Ever found yourself ready to bake cookies, only to realize you're out of butter? Luckily, there are plenty of easy swaps that can give you the moisture, richness, and texture your cookies need.
From margarine and Greek yogurt to coconut oil, applesauce, and mashed banana, these butter substitute for cookies options can help you keep baking without a last-minute trip to the store. Some are also useful when you need a dairy-free, vegan-friendly, or lower-fat alternative.
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5 Best Butter Substitutes for Cookies
If you need butter substitutes simply because you run out of the said ingredient, whether you're looking for one that's already available in your recipe or an ingredient that you can easily grab at the nearest grocery store, I highly recommend the following:
1. Margarine
Margarine is one of my easiest swaps for butter because it has a similar consistency and flavor. I’ve also noticed that cookie dough tends to hold its shape well when I use margarine instead of butter.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine. Add a little extra salt if your recipe calls for salted butter.
Best For: Margarine is an excellent substitute for butter in cookies because it provides similar richness and texture and is best in chocolate chip cookies, vanilla cupcakes, and flaky biscuits.
Try this recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Buttermilk
Buttermilk adds plenty of moisture to cookies along with a subtle tangy flavor. Because it contains more water than butter, I use less buttermilk and adjust other liquids if needed to keep the dough from becoming too wet.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ½ cup buttermilk.
Best For: Buttermilk is a great substitute for butter in cookies because it creates a soft, moist texture with a slight tang and is best in oatmeal raisin cookies, fluffy pancakes, shortbread treats, and blueberry muffins.
Simply add a spoonful of lemon juice to a cup of regular milk (or plant-based milk if you need a vegan option), mix, and allow to sit for at least five minutes.
Related: Best Substitute For Evaporated Milk
3. Greek Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is another creamy butter substitute that adds moisture and protein to cookies. I prefer full-fat Greek yogurt because it gives the dough a richer texture without adding as much fat as butter.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt. Add a little more if needed to reach the right dough consistency.
Best For: Greek yogurt is a good substitute for butter because it adds moisture with a slight tang and is best in chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and lemon muffins.
Related: 13 Best Sour Cream Substitutes for Health-Conscious Cooking
4. Shortening
Shortening has a high fat content and makes tender, taller cookies. I find it especially useful when I want cookies that hold their shape while still having a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = 1 cup shortening. You may need to add a little extra liquid since shortening contains less moisture.
Best For: Shortening is an excellent butter substitute because it creates tender cookies that hold their shape well and is best in sugar cookies, homemade pie crust and pastries, and flaky biscuits.
5. Ghee
Ghee, or clarified butter, is one of the closest substitutes when you still want that rich, buttery taste. It has a slightly nutty flavor and a high smoke point, making it useful for cookies that need longer baking times.
Also, since ghee is clarified butter, it's a perfect option for those looking for an ingredient with lower lactose content.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = 1 cup ghee.
Best For: Ghee is a great substitute for butter because it adds a rich, nutty flavor and is best in shortbread cookies, banana bread, and homemade brownies.
Also read: Butter Extract Substitute - 5 Tasty Options
6 Dairy-Free, Vegan-Friendly Butter Substitutes for Cookies
While my highly recommended butter substitutes above can work for many baking recipes, if not all, you surely will have days when you will have guests with dairy allergies and/or following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Like with most recipes, you won't need to search your cookbook or think of a new recipe because there are dairy-free and vegan-friendly alternatives to butter. Here are my favorites:
1. Olive Oil
Olive oil can replace butter while adding moisture and richness to cookie dough. It does have a distinct flavor, so I prefer using it with stronger ingredients like chocolate, cocoa, or peanut butter that pair well with its taste.
Ratio: 1 cup melted butter = ¾ cup olive oil. For mild-flavored cookies, start with ½ cup.
Best For: Olive oil is a good substitute for butter because it adds moisture and a slightly fruity flavor and is best in chocolate cookies, quick breads, lemon cakes, and savory muffins.
Try this delicious recipe: Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti Recipe
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an easy dairy-free swap that adds richness and natural sweetness to cookies. I use virgin coconut oil when I want some coconut flavor or refined coconut oil when I need something more neutral.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = 1 cup coconut oil.
Best For: Coconut oil is an excellent butter substitute because it adds richness with a mild coconut flavor and is best in coconut macaroons, chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and homemade granola.
3. Applesauce
Unsweetened applesauce is a useful fat-free, lower-calorie butter alternative that keeps cookies moist. I prefer unsweetened applesauce because apples are naturally sweet, and using sweetened varieties can make the finished cookies too sweet.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ½ cup applesauce.
Best For: Applesauce is a great substitute for butter because it adds moisture and subtle sweetness and is best in oatmeal cookies, carrot cake, and breakfast muffins.
Related: Need an Applesauce Substitute in Baking? Here Are 10 Options!
4. Mashed Banana
Mashed banana has a creamy texture that works well in place of butter while adding moisture and natural sweetness. I keep the banana flavor in mind when choosing a recipe, as it can become noticeable when larger amounts are used.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ½ cup mashed banana.
Best For: Mashed banana is a good substitute for butter because it adds moisture, sweetness, and fruity flavor and is best in oatmeal cookies, chocolate muffins, and breakfast pancakes.
Related: Top 8 Best Egg Substitutes For Cookies
5. Mashed Avocado
Mashed avocado has a creamy texture and plenty of healthy fats, making it a healthy butter substitute when you still want tender cookies. I prefer using it in darker, stronger-flavored recipes where chocolate, cocoa, or coffee can balance its color and flavor.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ½ cup mashed avocado.
Best For: Mashed avocado works well as a butter substitute because it adds moisture and richness and is best in chocolate cookies, fudgy brownies, and chocolate cake.
6. Pumpkin Puree
Why wait for Halloween to use that pumpkin puree stored in your pantry or fridge when you can use it to replace the butter in your recipes?
Pumpkin puree has a similar consistency to butter while giving moisture and natural sweetness. I especially like its slightly nutty flavor with warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
Ratio: 1 cup butter = ¾ cup pumpkin puree.
Best For: Pumpkin puree is a great butter substitute because it adds moisture, sweetness, and a subtle nutty flavor, and is best in pumpkin spice cookies, cinnamon muffins, and spiced loaf cake.
Replacing Butter in Your Cookie Recipes Without Worries
With my list of the best butter substitutes, you can serve the best chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and other cookies you love serving your family and friends. While some might require a little recipe tweaking, they won't require complicated adjustments that will take too much of your time.
From the most easily accessible and basic ingredient substitutes to those you can also whip up in your kitchen with simple ingredients and tools, you will surely have something to use without affecting your cookies' texture, moistness, and delicious taste. In fact, some of them can even enhance the richness of the flavor!
Just make sure you choose the butter substitute for cookies that will work well with your ingredients and meet the specific dietary requirements of one or more of your guests.
Recipe
Best Butter Substitute for Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
Option 1: Best Butter Substitute for Cookies
- For your cookie recipe that calls for one cup of melted butter, add one cup of melted margarine. Add a pinch or two of salt if your recipe lists salted butter.
Option 2: Best Dairy-Free, Vegan Butter Substitute for Cookies
- If you're baking dairy-free, vegan cookies, add ¾ cup of pumpkin puree for every cup of butter the recipe lists.
Option 3: Healthiest Butter Substitute for Cookies
- For healthier, lower-calorie, delicious cookies, add half a cup of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt and add more as and when needed.
Notes
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Margaret
Thank you, this is very helpful. I appreciate that you adjusted the suggested ingredient amounts, also, to replace the butter. My inclination would have been to do a 1 to 1 swap which would have produced unfortunate results.