan-sear or use another high-heat technique, clarify your butter first. This method removes milk solids to produce clarified butter, also known as ghee, burns less easily.

Butter contains some water in addition to fat, and this will produce steam when sautéing. The presence of water results in a softer texture, which may be desirable in some situations but not in others. Nobody enjoys a soggy stir fry.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution. Allow the water to evaporate before adding the vegetables to the butter to sauté. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and let it bubble and steam for about a minute before adding the vegetables. Keep an eye on the butter to make sure it doesn’t brown.

Here are Some Oil Substitutions you can Use

Coconut oil

When baking, coconut oil is an excellent substitute for butter, and it has a mild coconut flavor, making it a wonderful substitution for butter in recipes. It also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), providing quick energy and encouraging fat burning. Compared to long-chain triglycerides, more common in dietary fats, MCTs can boost your metabolism and increase calories burned.

A more common alternative to coconut oil is hazelnut oil. Its flavor is more neutral and doesn’t alter the overall taste of baked goods. Hazelnut oil is also an excellent substitute for coconut oil. You can use it for baking, roasting, grilling, and frying. Almond oil is another healthy coconut oil substitute, and it contains a lot of vitamin E and is a good addition to many dishes. Almond oil is also an excellent choice, as it complements the butter flavor without sacrificing its aroma.

Olive oil is another common substitute for coconut oil. It has similar nutritional benefits and can be used in place of butter in many recipes. It is readily available and suitable for vegan and plant-based diets. Although olive oil is not as stable as coconut oil, it adds a distinct taste to baked goods. It is better to use virgin coconut oil because it retains more of the natural antioxidants. You can also purchase olive oil at your local grocery store.

Sesame seed oil

If sesame oil is unavailable in your area, tahini, a sesame seed paste, can be substituted. This substitute has a mild nutty flavour and a texture similar to butter. However, this oil is not suitable for cooking. Instead, it would help if you used it as a sauce or dressing. Tahini, unlike butter, is not a healthy butter substitute.

To make sesame oil, toast a quarter cup of sesame seeds and combine them with one cup of neutral oil. To avoid burning the seeds, remove them from the heat as soon as possible. It’s fine to keep the oil in the fridge with other oils. You can strain the sesame seed oil before using it in cooking.

Avocado oil

Avocados are used to make avocado oil. It has a similar high smoking point to butter, but it has a more neutral flavor. Avocado oil is fantastic for frying, roasting, and sautéing oil. Many people drizzle it over salads and hummus and use it to make homemade mayonnaise in the kitchen. Avocado oil’s versatility makes it a great butter substitute in various recipes. If you want to try avocado oil without the butter flavor, substitute the following oil:

The smoke point of butter is 350 degrees, higher than avocado oils. Avocado oil has a neutral flavor and is slightly more expensive than other oils, and both types of oil contain the same amount of fat and calories. If you’re cooking with avocado oil, you might want to switch to vegetable oil, which is less expensive. Choose an oil that can withstand high temperatures without becoming greasy.

Grapefruit oil

Grapeseed oil has numerous applications. It is a highly versatile fat derived from grape seeds. We can use it to replace butter in various recipes, including frying, salad dressings, and sauces. It has a very high smoke point, so We can use it for various cooking tasks, including sautéing and frying. Grapeseed oil can be found in most supermarkets and substituted for butter in most recipes.

Because of its high polyunsaturated fat content, grapeseed oil is an excellent substitute for butter. We can also use it in place of olive oil and vegetable oils. It is, however, expensive. As a result, you can substitute it with another type of oil that provides the same benefits. Olive oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil are a few options. You can even bake with avocado, peanut, or corn oil.

How can you Substitute Vegetable Oil in Cake?

The fat in any cake serves several functions; it adds tenderness and richness and makes the cake feel moist and luscious in your mouth. Some fats, such as olive oil, butter, and even lard or bacon fat, add a distinct flavor to certain dishes.

Because vegetable oil is a relatively neutral, clean-flavored fat, it’s only used in recipes to soften, enrich, and moisten the cake’s crumb. That means it’s also simple to substitute if you don’t have any oil on hand or if you want to add a little something extra to your cake. Butter is arguably the best and most obvious substitute for vegetable oil.

