Ghee Substitutes

Out of ghee? 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 ghee between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the ghee converter.

What to use instead of ghee

  • Butter

    Ingredient swap

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

    Butter is the natural stand-in for ghee, since ghee is made from butter. They are close in weight (227 g vs 218 g per cup), so swap 1:1 by volume. Butter has a lower smoke point and still contains water and milk solids, so it browns and burns sooner; keep ghee or clarified butter for high-heat frying.

    See butter substitutes →

  • Vegetable Oil

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup ghee = about 1 cup vegetable oil (swap by volume)

    Vegetable oil replaces melted ghee in frying and in cakes that need a neutral fat. It is almost identical in weight (220 g vs 218 g per cup) but skips ghee's nutty, caramelised flavour and its high-heat richness. Use it where the flavour of ghee is not central to the dish.

    See vegetable oil substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for ghee?
There are 2 workable substitutes for ghee, depending on what you have on hand and which property of ghee matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup ghee = 1 cup butter (1:1 by volume). 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 ghee 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 ghee converter
How do I measure ghee accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The ghee 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 ghee converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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