Substitute for Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil does one of three jobs in a recipe. In baking it coats flour proteins so the crumb stays tender, and because it stays liquid at room temperature, oil-based cakes feel moist for days. In a pan it carries heat to the food. In dressings and mayonnaise it supplies body without flavor. The same advice covers recipes that simply list “oil”.

Baking

Melted butter is the easiest one-for-one swap in cakes, muffins, brownies and pancakes. U.S. law sets butter’s minimum milk fat at 80%, so a cup of butter brings slightly less fat than a cup of oil plus some water. Expect more browning, a richer taste, and a cake that hardens in the refrigerator; serve it at room temperature.

Melted refined coconut oil behaves like vegetable oil while warm. It sets into flecks if it meets cold ingredients, so warm the eggs and milk first, and mix it in last.

Applesauce is a partial swap. Replacing half the oil keeps the crumb soft while cutting the fat; replacing all of it removes what tenderizes the flour, and the result bakes up dense and gummy. Plain yogurt can stand in for that same half, but its acid makes extra lift in recipes that use baking soda.

Frying and sautéing

Any refined neutral oil goes in at the same amount: canola, sunflower, safflower, corn or peanut. Published smoke points vary between brands and with the degree of refining, so treat any single figure loosely. The reliable pattern is that refined oils tolerate more heat than cold-pressed, unrefined ones, which smoke and turn bitter sooner.

Deep frying has no low-fat substitute. Lard and shortening work when melted and measured as liquid. Butter on its own burns in a hot pan because its milk solids scorch; mix it with oil for a sauté or use ghee.

Dressings and mayonnaise

Neutral oil keeps a vinaigrette or mayonnaise clean-tasting. Extra-virgin olive oil works in vinaigrettes at the same amount, but a dressing made with it thickens and clouds in the refrigerator, so let it warm up before serving. In mayonnaise, a full cup of extra-virgin oil tastes harsh; use half olive oil and half neutral oil.

When not to substitute

Chiffon cake, carrot cake and other cakes served cold depend on a fat that stays liquid in the refrigerator. Butter or coconut oil makes them firm and dry-tasting straight from the fridge. Stick with a liquid oil.

For a guest with a peanut allergy, avoid cold-pressed or roasted peanut oil, which keeps peanut protein; ask about any oil you did not buy yourself.

Common mistakes

• Replacing all the oil with applesauce or banana. Without fat, flour proteins bond freely and the crumb turns rubbery.
• Pouring hot melted butter onto eggs. The eggs start to cook into specks; cool the butter first.
• Frying in unrefined oil. Cold-pressed oils smoke at lower temperatures and leave a bitter taste on fried food.
• Packing solid coconut oil into a measuring cup. Air pockets make the amount uneven; melt more than needed, then measure the liquid.