How can you Replace Oil with Butter?

In a cake that calls for vegetable oil, replacing the oil with butter accomplishes two things. First, because butter contains some water and its fat, it makes a cake slightly moister. Second, and most importantly, it adds flavour and richness to the crumb. On the other hand, the addition of butter renders the cake unsuitable for those who avoid dairy due to allergies, kashruth, or other dietary restrictions.

One obvious disadvantage of using butter instead of oil is that oil is a liquid fat at room temperature, whereas butter is solid. To use butter as canola oil or vegetable oil substitute, melt it in the microwave and then let it cool to room temperature while preparing the rest of the ingredients. It’s ready to use when it’s barely warm to the touch.

How can you Use Butter in a Cake Mix?

When preparing a cake mix, replacing the oil with butter is simple. Cut and melt your butter, preferably in a microwave-safe measuring cup, to ensure you’ve cut the correct amount. The lines on the butter wrapper don’t always match up with the stick inside.

When the butter has cooled, add it to the mixing bowl where you would normally add the oil. If you’re using butter to boost the flavour of your box mix and make it taste more homemade, you can make a few other changes as well. A splash of good-quality vanilla extract improves any cake, while fresh spices improve a spice cake and a spoonful of cocoa improves a chocolate cake. Bake the cake according to the package directions.

How can you Use Butter in a Chiffon Cake?

Only a few scratch cakes call for oil. Some are chef-inspired creations meant to highlight the fruity flavours of good olive oil, but the majority are chiffon cakes. These are light and airy, similar to angel food cake, but with a richer flavour from the addition of eggs and oil. We must handle them with care because fat has a nasty habit of deflating your egg whites and reducing the cake’s fluffiness.

The basic technique for making a chiffon cake is to beat the oil – or, in this case, melted butter – into the cake-y part of the batter before gently folding in the beaten egg whites. It’s usually easiest to thoroughly incorporate the first 1/4 or so of the egg whites to thin the batter, then fold the remainder carefully to preserve as much of the foaminess of the egg whites as possible.

Can you Use Butter in Place of Oil in the Cake?

Using butter instead of oil in a cake can do wonders because butter does more than keep the cake moist while baking. Most baked goods, including cakes, require creaming the butter with sugar, and this causes the tiny sugar granules to cut into the butter, adding air to the otherwise dense fat. The cake will rise more evenly by creaming butter and sugar together, resulting in a fluffier cake with a lighter crumb.

The benefit of using oil in a cake is that the batter is looser, improving the texture and making the cake lighter. There are two ways to achieve the same results by substituting butter for oil. First, whip the butter and sugar for a little longer than usual to incorporate more air into the mixture, which will lighten the density of the cake while maintaining the proper texture.

Next, if the batter is too thick, add some water to thin it out. Add one tablespoon of water at a time, mixing thoroughly between additions. Add as many tablespoons as necessary to achieve the desired batter consistency for baking your cakes. Remember to add little by little. It is far easier to add more water to a thick batter than to remove the water or add additional dry ingredients to thicken it again.

Replace Butter in Brownies

When substituting butter for vegetable oil in brownies, melt the butter first. Once melted, the butter should be allowed to cool for a few minutes before being added to the batter, but not so much that solids form again. The dense fat’s texture will more closely resemble that of vegetable oil by melting the butter, restoring the batter’s proper consistency.

What is a Good Butter Substitute?

Vegans who avoid too much butter can substitute vegan margarine, vegetable shortening, or coconut oil for butter. All of these will behave similarly to butter. However, be cautious not to overheat the coconut oil. Even if the oil has separated slightly, it should still contain some solids. We can use these substitutes in place of both butter and oil.

Mayonnaise is another common cake substitute, though it usually replaces eggs. Mayonnaise makes chocolate cakes extremely moist, but the flavour is too strong for vanilla or other subtly flavored cakes. Though the cake will be moister, try substituting mayo for butter or oil.

Typically, three tablespoons of mayo are used for every egg in a cake, so try substituting 1 to 2 tablespoons of mayo for the oil or butter in the recipe to keep the cake lighter and fluffier.

