Be it for health reasons or you ran out, these butter substitutes for butter cookies will surely come in handy, especially for baking. Butter is the most commonly used ingredient in food recipes. For centuries, butter has traditionally served as a food enhancer. Many home bakers consider butter a must-have ingredient, and without butter, all is lost, but that’s not true. Depending on what you’re making and your dietary restrictions, several other alternatives can be used in your baking recipes. Though many substances can be substituted for butter, it is important to remember that, depending on the intended use, some substitutes may work better than others. Most people would never omit butter in a cookie recipe, but butter is not an essential ingredient. You have several options, for as long as cookie eaters don’t mind a slight difference in taste and texture.
We’ve rounded up a few recipes here that will surely work best for you.
Ten healthy substitutes for butter cookies
1. Buttermilk
For this substitute, you need:
- 1/2 cup of buttermilk for 1 cup of butter
If you want to use buttermilk, but don’t have any, you could go for:
- 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk
For every 1 cup of butter, you can substitute ½ cup of buttermilk. With the exception of pie crust, it has worked for me in almost all recipes I’ve tried with it so far.
2. Apple Sauce
For this substitute, you need:
- 1/2 cup of apple sauce per 1 cup of butter.
Use half amount of the apple sauce as the amount of butter. If you’re cutting out fat calories, need a bit more fiber, or simply rant out of butter, it will surely help you. It has worked well for me in cakes, bread-like banana, and sugar cookies
3. Greek Yogurt
For this substitute, you need:
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt per 1 cup of butter.
Use half amount of Greek yogurt for higher protein substitution. As it creates a velvety texture, it works really well in cakes. I have personally been using Greek yogurt in replacement for butter, especially when making mashed potatoes.
4. Vegetable oil
For this substitute, you need:
- 3/4 cup of vegetable oil per 1 cup of butter
For every 1 cup of butter, you can substitute 3/4th cup of vegetable oil. Till date, it has worked for me in almost every manner of baking. Although vegetable oil does not comprise as many benefits as some other substitutes.
5. Avocado Oil
For this substitute, you need:
- 7/8 cup per 1 cup of butter
If you want a higher fiber, higher vitamin alternative, you can substitute avocado oil in equal parts for the amount of butter required. Every recipe I’ve tried so far with this, turned out to be delicious. Avocados have a creamy texture and a neutral flavor that goes well for quick bread, dark-colored muffins, cookies, and brownies.
6. Prune Puree
For this substitute, you need:
- 3/4 cup of prune puree for 1 cup of butter. No, wonder it works well with brownies, cakes, and cookies. But its drawback is that it adds a reddish-purple color which darkens the color of the finished product. It reduces calories, adds fibers, and alters the flavor. You can find it in the baby prune section or blend fresh prune in water.
7. Pumpkin Puree
For this substitute, you need:
- 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree per 1 cup of butter
1 cup of butter calls for ¾ cup of pumpkin (or Hubbard, butternut or other squash) puree. In a baking recipe, you can substitute pumpkin puree in equal amounts of the quantity of oil. Pumpkin puree is a perfect match for butter, especially for baking and seasonal fall recipes. It contains more fiber and nutrients. It has a sweet, creamy, earthy flavor along with its orange color.
8. Olive Oil
For this substitute, you need:
- 3/4 cup olive oil per cup of butter
Olive oil is mostly used as an alternative for butter in baking and other cooking. You can use olive oil as a substitute for butter by using 3/4 cup of it for every one cup of butter. It has a slightly mild effect on flavor and texture. It works well for biscuits, herb bread, and other savory items. It causes a slight change in the taste of bakery items like cookies, cakes, or pie crusts.
9. Coconut Oil
For this substitute, you need:
- 1 cup of coconut oil per cup of butter
Coconut is found to be a very successful alternative for butter in equal amounts, as it has similar properties of being liquid when warm and being solid when cold. It doesn’t work well in savory products as it causes a bit of difference in the flavor but does the work for cakes, cookies, brownies, and muffins.
10. Cream of Tartar
For this substitute, you need:
- 1 cup of milk
- 13/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
As the cream of tartar is an acid that acts as a leavening agent, before adding it to the rest of the milk, mix the cream of tartar with a few tbsps of milk to prevent it from getting lumpy
Conclusion
When omitting traditional fats, such as butter, your baking products can become dense in texture. In this article, you can find excellent healthy substitutes for butter cookies. Making replacements is as easy as swapping oil for butter or sugar for honey. No wonder butter is ideal for flaky, dense, pastries, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. It has a high-fat content. But for people with health concerns or certain diets or allergies must avoid it as it contains animal fats and can be an adding component to heart-health. But, worry not for we got you covered. These superb alternatives for butter are surely going to rock your recipes just as the butter does (without anyone knowing!). With this, we come to an end. Now, whenever your recipe calls for butter, and you run out of it, you know exactly what to do.
FUN FACT: Butter was used as a fuel in lamps as a substitute for oil in early times.
