Dairy · 7 substitutes
Butter Substitutes
Dairy fat made from churned cream, used in baking, cooking, and finishing.
- 7
- Substitutes
- 3.9/5
- Avg quality
- 3
- Top-rated (5★)
- 9
- Use contexts
Best swap
The closest stand-in for Butter is Coconut Oil, used at 1:1 ratio and rated 5/5 across 9 cooking contexts.
- 5/5
- Coconut Oil - top pick
- 7
- tested substitutes
- 3.9/5
- average quality across all swaps
- 4
- dietary options covered
Butter is one of the better-stocked ingredients for swaps, it carries more documented substitutes than 97% of the 135 ingredients we track (typical: 3.6 per ingredient).
Common uses for Butter: baking, sauteing, sauces, spreading, finishing. The best substitute usually depends on which of these functions, flavor, moisture, fat, binding, or leavening, you most need to preserve.
Every documented substitute for Butter
Ranked by quality score (1–5, where 5 is virtually identical). Check the ratio and context tags before swapping, not every substitution is 1:1.
Best vegan butter swap. Solid at room temp like butter. Use refined for neutral flavor.
Brands: Earth Balance, Miyoko's, Country Crock Plant Butter. Best 1:1 swap.
Clarified butter - higher smoke point. Suitable for lactose intolerant. Same flavor profile.
Reduces fat by 25%. Adds olive flavor - best for savory applications.
Use 3/4 the amount since oil is 100% fat. Cakes will be slightly more moist.
Adds creamy richness and healthy fats. Denser, more moist result. Slight green color.
For fat-reduced baking only. Adds moisture and sweetness. Not for structure-dependent cookies.
How the Butter substitutes score
Quality rating (1–5) for each documented stand-in
- Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil
5 /5
- Vegan Butter Stick
Vegan Butter Stick
5 /5
- Ghee
Ghee
5 /5
- Olive Oil
Olive Oil
4 /5
- Vegetable Oil
Vegetable Oil
3 /5
- Mashed Avocado
Mashed Avocado
3 /5
- Applesauce (fat reduction)
Applesauce (fat reduction)
2 /5
What this shows Coconut Oil leads at 5/5; bars fall off as the trade-offs in flavour or texture grow.
Where Butter ranks for swap options
Number of documented substitutes per ingredient, across the whole database
7 Top 3% higher than 97% of 135 ingredients we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ingredients we track. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainSubstitute editorial database · July 2026
Quick comparison
| # | Substitute | Ratio | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coconut Oil | 1:1 ratio (solid or melted) | 5/5 |
| 2 | Vegan Butter Stick | 1:1 ratio | 5/5 |
| 3 | Ghee | 1:1 ratio | 5/5 |
| 4 | Olive Oil | 3/4 cup olive oil per 1 cup butter | 4/5 |
| 5 | Vegetable Oil | 3/4 cup oil per 1 cup butter | 3/5 |
| 6 | Mashed Avocado | 1:1 ratio in sweet baking | 3/5 |
| 7 | Applesauce (fat reduction) | 1/2 cup applesauce per 1 cup butter (in baking) | 2/5 |
Choosing the right swap
Start with Coconut Oil, then adjust for what your recipe needs.
- Match the substitute’s context tag to your recipe, a swap that shines in baking can fall flat in a sauce.
- Respect the listed ratio. Many swaps are not 1:1, and over- or under-dosing is the most common reason a substitution disappoints.
- Working around a diet? 4 of these options carry dietary tags, filter by your need. Browse by diet
- Need the opposite lookup? Browse other Dairy ingredients with overlapping swaps. More Dairy
Quality scores reflect overall similarity to the original; expect small differences in texture or colour even with top-rated swaps.