Can You Substitute Butter for Oil? How & When To Do | Blue Apron (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you replace oil with butter? ›

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

Because it browns easily and can burn when cooked at high temperatures, butter is usually unsuitable for dishes that require a high cooking temperature. Instead, cooking oils are the best option and there are a variety of choices available from peanut oil, to avocado oil, vegetable oil and olive oil.

Replacing Butter with Oil

A good rule of thumb is to replace about 3/4 of the butter in a recipe with olive, canola, or vegetable oil. (If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil.)

Bottom line: Olive, canola and safflower oils are healthier choices overall than butter and most margarines. Use them as replacements for butter and margarine in most of your cooking, but watch the amounts – those fat calories can add up fast.

Unsweetened applesauce, mashed fruit, or pureed fruit such as bananas, pears, and prunes may be substituted for vegetable oil in baked goods. You can substitute cup for cup.

Butter certainly works for fried eggs, but oil is the fat of choice for cooks who want a runny yolk with a satisfying crispy white. Extra-virgin olive oil is most popular, and yields a satisfyingly crunchy bottom that will soak up luscious flavor.

Both of these fats have health risks. Some guidelines for healthier cooking: Use olive or canola oil instead of butter or margarine. Choose soft margarine (tub or liquid) over harder stick forms.

Typically, meats are sautéed in oil because they need a higher heat, while vegetables are sautéed in butter to impart a pleasant buttery flavor. Seafood may be sautéed in either one.

You can substitute butter for oil, but it may alter the flavor and level of moisture. To convert butter to oil, you'll want to use a 3:4 ratio instead — this means one equal part of oil equates to ¾ butter. Example: If a recipe calls for 2/3 cup of butter, use 1/2 cup of oil instead.

Is it better to use oil or butter in cookies? ›

Due to its liquid nature, using oil in cookies typically results in a denser texture. Also, because oil is 100% fat, it doesn't react with flour the way butter does (butter contains water). Because of that, your cookies won't be as fluffy. If you're a fan of flat cookies, then using oil is an excellent option.

Because olive oil comes from a plant, it has unique health benefits from nutrients like polyphenols — which aren't found in butter. These polyphenols help make olive oil a more nutritious choice. Using butter every so often — or even a small amount each day — isn't likely to harm your health.

It is possible to replace oil with butter in a muffin recipe as generally most muffin recipes are quite forgiving and you may find that butter gives a better flavour.

Butter adds richness, while oil ensures a gooey, moist center. Neutral oil like avocado oil is great, or use a light and fruity olive oil for some extra flavor. Sugar: For the best of both worlds (gooey centers, chewy edges, and a touch of crispness), we highly recommend using granulated and brown sugar in this recipe.

As a general rule of thumb, substitute three-quarters of the butter in a recipe with olive oil. In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil.

You can make fried foods a little lighter by frying in canola or vegetable oil. But for browning and flavor, butter is usually the first choice. Frying foods in butter can pose a challenge, however, because butter has a low smoke point and can burn quickly, which can ruin your dish.

To convert butter to oil, you'll want to use a 3:4 ratio instead — this means one equal part of oil equates to ¾ butter. Example: If a recipe calls for 2/3 cup of butter, use 1/2 cup of oil instead.

Butter is considered a solid fat because it is solid at room temperature and oil is considered a liquid fat because it's liquid at room temperature. Because of this, you can't rely on oil to provide any leavening help in baked goods, which can result in a denser texture.

As butter melts, you'll notice that some white flecks will begin to float on the surface of a yellowish liquid that looks a lot like olive oil. The white flecks are the milk solids, or fat component of butter, while the liquid contains a lot of water.