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.
Vegetable oil
is a viable substitute for butter when baking cookies. You will likely need to use a smaller amount to keep your cookies from being greasy.
Oils work best for muffins and quick breads, but you can use them for cookies as well. Try
3⁄4 cup olive or vegetable oil
for every cup of butter called for.
While butter contains air pockets that help it retain its shape,
oil is more compact
. You can't really alter it from its original state. Not to mention, using a flavorful oil such as olive oil in a cookie might give you a baked product that's just a little on the funkier side. Naturally, you can expect a softer dough.
Baking with fats
creates a rich tasting experience and more flavor overall. Another plus: cakes and cookies will be moister when baking with fat. Overall, baked goods made with fat taste better, that's a fact .
How much butter is a 1/2 cup of oil?
In cooking, for 1/2 cup of oil, you can use
2/3 cup of
butter.
- Applesauce. Applesauce significantly reduces the calorie and fat content of baked goods. …
- Avocados. …
- Mashed bananas. …
- Greek yogurt. …
- Nut butters. …
- Pumpkin purée.
Baking: Go for a neutral-tasting oil, like
canola oil or vegetable oil
—something that won't have too much of an impact on the flavors you're working with.
When baking with oil instead of butter in your recipes, keep in mind that some cookies just won't work as they're supposed to without a solid fat.
Try replacing just half the butter with oil
, which still cuts your saturated fats but retains much of the cookies' original texture.
For baking purposes, the Test Kitchen recommends using
unsalted butter
so you can better control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. Salted butter is best for serving at the table with bread or to flavor a dish, like mashed potatoes.
Can I bake with olive oil?
Yes, you can use olive oil in baking
. … Instead of running to the store, the good news is you can bake with olive oil just like you would other cooking oils. Fats and oils in quick breads, cakes, and cookies are necessary to achieve the delicious texture of your baked goods so it's important to substitute them properly.
Is vegetable oil healthier than butter?
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.
Are cakes better with butter or oil?
The texture of cakes made with
oil
is—in general—superior to the texture of cakes made with butter. Oil cakes tend to bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender far longer than cakes made with butter. … Cakes made with butter often taste better than oil cakes.
How do you convert butter to oil?
BUTTER OLIVE OIL | 2⁄3 CUP 1⁄2 CUP | 3⁄4 CUP 1⁄2 CUP + 1 TABLESPOON | 1 CUP (2 sticks) 3⁄4 CUP | 2 CUPS (4 sticks) 1-1⁄2 CUPS |
---|
What is the equivalent of butter to vegetable oil?
You can absolutely substitute
butter
for the vegetable oil. Use the same quantity specified in the directions (for example, if it calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter).
What can I substitute for 1/2 cup vegetable oil?
- Applesauce, preferably unsweetened.
- Banana, ripe and mashed.
- Butter, melted.
- Cauliflower – unseasoned, cooked, and pureed.
- Ghee.
- Margarine, melted.
- Mayonnaise.
- Pumpkin, cooked and pureed.