Wondering how to replace butter when baking pies and desserts? Here’s a simple list of oil-free butter substitutes for baking. Wondering why it’s important to substitute butter in baking recipes for oil-free alternatives? In this post I’ll share with you why.

Why substitute butter in baking?

Butter is found in almost every recipe ever created in America. You’ll be hard pressed to find a classic frosting recipe, cookie recipe, pancake or waffle recipe that doesn’t contain butter. Learn in this post how to replace butter in baking recipes using oil-free, whole food, plant-based alternatives.

What is butter?

Butter is defined by the USDA as:

…the food product usually known as butter, and which is made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, and with or without additional coloring matter, and containing not less than 80 per centum by weight of milk fat, all tolerances having been allowed for.

Milk is defined by the USDA as:

Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.

By definition, butter is a secretion from a cow made into a food product. This is not something a healthy human needs in their diet which is why many doctors recommend a plant-based diet. Unfortunately, most of the recipes we were raised on contain butter. Thankfully, we have many oil-free substitutes for butter in baking and they are listed below.

Why do recipes call for oil and butter?

Often times recipes call for fat, such as butter or oil in a baking recipe to give the baked good a certain mouthfeel, body, weight, and craveable flavor. This same effect can be accomplished using whole food sources, such as ground nuts, pureed fruit such as banana and apple, as well as plant-based alternatives such as yogurt and silken tofu.

When substituting oil in your recipe for one of the follow oil-free alternatives, you’ll want to replicate the texture and consistency of the item you are replacing. Butter is generally creamy, fatty and has a higher water content containing about 15-20% water. Oil is basically all fat with very little water content but lots of consistency.

How to make a vegan oil-free butter substitute for baking

Making an oil-free butter substitute is easy, simply blend together a combination of approximately:

• 80% Fat
• 20% Liquid

If your recipe usually calls for 1 cup butter, you would blend a butter substitute that is about 80% fat and 20% plant-based milk or water. Consider the fruit you are using, some contain liquid such as apple juice and you’ll want to factor that in. Avoid making this too complicated, you’re simply making a pureed, creamy spread or pourable mixture similar to soft or melted butter.

Oil-free butter substitutes for baking

Instead of using butter in your recipes, substitute it for one of these plant-based ingredients or combinations of ingredients:

Ground nuts or seeds

Ground peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts and other nuts and seeds are great for replacing the fat and creaminess of butter in recipes. Spread a nut or seed butter on your morning toast, or blend it with fruit or vegetable purees with a little liquid to make an even more buttery spread or liquid.

How to substitute for butter: 

For each 1/4 cup of butter, replace with 1/4 cup nut or seed butter and 1-2 tablespoons water. Blend well and use as a spread. Or add these ingredients to your baking recipe where appropriate.

Plant-based yogurt

Yogurt has a great consistency which is perfect for substituting butter. Consider that yogurt does have a high water content so you may want to blend the yogurt with a little nut or seed butter to make it thicker. Or simply using as a cup-for-cup butter substitute in cookies, baked goods, and for moisture-rich frostings.

How to substitute for butter:

Substitute 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup plant-based yogurt.

Silken tofu

Silken tofu also has a great consistency perfect for substituting butter in recipes, however it doesn’t contain the fat that butter has. Use silken tofu in recipes where fat isn’t as important or blend silken tofu with something that has naturally occurring fats such as nuts or seeds. Use silken tofu as a cup-for-cup replacement for butter in frostings, dips and spreads.

How to substitute for butter:

Substitute 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup silken tofu.

Homemade oil-free butter substitute with fruit

Easily make a homemade oil-free butter substitute using any of the combinations of nuts, liquid and fruit. This mixture is a great substitute for butter in pie crusts, pie crumble toppings, dough, and for cookies.

• Peanut butter + plant milk + banana
• Peanut butter + plant milk + apple
• Walnuts + plant milk + banana
• Walnuts + plant milk + apple

Vegan oil-free butter substitute recipe for baking

Makes about 1 cup

• 1 cup peeled bananas, seeded apples or pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or cashews
• 1 tbsp plant-based milk or water
• Pinch salt, optional

Blend all until creamy. Use this butter substitute as melted butter in baking or as softened butter in making pie crusts and doughs.

 

More related articles:

• Substitutes for coconut oil: Here’s 10 oil-free vegan coconut oil replacements
• Vegan weight loss 101: Complete guide to losing weight on a plant-based diet
• Here’s 3 reasons to use parchment paper when baking (and one is about your health)
• Easy vegan chocolate cake recipe (oil-free, whole grain)
• Easy 5-minute flatbread recipe (oil-free, vegan)
• Why oil-free? Learn why you should eliminate added oils from your diet
• Here’s the science behind why added oils are bad for our bodies

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