Magazine · Baking
Oil instead of butter: how to swap it
Out of butter, or want it dairy-free? Oil is a simple substitute in many bakes. We show the rough ratio and what changes.
The swap
The idea
Fat is fat, but not identical
Butter is partly water and solid at room temperature; oil is pure fat and liquid. So you use a bit less oil than butter, and the result is often especially moist. It works best in stirred cakes, muffins and quick breads.
Where butter is whipped for structure, like in some shortcrust or buttercream, oil is not a clean swap.
The rough rule
- Use about three quarters: for 100 g butter, use roughly 75 to 80 g of a neutral oil as a starting point.
- Choose neutral oil: refined rapeseed or mild sunflower, so the cake taste stays clean.
- Best for: stirred cakes, muffins, quick breads , very moist results.
- Less suitable: recipes where butter is creamed for volume or needs to stay solid.
Said honestly
Swapping butter for oil is easy in the right recipes and gives a moist crumb, but it is not universal , baking is chemistry, and structure recipes behave differently. Start with the rough ratio and adjust to taste. We make no health promises. We give you the facts, the decision stays with you.
Sources and further reading
- Cooking oil , Wikipedia