13/11/2023
Good Day, Bake Fam!
It's Cake'EduMonday 💃🏼💃🏼💃
For those who are new to the tribe, every Monday we share exceptional baking nuggets, tidbits, and guides to help you bake better.
We all know that butter is a staple ingredient that serves a variety of purposes in the kitchen, from creating a tender texture in cakes and cookies to adding richness and flavor to creamy soups and sauces. But what do you do if you're out of butter — or if you just want to try baking or cooking with something else? Fortunately, it's easy to replace butter with ingredients you probably have on hand.
Make sure to read the list all the way through. Not all replacements are best for all recipes, so make the best decision with what you have. And just know that all of these replacements can be used for a one-to-one replacement.
Out of butter? Try these instead.
👩🍳👨🍳 Greek Yogurt
The full-fat version is best here, because fat is what your dish probably needs from butter. Try this in a recipe that uses less than one cup of butter. It'll add that moisture you need, but any more than that amount, and the dish will be too wet. Be prepared for the yogurt to add a little bit of tang to the final product, too.
👩🍳👨🍳 Vegetable Shortening
A lot of times a recipe calls for softened or cold butter. This is when you can turn to vegetable shortening, like Crisco. It doesn't have much flavor, but will definitely help out with texture.
Shortening can be used as a one-to-one swap for butter (if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, use 1 cup of shortening).
👩🍳👨🍳 Olive Oil
Use this in place of melted butter, but beware of the flavor. Olive oil has a distinct grassiness that may impact whatever you are trying to make.
👩🍳👨🍳 Avocado
This option may seem like a weird one, but consider how creamy an avocado is. Kind of like butter, right? Try using avocado in cakes and quick breads, but make sure to puree before adding. Also remember that avocado is a beautiful green hue, so it'll probably do some weird things to the final color of whatever dish you are making.
👩🍳👨🍳 Vegetable Oil
If you're making cakes, cookies, brownies, or breads, vegetable oil is a great replacement for butter. Just keep it under a cup, because again, too much moisture makes for a very dense end product.
👩🍳👨🍳 Bananas
Sneak some fruit into your favorite breads, cakes, cookies and more with mashed bananas. They can result in rather dense baked goods, but that can be a good thing. They also add fruity flavor. In most cases, you won't have to adjust your ratios when substituting bananas for butter (if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, use 1 cup of mashed bananas). Of course, use your best judgment when mixing up your batters or doughs.
I hope this helps you today.
Go bake the world into a better place.
PS: Next week, I will be sharing a 3-ingredient fluffy cake recipe!
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