fat free baking healthy baking butter substitute
Butter is integral to any baking

Butter is one fantastic dairy product. The way it slides onto the hot breakfast parantha is unbeatable. Also, the way it melts into your Pav Bhaji is mouth-watering. Similarly, it has managed to slip its way into becoming one of the most important dairy products. Do you think there could be butter alternatives worth considering?

It serves as a critical ingredient in many baking recipes. Here’s how it helps in baking:

  • Butter is from where the “melts in your mouth” factor come in baked goods.
  • This dairy product powers cookies, pastries, cakes, and pies, as well. It adds flavor to these items in an uplifting way.
  • It also helps the baked products get their creamy layer right and makes the baked goods more tender.
  • Butter is a well-known leading source for creamy frostings and flaky baked goods.

Summing it up, Butter is one great ingredient with so many applications. Butter might be the underappreciated hero of baking, but the health and diet conscious among us would not follow the fan-fair. No wonder we need to replace this hero with someone similar who helps keep the recipes intact and offers us a high health index rating!

Many ingredients serve as a good substitute to butter, and all baking recipes can benefit from the same.

Here are some of them:

1. Buttermilk or Chhach- healthy and one of the best fat-free butter alternatives

Buttermilk is a healthy substitute for butter
Buttermilk is a healthy and light substitute for butter

Buttermilk serves as an excellent substitute for butter. With its qualities of giving the baked goodies a tender and high rise, it serves its purpose just right.

Benefits of Buttermilk:
  • Buttermilk helps in making baked goods remarkably tender
  • Well-known to help in the leavening of most of the baked products
  • It gives the baked products a tangy and tender flavor
  • Effective against dehydration
  • Buttermilk provides calcium without fat. No fat = win!
  • It also controls stomach acidity. Gosh! When did Eno get Buttermilk flavor?
How to replace butter with buttermilk:

For every one cup of butter, use ½ a cup of buttermilk, and you are good to go!

Important Tip while baking with buttermilk:

Buttermilk should not be used as a butter substitute for making pie crust as because of its flowing consistency, buttermilk will lead to a soft dough and a soggy pie. Otherwise, it goes well with most of the baking recipes.

2. Coconut Oil- Butter replacement from down South

coconut oils is a power packed butter substitute
coconut oils is a power packed alternative to butter

We all know Coconut is a popular cooking oil used primarily in the southern part of India. But coconut oil is also a very good substitute for butter in baking recipes. It is known to have high nutritional value, hence a good plus point over butter!

Benefits of Coconut Oil:
  • Coconut Oil makes the taste of the baked goods lighter
  • It can also help you lose weight. So you are less worried of your weight while munching on desserts!
  • Heart health is known to improve with the consumption of coconut oil
  • Coconut oil is beneficial for the brain. Intelligence is always welcome!
How to replace butter with coconut oil:

For every one cup of butter, replace it with one cup of coconut oil.

Important Tip while using Coconut:

It is mostly preferred for sweets since it’s coconut flavor is sometimes noticeable and is better liked with a bit of added sweetness!

3. Olive Oil

Olive Oil can replace butter
Olive Oil is an easy and healthy replacement of butter

Olive Oil is known as one of the healthiest oils for cooking and finds a good place in baking too. Its properties make it the healthiest fat to consume and a great alternative to butter. Also, the flavor is fantastic!

Benefits of Olive Oil:
  • Olive Oil contains a massive amount of antioxidants
  • These antioxidants further help in fighting inflammation, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, which results in lowering the chances of heart diseases. A healthy heart is a happy heart!
  • Olive oil can also help in weight loss- the most important reason for our diet conscious ladies to opt for this alternative.
  • It also reduces the risk of cancer in your body.
  • Not only physical health, but olive oil is also known to reduce the risk of mental illness.

Olive Oil is a classy item better described as a small bottle, big blast.

How to replace butter with olive oil:

To replace butter with olive oil, substitute one cup of butter with ¾ cup of olive oil. Measure according to taste.

Important Tip:

Olive Oil blends in well with muffins, brownies, pancakes, and cakes.

4. Desi Ghee

Ghee as butter replacement
With the same source of production, ghee is an undoubtedly easily available substitute for butter

Ghee is one of the critical ingredients of any Indian household. No roti is complete without ghee (unless you are dieting!). Hence this is every mom’s favorite kitchen item!

Apart from home, ghee has also found its use in the world of baking, replacing butter to serve its purpose.

Benefits of Ghee:
  • Ghee is healthier than butter, as it contains many essential vitamins and fats.
  • A natural dairy product, ghee, has anti-inflammatory properties.
  • It helps in taking care of the digestive system.
  • Apart from the digestive system, it also strengthens the immune system.
  • Lactose-free so the lactose intolerant people need not worry about this dairy product.

No wonder why moms love this super ingredient for their children however old they grow :-)

How to replace ghee with butter:

For every one cup of butter, replace it with one cup of ghee and your job’s done! Since ghee has a strong flavor, we recommend you to experiment and set your quantity required accordingly.

Important Tip:

Ghee works excellent when used for greasing the cake and in the cake batter instead of butter. Remember, it is not recommended to use ghee for frosting as it has a strong aroma and a different flavor.

5. Bananas

Super food banana is also an alternative to butter
Banana as an alternative to butter

Bananas, one of the sweetest and healthiest fruits out there, serve many purposes in the world of baking. We all know how it replaces sugar and also helps in an eggless baking

Mashed bananas serve as an amazing replacement for sugar as well as butter in baking recipes.

Benefits of Bananas:
  • Bananas are rich in nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.
  • They have almost zero fat, which means they can be your companion in weight loss. Explains why no monkeys are fat!
  • Potassium quantity is high in bananas, resulting in lower blood pressure and a healthy heart.
  • They consist of resistant starch, which increases the feeling of being “full” after having just a few bananas. Fewer bananas = more appetite!
  • Not only heart, but bananas also help in improving kidney health.
  • This fruit is every athletes preference as it helps reduce muscle-related cramps and provide energy before, during and after a workout.

No wonder Monkeys are energetic all the time!

How to replace butter with mashed bananas:

For every one cup of butter, replace it with one cup of mashed bananas. Keep in mind that unlike butter, more quantity of mashed bananas will add to the sweetness of the baking recipe.

Important Tip:

Mashed Bananas work great with cakes, muffins, bread, pies, and cookies. Be careful that using mashed bananas reducing the baking time by 25%, so remember to keep an eye on your baking goods!

Here is the complete list for substitutes for butter in baking.

Which of the butter alternatives are you looking forward to using?

To replace sugar in your baking, check out our blog for sugar substitutes!