There are many substitutes for vegetable oil in cooking and baking, including shortening, butter, alternative oils, sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt, and pureed fruit. The best substitute depends on the desired effect and flavor of the recipe.
Vegetable oil is a common ingredient in contemporary American quick breads and sweets. It can be useful to know about possible substitutes for vegetable oil to increase the flexibility of recipes, or to accommodate cases where vegetable oil is not available. Also, some people try to avoid consuming vegetable oil due to various dietary restrictions; When cooking for such individuals, it is important to make the necessary substitutions. There are many suitable vegetable oil substitutes for baking and cooking, from alternative oils to fruit or vegetable purees. Often the best vegetable oil substitute for a recipe will be determined by the overall effect a cook hopes to achieve with their recipe.
If vegetable oil is not available, shortening can be a good substitute for vegetable oil. Recipes made with shortening will generally taste the same as those made with oil. This is because shortening is simply a hydrogenated form of oil. Any shortening used in place of vegetable oil will need to be measured after it has melted.
Butter is another substitute for vegetable oil that will have little effect on the flavor of a finished recipe. To use butter in a recipe, a cook simply has to melt enough butter to cover the exact measure required. Melted margarine generally works the same as melted butter in most recipes.
Canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, and coconut oil are often used as replacements for vegetable oil. An alternative oil may be chosen because it is a healthier alternative to vegetable oil. However, some recipes do not work as well with a vegetable oil substitute, since cooking with other oils often adds flavor. For example, coconut or olive oil tend to have strong flavors that can be noticeable in a finished recipe; They should only be used if their flavors will complement a dish. Again, alternative oils can usually replace the full amount of oil called for by the recipe.
Sour cream, regular mayonnaise, and plain yogurt can also be used as oil alternatives. Sour cream works well as a substitute in many recipes because, like vegetable oil, it is high in fat. Regular mayonnaise generally won’t affect the flavor of recipes and works as a substitute for vegetable oil because it’s made from oil and eggs. Yogurt can work as an alternative as long as the excess liquid that sometimes separates from the yogurt is discarded before use.
Some recipes may even work well with pureed fruit instead of vegetable oil. This type of alternate ingredient is generally best in breads, cakes, and baked goods, but can be used for other recipes as long as cooks accommodate the various changes in flavor that adding fruit can cause. Any type of fruit can be used, but most often cooks choose applesauce, banana puree, or prune puree. Cooks may choose to replace all or part of the requested vegetable oil with a fruit puree recipe. If the puree seems too thick or sticky, milk can be added.
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