We always ask this question when considering substituting ingredients for other ingredients. The key to successful substitutions, especially in baking, is to ensure that the new ingredients serve the same purpose as the ones that the recipe actually calls for--and does not serve any additional, unwanted purposes. Butter and oil both serve to add moisture to recipes, keep ingredients from sticking to each other (or the pan), and contribute to a baked goods end texture. Though they have these things in common, butter and oil are different, so they go about each purpose differently.
Butter owes its name to its particular fatty acid, known as butyric acid. This is one of the fatty acids that predominantly contributes to the texture and mouthfeel of your recipe differently than oils. The amount that a pastry will rise is typically proportional to the amount of solid fat in it, so the butter can help determine the levity of the end product. Butter also melts very evenly and helps absorb flavors around it, so this can help with the even distribution of various flavors in your recipe. Not to mention, butter has a delicious taste to it and can add that nice flavor to any recipe that uses it. When trying to substitute a cup of oil for a cup of butter, it is important to pay attention to which of these attributes oil can also provide, as well as which ones you may not be able to get from oil. Sometimes you can make up for missing links in other ways, or you may just need to use a different butter substitute in some recipes.
The differences between butter and oil are what make this substitution possible, but they are also what makes it a little tricky. For one, butter has ton of tiny air bubbles that help it keep its shape, whereas oil is a more compact liquid. If you can imagine the difference between mixing or heating butter or oil, then this will make more sense: you can mix butter to become a creamy substance, whereas oil is tougher to change from its original state, and heat simply vaporizes it in many cases. These two ingredients also taste different--your oils will likely taste similar to what they were made from, whereas butter has a specifically savory taste that we all know and love. This makes butter ideal for pies and crusts, where the butter flavor adds to the rest of the ingredients flavor profiles. On the other hand, oil is more ideal for moist, tender recipes like thick cakes, and can be used to complement different flavor profiles, like with coconut oil!
Hi! In a condensed milk cake recipe, my friend and me argued about using olive pomace over butter. I dislike creamy and buttery tastes in foodstuffs, and argued that it would taste like that. The recipe calls for canola oil, but I want to use olive pomace oil because it is similar. Please help!
Hi! If you normally use olive pomace oil in your kitchen, you can certainly use it in a cake recipe that calls for canola oil. They are both relatively flavorless and are extracted using the same method.
I came across Bob's red Mill products and my grocery store just tried them on a whim and I've never been more impressed with any product I've ever tried from the same company than with you guys and this article was perfect for what I needed the substitutions for you guys are just awesome thank you so much!
I'm trying to make pie filling, is it good to use oil as a substitute for half a cup of butter? My pie filling is sugar cream, and I don't really know if it will affect it's taste. Thanks!
Hi - In that case I would recommend sticking with butter. Oil is liquid at room temperature whereas butter is solid and this may affect the final texture of the pie.
Hi Jim - that really depends on what recipe you're using. You can email our Customer Service team the recipe and they'd be happy to help.
Thank you for a very helpful article! I especially appreciate the advice about not replacing butter when the recipe calls for creaming the butter and sugar. (And as a long-time consumer of LOTS of Bob's products, thank you for continuing to produce high-quality products that never disappoint!)
Can i substitute oil for butter in my recipe for brownies? It says 1 cup butter, to be melted with chocolate chips! Thank you.
It depends on the other ingredients in your recipe, but in theory that should work just fine as a substitution :)
I am casein intolerant. Casein is one of several proteins found in milk products, whey being the best known. Lactose is a sugar found in milk products. Those of us with casein intolerance are also unable to digest butter, unless the milk solids are removed, as is the case with ghee. So consider this intolerance when explaining why some cooks prefer, or even need, to replace butter with more easily digested ingredients.
Very helpful article on oil/butter substitutions and *why*. Thank you! (And I didn't know you had teff flour--I learned ALL kinds of things on this post! I could use some injera too--maybe my next baking adventure?!)
Yay! We're so happy you found this useful. Enjoy the injera too!
Love your company, the products. ideas. recipes every thing . I just made some Ethopian bread injira from the Teff flour. liz
Thank you for trust us with your health, Liz!
Thank you for your clear instructions. I didn't have butter, and substituted Veg. Oil. It's so very helpful when a company takes the times to help its customers in this way. Very satisfied :)