The most common butter replacements and what they do
The best replacement depends on whether you are cooking, baking, or spreading. Oil (vegetable, canola, or olive) works in almost any savory dish and in many baked goods—use three-quarters cup oil for every cup of butter. Applesauce replaces butter in cakes and brownies at a 1:1 ratio but makes them denser and less rich. Greek yogurt adds moisture and tang to baked goods; use half yogurt and half oil for the full amount of butter. Coconut oil mimics butter's texture in pie crusts and cookies but adds coconut flavor. Nut butters (peanut, almond) work in cookies and brownies but change the taste noticeably.
For spreading on toast or bread, nut butters, tahini, mashed avocado, and olive oil are direct swaps. For frying and sautéing, stick with neutral oils—vegetable, canola, or light olive oil. For baking pastries that need flakiness (biscuits, pie dough, croissants), coconut oil or solid vegetable shortening come closest to butter's behavior, though neither produces identical results.
Key Takeaways
- Oil replaces butter at a 3:4 ratio in most recipes and works in both savory cooking and baking.
- Applesauce and Greek yogurt reduce fat and calories in baked goods but make them denser than butter versions.
- Coconut oil and shortening create flaky textures in pastries and pie dough, though the flavor and crumb will differ slightly.
- Nut butters, avocado, and tahini work well for spreading but change the flavor of what you are making.
- The right replacement depends on the recipe type: cooking, baking, or spreading each have different needs.
Oil for cooking, sautéing, and frying
Oil is the most forgiving replacement in savory cooking. Use vegetable, canola, or light olive oil in a 1:1 ratio—if a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter, use 2 tablespoons of oil. Oil has a higher smoke point than butter (the temperature at which it breaks down), so it handles high-heat cooking better. This matters when you are searing meat, stir-frying vegetables, or making a pan sauce.
The main difference is flavor. Butter adds a rich, slightly sweet taste; oil is neutral (unless you use extra-virgin olive oil, which has a strong flavor of its own). If the butter flavor matters to your dish—like in a brown butter sauce for pasta—oil alone will not give you that. In that case, cook with oil and add a small amount of butter at the end just for taste, or use a combination of both.
Avoid using extra-virgin olive oil for high-heat cooking; it smokes at a lower temperature and tastes bitter when overheated. Save it for drizzling, dressing, or finishing a dish.
Applesauce and yogurt for baked goods
Both applesauce and Greek yogurt reduce the fat in cakes, brownies, and quick breads. Applesauce replaces butter at a 1:1 ratio—use 1 cup applesauce for 1 cup butter. The result is moister but denser, with a slightly sweet taste. This works well in chocolate cakes, brownies, and spice cakes where the added sweetness fits. It does not work in delicate cakes like angel food or chiffon, and it will not produce a light, fluffy crumb.
Greek yogurt is tangier and adds protein. Use half the amount of yogurt as you would butter, then fill the rest with oil. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 0.5 cup yogurt and 0.5 cup oil. This keeps the cake from becoming too dense. Yogurt works especially well in chocolate cakes, carrot cake, and zucchini bread. The tang is subtle but noticeable—some bakers like it; others do not.
Both of these replacements change the texture. Cakes will be slightly less tender and more crumbly. Cookies will spread differently and may not hold their shape as well. If you are baking something where texture is critical—like a layer cake for a special occasion—test the recipe first with a small batch.
Coconut oil and shortening for pastries and pie dough
When you need flakiness—in pie crusts, biscuits, or scones—coconut oil and vegetable shortening behave more like butter than other replacements. Both are solid at room temperature, which is what creates those distinct layers in pastry. Use them at a 1:1 ratio for butter.
Coconut oil adds a subtle coconut flavor that works in some pastries (like pie crust for fruit pies) but not others (like savory biscuits). Refined coconut oil has less coconut taste than unrefined. Vegetable shortening is flavorless, so it does not change the taste of your baked good, but many bakers avoid it because it is highly processed.
Neither will produce results identical to butter. The crust may be slightly less tender, and the flavor will be different. But both will give you a flaky texture if you handle the dough the same way you would with butter—keep everything cold, do not overwork the dough, and chill before baking.
Nut butters for cookies and brownies
Peanut butter, almond butter, and tahini work in cookies and brownies because they add fat and moisture. Use them at a 1:1 ratio for butter, though you may need to reduce other liquids slightly since nut butters are already moist. A peanut butter cookie made with peanut butter instead of butter will taste like peanut butter—which is the point if that is what you want.
These replacements make cookies chewier and denser than butter does. They also add protein and fiber. If you are using natural nut butter (the kind with just nuts and salt), stir it well before measuring, because the oil separates. If you use the creamy, commercial kind, measure straight from the jar.
Tahini (sesame seed paste) is less sweet than peanut or almond butter and has a more subtle flavor. It works well in chocolate cookies and brownies where you want richness without a strong nut taste.
Avocado and other spreads for toast and bread
For spreading, mashed avocado, nut butters, tahini, and olive oil are direct replacements. Avocado is soft, creamy, and neutral enough to pair with almost any topping. Mash it with a fork, add a pinch of salt, and spread it on toast. Nut butters and tahini have their own flavor but are quick and filling. A drizzle of good olive oil on toasted bread is straightforward and works with savory toppings.
None of these will brown or crisp the way butter does when you toast bread in a pan. If you want that golden, crispy exterior, you still need butter or oil in the pan—spreading something on bread after toasting is different from cooking with fat.
How to adjust recipes when you swap butter
The main thing to watch is moisture. Oil-based replacements do not absorb into batter the same way butter does, so cakes and cookies may turn out greasy or spread too much. If you are using oil instead of butter in a baked good, reduce the oil by a tablespoon or two, or add a tablespoon of flour to absorb extra moisture.
Applesauce and yogurt add liquid, so reduce other liquids (milk, water, eggs) slightly. Start by cutting them by 2 to 3 tablespoons per cup of butter replaced. Taste the batter before baking—it should feel like the original recipe, not noticeably wetter or drier.
Temperature matters too. Coconut oil and shortening need to be cold when you mix them into pie dough or biscuit dough. If they warm up, you lose the flakiness. Work quickly, keep your hands cool, and chill the dough before rolling it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use oil instead of butter in all baking?
Oil works in most cakes, brownies, and quick breads, but not in pastries that need flakiness like pie dough or croissants. For those, use coconut oil or shortening. Oil also does not brown or add the rich flavor butter does, so baked goods may taste flatter.
What is the best replacement for butter in cookies?
It depends on the cookie. For chocolate chip cookies, oil works fine. For peanut butter cookies, use peanut butter. For delicate butter cookies where the butter flavor is the point, there is no perfect replacement—coconut oil comes closest, but the taste will be different.
Does applesauce work in all cakes?
Applesauce works in dense, moist cakes like chocolate cake and carrot cake, but not in light, fluffy cakes like angel food or sponge cake. It also adds sweetness, so reduce sugar in the recipe slightly if the cake is already sweet.
Can I use butter and oil together?
Yes. Many bakers use a mix—half butter and half oil—to get some of the flavor of butter with the moisture and ease of oil. This works especially well in cakes and brownies.
What happens if I use the wrong replacement?
The baked good may be too dry, too greasy, too dense, or spread too much. It will still be edible, but the texture and flavor will be noticeably different. If texture is important, test a small batch first before making the full recipe.