The best butter substitutes depend on what you're baking

The substitute you choose matters because butter does three things in baking: it adds fat for moisture and richness, it creates steam that helps baked goods rise, and it carries flavour. Not every replacement does all three equally well. For cakes and quick breads, oil (vegetable, canola, or coconut) works nearly identically to melted butter—use the same amount and your texture will be nearly identical. For cookies and pastries where you need the butter to stay solid and create layers or pockets, coconut oil or shortening are closer matches. For brownies and dense cakes, applesauce or Greek yogurt can replace some or all of the butter if you don't mind a slightly different crumb.

The reason substitutes work differently is chemistry: butter is about 80 percent fat and 15 percent water, while oil is 100 percent fat, and applesauce is mostly water with almost no fat. That difference changes how your dough behaves and what the final texture feels like. Knowing which substitute matches the job means the difference between a cake that rises properly and one that stays dense.

Key Takeaways

  • Neutral oils like vegetable or canola oil replace butter one-to-one in cakes, brownies, and quick breads without changing texture.
  • Coconut oil and shortening mimic butter's solid state and work best in cookies, pie crusts, and pastries where layering matters.
  • Applesauce and Greek yogurt reduce fat content and work in brownies and dense cakes but will make baked goods slightly less rich and more moist.
  • Nut butters (peanut, almond) add flavour and work in brownies and cookies but will change the taste of delicate cakes.
  • Dairy-free butter substitutes (vegan butter, coconut butter) are engineered to mimic real butter and work across most recipes with a one-to-one swap.

Oil for cakes, brownies, and quick breads

Neutral oils—vegetable, canola, or light olive oil—are the most straightforward swap for melted butter in recipes where the butter is already liquid. Use the exact same amount as the recipe calls for. The result will be nearly identical to the original because oil is pure fat, which is what carries moisture and flavour in a baked good. Your cake will be just as tender, your brownies just as fudgy.

The one difference you might notice is that oil-based baked goods can taste slightly less rich than butter-based ones, because butter contains milk solids that add a subtle savoury depth. If that matters to you, add a pinch of salt or a teaspoon of vanilla extract to compensate. Coconut oil works the same way but will add a faint coconut flavour—use it only if that fits the recipe (coconut cake, tropical brownies) or if you don't mind the taste.

Coconut oil and shortening for cookies and pastries

When a recipe calls for solid butter that you cream together with sugar, or butter that needs to stay in small pieces (pie crust, biscuits, laminated dough), coconut oil or shortening are better matches than liquid oil. Both stay solid at room temperature and create the pockets and layers that make cookies crispy and pie crusts flaky. Use them in a one-to-one swap by weight or volume.

Coconut oil will add a subtle coconut flavour and works especially well in chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and pie crusts where that taste complements the recipe. Shortening is flavourless and won't change the taste of your baked good at all. Both will produce cookies that spread slightly more than butter-based versions, so if your recipe is already prone to spreading, chill the dough a bit longer before baking. Vegan bakers often prefer these two because they're plant-based and widely available.

Applesauce and Greek yogurt for brownies and dense cakes

If you want to reduce the fat content of a baked good, applesauce or plain Greek yogurt can replace some or all of the butter. Start by replacing half the butter with applesauce or yogurt (so if a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ½ cup butter and ½ cup applesauce). The result will be moister and less rich, with a slightly denser crumb. This works well in brownies, chocolate cakes, and zucchini bread where the dense texture is actually desirable.

If you want to replace all the butter, use the full amount of applesauce or yogurt, but understand that the baked good will be noticeably different—less rich, more cake-like, sometimes slightly gummy if you overbake it. These substitutes add water to the dough, so your baked good may need a few extra minutes in the oven. Greek yogurt adds a slight tang that can be pleasant in chocolate or spiced cakes. Applesauce is neutral and works in any recipe. Neither will work well in delicate cakes, cookies, or pastries where you need a tender, light crumb.

Nut butters for brownies and cookies

Peanut butter, almond butter, and other nut butters are mostly fat, so they can replace butter in brownies and cookies. Use them in a one-to-one swap, but understand that they will change the flavour of your baked good—a chocolate cake made with almond butter will taste like almond-chocolate cake. This is usually a good thing in brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal cookies, where the nut flavour complements the other ingredients.

Nut butters are thicker than melted butter, so if your recipe calls for creaming butter and sugar together, the nut butter will be harder to mix. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of milk or oil to loosen it. Nut butters also contain slightly more water than pure fat, so your baked goods may be a touch moister and denser than the original recipe. They don't work well in delicate cakes or pastries where you want a neutral flavour.

Dairy-free and vegan butter substitutes

Commercial dairy-free butter substitutes (brands like Earth Balance, Miyoko's, or store-brand vegan butter) are engineered to mimic real butter as closely as possible. They contain a blend of oils, water, and emulsifiers that behave almost identically to butter in most recipes. Use them in a one-to-one swap—the same amount as the recipe calls for—and your baked good should turn out nearly the same as if you'd used real butter.

The quality varies by brand, and some work better in certain recipes than others. Vegan butter works best in cookies, cakes, and pastries where you're creaming it with sugar or using it in layers. It's less reliable in recipes where the exact water content matters (laminated dough, pie crust) because different brands have different ratios of fat to water. If you're using vegan butter for the first time in a recipe you care about, test it first or read reviews from other bakers who've used that specific brand in that specific recipe.

How to choose the right substitute for your recipe

Start by asking what form the butter is in: melted or solid. If the recipe melts the butter first (brownies, cakes, quick breads), use oil. If the recipe creams butter and sugar together (cookies, cakes, pastries), use coconut oil, shortening, or vegan butter. If the recipe calls for cold butter cut into pieces (pie crust, biscuits, scones), use coconut oil, shortening, or vegan butter and keep it cold.

Next, think about the flavour. Neutral oils and shortening won't change the taste. Coconut oil, nut butters, and vegan butter will add their own flavour, which is fine if it fits the recipe but not if you want something neutral. Finally, consider the texture you want. If you want the baked good to be as close to the original as possible, use oil or vegan butter. If you want to reduce fat or add moisture, use applesauce or yogurt, but accept that the texture will change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use olive oil instead of butter in baking?

Yes, but use light or mild olive oil, not extra-virgin, which has a strong flavour that will taste out of place in most baked goods. Use it in a one-to-one swap. It works best in cakes, brownies, and quick breads where the olive flavour won't clash—avoid it in delicate cakes or cookies where you want a neutral taste.

What's the difference between coconut oil and shortening in baking?

Both stay solid at room temperature and work similarly in cookies and pie crusts. Coconut oil adds a subtle coconut flavour; shortening is flavourless. Shortening is more reliable for laminated dough and pie crusts because it has a higher melting point. Coconut oil is plant-based and works well in recipes where coconut flavour fits.

Will applesauce make my cookies spread too much?

Yes, because applesauce adds water and has less fat than butter. It's not a good substitute for cookies—use it in brownies, cakes, or quick breads instead. If you want to reduce fat in cookies, use coconut oil or shortening rather than applesauce.

Can I mix two substitutes together?

Yes. Many bakers mix oil and applesauce, or oil and yogurt, to get the texture they want. Start with half oil and half applesauce, then adjust based on how the batter looks. This works well in brownies and dense cakes where you want some richness but also some moisture.

Do I need to change the oven temperature if I use a different butter substitute?

No, the oven temperature stays the same. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly—oil-based baked goods sometimes bake a bit faster, and applesauce-based ones sometimes need a few extra minutes. Check for doneness a minute or two before the recipe says, rather than relying on the timer alone.