7 Butter Alternatives for Cooking

You may be surprised to find out that there are several alternatives to using butter in your baking and also for cooking. These alternatives are healthier and just as tasty, so if you’re looking to make the change from butter, read on to find out what they are and how to best use them.

Nut Butters

There are many types of nut butters on the market now, and they contain vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats. Try using peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter in place of ordinary butter as a spread on toast, muffins and bagels.

If you want to use nut butter for cooking and baking, you may have to experiment to find the right amount, but try a 1-1 ratio to start with.

Avocado

Avocados are full of heart-healthy fats, and using them to replace butter works well if you’re aiming to keep your cholesterol levels under control, and heart disease risks down.

Mash up an avocado and use it in place of butter in a 1-1 ratio.

Plant Oils

There are plenty of different types of plant-based oils, such as coconut, olive and canola oil that make good substitutes for butter. These oils contain healthy fats, and can be used in baking recipes by replacing one cup of butter with ¾ cup of vegetable oil. Veg oil also works well in pasta sauces or mashed potatoes as a butter replacement.

Ghee

Often used in Indian cooking, ghee is a type of clarified butter. It has a strong, nutty taste, and buttery flavour. Ghee is created from butter, but its smoke point is higher, which means it doesn’t burn if used for frying, and it may produce fewer dangerous free radicals.

Use ghee instead of butter in a 1-1 ratio. Ghee can be kept for longer than butter, which is another advantage.

Buttermilk

You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have any shop bought stuff. Just mix one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with one cup of full-fat milk, and you’ll have your own buttermilk in no time.

You only need ½ a cup of buttermilk for every one cup of butter when you use it in cooking and baking. If you want to balance the flavour of buttermilk, use ¼ cup of buttermilk and ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce in place

Full Fat Greek Yoghurt

Greek yoghurt is full of protein and nutrients, and gives a creamy texture as a butter replacement. Substitute one cup of butter with ½ cup of plain, full fat Greek yoghurt. This works very well for baking cakes or making mashed potatoes.

Fruit Puree

You can use a fruit puree, such as pumpkin, instead of butter to cut down on saturated fats and calories in cooking and baking. Use ¾ cup of pumpkin, prune, apple sauce, mashed bananas, or butternut squash puree to replace one cup of butter.