Vegetable Oil Substitutes

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

What to use instead of vegetable oil

  • Olive Oil

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup vegetable oil = 1 cup olive oil (1:1 by volume)

    Close in weight (220 g vs 216 g per cup). Light olive oil works neutrally; extra virgin brings grassy, peppery notes that suit savoury bakes but can overpower a delicate cake.

  • Applesauce

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup vegetable oil = 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (1:1 by volume)

    Low-fat swap for muffins and quick breads. Cuts the fat sharply and yields a denser, more cake-like crumb. Avoid in pastries and fried foods.

  • Butter (use the calculator)

    Calculator

    Reverse swap: melted butter gives oil's pourable texture plus flavour. The calculator works out the exact amount so the crumb stays balanced.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for vegetable oil?
There are 3 workable substitutes for vegetable oil, depending on what you have on hand and which property of vegetable oil matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup vegetable oil = 1 cup olive oil (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 vegetable oil 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 vegetable oil converter
How do I measure vegetable oil accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The vegetable oil converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, millilitres, fluid ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the vegetable oil converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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