Butter Substitutes

Out of butter? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert butter between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the butter converter.

What to use instead of butter

  • Vegetable or olive oil (use the calculator)

    Calculator

    Oil keeps bakes moist for longer than butter but skips the flavour and the air you beat in when creaming. The butter-to-oil calculator works out the exact swap so you do not end up with a greasy crumb.

  • Margarine

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine (1:1 by volume)

    Margarine is built to behave like butter, with a similar fat-to-water ratio and a near-identical weight (235 g vs 227 g per cup). Expect a slightly softer crumb and a less buttery flavour.

    See margarine substitutes →

  • Shortening

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup butter = 1 cup shortening + 2 to 3 tbsp water

    Shortening is 100% fat against butter's 80%, so add water to make up the missing moisture. Result is flakier in pie crust and sturdier in cookies, but you lose butter's flavour.

    See shortening substitutes →

  • Ghee

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup butter = 1 cup ghee (1:1 by volume)

    Ghee is butter with the water and milk solids cooked off, so it swaps in 1:1 by volume and adds a nutty depth. It is slightly lighter per cup (218 g vs 227 g) and has a much higher smoke point, making it the better choice for frying and high-heat roasting.

    See ghee substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for butter?
There are 4 workable substitutes for butter, depending on what you have on hand and which property of butter matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually Vegetable or olive oil (use the calculator). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting butter change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the butter converter
How do I measure butter accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The butter converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the butter converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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