Two Important Tips About Butter and Oil Substitutions

Melted butter can be used as a direct 1:1 substitute for oil, but only up to a point. Because butter contains up to 15% water, it makes a difference if you make more than one recipe. If you’re making a double batch of a scratch cake or two mix boxes, reduce your liquids by a couple of tablespoons for every cup of butter you use.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it is only a one-way trip. Most cake recipes do not allow you to substitute oil for butter because butter is a solid that serves a structural purpose. When you cream together the butter and sugar, you create millions of tiny air pockets in the butter. As the cake bakes, the air pockets trap gas produced by the baking powder or soda in the recipe. The cake will be dense and have a disappointing, leathery texture without the butter.

What are Some Good Recipes Using Oil?

1. Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies are the first of our coconut oil recipes. Coconut oil works well as a butter substitute in cookies, creating a slightly softer texture. What is your favorite cookie? These coconut oil peanut butter cookies are the bomb! They’re soft but perfectly crumbly, with a salty-sweet flavour. They have a sugared sparkle and are decorated with the classic criss-cross pattern.

2. No-Bake Coconut Oil Cookies

Bliss bites are our most popular coconut oil recipe by far! People worldwide make and enjoy these treats, essentially a homemade peanut butter cup combined with a no-bake cookie. They contain maple syrup, coconut oil, and oats. Please keep them in the freezer or refrigerator for a week of snacking!

3. Pickled Tomatoes with Chicken Confit

The spiced chicken confit that tops this fantastic noodle salad is cooked for hours and hours in olive oil and more neutral oil. It comes out moist and juicy and crisps up nicely in a skillet with a little of the reserved oil.

4. Caprese with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Have some off-season tomatoes you’re not sure what to do with? This recipe is the solution. The classic tomato and mozzarella summer salad gets a roasty cold-weather makeover with olive oil and thyme.

5. Banana Bread

Oil is a common ingredient in quick bread, but switching from liquid oils like canola to solid coconut oil gives my banana bread an unbeatable lingering richness. To use coconut oil as a substitute for liquid oil in other quick bread, melt it down. As the coconut oil cools, the batter may become thicker than usual, but this has no negative consequences (in fact, it will encourage the quick bread to the crown in the oven, a rather beautiful touch).

Why is Oil Better Than Vegan Butter?

Butter isn’t always the easiest ingredient to substitute in recipes; and it’s a stable emulsion that rarely separates, and it sets up easily while remaining relatively soft. It also has a consistent flavour.

Vegan butter substitutes are an option, but they don’t always work perfectly, sometimes taste-off, may contain ingredients that are harmful to you, and most stores only have one or two options. Remember, they’re made of oil. So, if you’re trying to avoid “too much oil,” buying vegan butter or margarine won’t save you much money. Vegan butter substitutes must also be refrigerated.

Because oil is dependable and shelf-stable, you can keep a stock of it in your pantry. It is not emulsified, is pure fat with no variation in composition, and contains no added ingredients. You see what you get, and the results will be consistent batch after batch. However, there are a few distinctions to be made between oils.

How Much Vegetable Oil does One Stick of Butter Equal?

One stick of butter is approximately 93.75 mL or six tablespoons of liquid vegetable oil.
We need 3/4 of an equal part oil for one part of butter.
One stick of butter = 125 ml.
125 ml × 3/4 = 93.75 ml
93.75 ml = 6 tablespoons

When Not to Use Oil in Place of Butter?

There are some recipes where oil works similarly to butter, but this is not always the best option. When a recipe calls for creaming butter with sugar, do not substitute oil for butter. Oil is not a good substitute in this case because it lacks the air bubbles needed to create a nice, creamy texture.

What Happens When you Replace the Oil in a Cake with Butter?

Is it Better to Use Butter or Oil for the Cake?

In general, the texture of cakes made with oil is superior to that of cakes made with butter. Oil cakes bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender for much longer than butter cakes.

Conclusion

It is simple to substitute butter for oil when baking. Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter adds incredible flavor. To use butter instead of oil in baking, melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as oil.

We hope you have found this article helpful and cleared your idea about adding butter for oil in recipes.