Can I Substitute Butter for Oil in Brownies and Cakes? Answered!

Can I Substitute Butter for Oil in Brownies and Cakes?

Can I substitute butter for oil (or vegetable oil) in brownies, cakes and in baking? Yes! And I will show you how to replace the butter for oil in the right way.

If you have been to the chemistry lab then you can relate that kitchen is totally parallel to the chemistry lab, and like how we use to mix and match things there to create something new and beautiful that’s exactly how we work in the kitchen mixing and matching different ingredients.

Trying out new things, using different things or ingredients instead of the regular ones and test them out how do they taste, looks or feel. This article is going to bust a lot of myths that you may or may not have heard or talked about.

Can I substitute butter for oil?

Can I substitute butter for oil

This is the question that at some point of time might have come to your mind, well you are not the only one you have these types of questions in mind I have been asked a lot of time about this.

Oil and butter are used for the most part of cooking and baking.

Of course, they do have differences in terms of the methods of preparation, nutrients, and the way how they taste.

Butter and oil are forms of fat and all these fat are not equal when it comes to cooking. Well, there are absolutely no issues in using butter instead of oil.

But using exact quantity is the key. Now how would you know how much butter to use if the recipe asks for 1/3 cup of oil? Not to worry there’s just a simple method to get that right and that is you simply use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter. That is it, as simple as that.

Substituting Butter for oil in brownies 

Well it may seem hard but you can use butter instead of oil for brownies!

You can simply just follow the instructions and use the same quantity as shown in the direction but there’s a simple hack if it asks for 1/3 cup of oil you just use 5 1/3 tablespoon of butter, put that butter in the pan and melt it, wait for it to cool down and then use it for brownies.

Butter tastes so good that after trying this you won’t be going back to oil anytime soon.

How to substitute butter for oil in cake mix

When baking any sort of cake the fat used in it has some clear-cut purpose, the fat in the cake is responsible for the tenderness of the cake, it gives the cake a moister and makes it softer.

Vegetable oil is commonly used in baking cakes but if you are caught in a scenario where you don’t have oil in handy or you are just looking for making it something little extra the best Substitute for that is Butter.

Make sure to use the exact amount of butter and always use a microwave-safe measuring cup to measure and melt the butter. 

How to substitute for baking

Baking is no less than chemistry itself like in chemistry there are many possibilities for reaching the product using different chemicals and stuff, likewise in baking it’s the same thing if you have the right knowledge about the ingredients you can save your time and cost as well.

There few things which I am about to tell memorize them and they will surely help you out next time when you are baking something. 

1 Egg can be replaced by 2 tablespoon of Ground flax and 3 tablespoon cold water mix it well leave it aside for 10-15 mins now you can use that in bread, cookies, waffles and pancakes. 

Butter can be easily replaced by margarine or coconut oil but of course the taste will vary.

Can you use butter instead of vegetable oil?

Vegetable oil

Of course, you can there is no hard and fast rule for that, Butter at times tastes more flavorful than the vegetable oil itself. There are many countries that use butter for their daily cooking.

The main role of vegetable oil in any recipe is just to ensure softness and enrichens. Vegetable oil is basically clean flavored and neutral so it is easier to substitute butter for vegetable oil.

Butter can be easily used in many dishes because it is also a type of fat that can be used for making almost, it has a relatively low smoking point than that of the oil. And it is a lot better in terms of taste too. 

Will the butter taste same as the oil?

We do know that butter and oil can take each other’s place in many dishes. Nevertheless, in most of the case, they are used individually in a variety of dishes depending upon the nutrients and flavor.

The oil is used mostly for cooking and that is because it is tasteless although it can have some flavor depending upon from which fruit it is extracted.

On the other hand, the butter’s taste is salty that is the reason it is commonly used in desserts. The reason for being salty is that it has to be obtained by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk which gives it a salty flavor.

Does butter looks healthier in recipes?

To some people, it may not look like a healthier option, and to some extent that is true, that is because the butter contains saturated fatty acids and that too in large amounts. More often than not butter is in a solid state and it has to be melted before using.

Butter for the most part carries butterfat, milk proteins, and water. It may not be the healthier option but it is many streets ahead in terms of taste.

As soon as this debate starts many of you will lean on the side of oil considering the fact that may have fewer calories but to your surprise butter and oil both have the same amount of calories the major difference between them is the fats.

If you are a health freak and watch out for saturated fat then I won’t suggest you go for butter. But if you are a person how loves taste more than anything then butter is defiantly your thing.

Tips and tricks to use butter instead of oil 

Brownies without oil

There are just few points to remember when you are using butter instead of oil. These are some small things which normally nobody cares about and for most of the people they are unaware of these facts, these little tips can make your food experience heavenly if applied correctly. 

1) Oil to butter ratio

Whatever you are making and it requires butter then you should be careful while replacing the butter with oil. You can always use the 1:1 ratio for better outcomes. If you use more than that you will mess up with your recipe and you will some extra unwanted saturated fat.

2) Use lighter tasting oils

I am quite sure that you might have never heard about this tip. Whenever you make anything sweet always use lighter tasting oils these can be sunflower oil or peanut oil, but in some cases when you are making something out of chocolate like chocolate cake or anything like that always use rich oils like olive oil or avocado oil your recipe will taste a whole lot better with just changing the type of oil in your foods. 

3) Use cocoa butter in less quantity

If you are using cocoa butter make sure you use it in less quantity. The reason for that is it sets solid easily so if you are using it make sure you use it in minimum quantity or you will have to use any liquid like water or extremely unsaturated oil to make a perfect balance. You can use cocoa butter if you are making unbaked stuff like unbaked cookies or fudge

So, do you already know how to substitute vegetable oil for butter? Don’t forget, 1/3 cup vegetable oil it’s the same as 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter. Hope this helps! Any questions you have, leave a comment below.

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Candy Seideman has been cooking for most of her life. In fact she is referred to as "The Chef" by most of her close family not only because she attended culinary school and was an actual chef, but also because she has a passion for cooking for friends and family.