Can you substitute vegetable oil for butter in cookies?

By Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

Page last updated: 02/04/2023 | Next review date: 02/04/2025

Author bio

Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:

Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany

“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.

Professional Experience:

Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,

Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.

Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.

Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.

Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.

In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.

Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.

Education:

2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich

The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:

Articles

Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.

Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.

Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..

Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.

Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.

Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..

Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.

Book Chapter

Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.

Conference Papers

Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.

Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.

You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ

Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129

Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

View More north_east

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you substitute vegetable oil for butter in cookies?”, and how to make no butter cookies?

Can you substitute vegetable oil for butter in cookies?

Yes, you can substitute vegetable oil for butter in cookies. But the cookies made with vegetable oil will not have the richness and the buttery goodness.

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) in the human diet mostly originate from industrial food sources (about 80%), including partially hydrogenated oils with various TFAs proportions (up to 60%). This is considerably higher than the amount of naturally occurring TFAs in beef and dairy products (~2-5%). Shortenings, margarines, cakes and cookies are the most significant sources of TFAs in a regular diet; as 40% of TFAs intake is related to cookie, cake and cracker consumption (1).

Vegetable oil makes for a great substitute for butter because it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. A high smoke point means that the oil will not produce toxic compounds when exposed to high baking temperatures.

The smoke point, which is the temperature at which a fat or oil produces a continuous wisp of smoke when heated, must meet the standard requirement for frying oils which should have a smoke point above 200°C (392°F) (2).

How much: Replace every cup of butter called for in the recipe with ¾ cup vegetable oil.

Substitutes of butter in baking

The top substitutes of butter in baking include applesauce, vegetable oil, buttermilk, avocado, greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, prune puree, olive oil, and a mixture of applesauce and buttermilk.

Which butter substitute should I use?

To find out which butter substitute works out best in your recipe, you will have to test bake using different ratios of butter and butter substitute. Start by replacing only half the butter in the recipe, then three quarters, and finally, completely replace the butter.

The following butter substitutes work best when replaced with only half the amount of butter called for in a recipe. Plus these are all very healthy alternatives to butter in baking.

Applesauce

Applesauce works great in sugar cookies, cakes, and different kinds of bread like banana or zucchini bread. You can use both sweetened and unsweetened applesauce. Opt for the latter if you are calorie and health-conscious.

In a study, applesauce was used as a fat replacer to produce cookies. The results showed that applesauce can be a successful substitute of fat in chocolate chip cookies. Replacing butter with applesauce improves the nutritional value of chocolate chip cookies. Maintaining a proper balance between applesauce and fat is important for an acceptable cookie texture, because cookies tend to become softer in texture with an increase in applesauce (3).

How much: Replace every cup of butter called for in the recipe with ½ cup applesauce.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk works in all baking recipes except pie crusts. Pie crust made with buttermilk turns out crumbly instead of flaky. If you do not have buttermilk at hand, you can make the DIY buttermilk by stirring 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar in a cup of milk.

Natural buttermilk is a leftover liquid by-product made during the churning of butter. Churning of cream results in the separation of butter and an aqueous phase called sweet cream buttermilk. Buttermilk is often used in baking because of its special properties (for instance, sourness, enzymes, and microflora present in this by-product). It can enhance the flavor of various preparations, that is, dips and cakes (4).

How much: replace every cup of butter called for in the recipe with ½ cup of buttermilk.

Avocado

Avocado is a great substitute for butter in terms of both the finished results and nutrition. This is the only viable substitute for butter with a higher fiber and vitamin K/C/B-5/B-6/E content.

Avocados’ are a medium energy dense fruit because about 80% of the avocado edible fruit consists of water (72%) and dietary fiber (6.8%). Studies suggest that avocado consumers have higher HDL-cholesterol, lower risk of metabolic syndrome, and lower weight, BMI, and waist circumference than nonconsumers. One avocado fruit (136 g) has nutrient and phytochemical profiles similar to 1.5 ounces (42.5 g) of tree nuts (almonds, pistachios, or walnuts), which have qualified heart health claims (5).

How much: Estimate a 1:1 ratio when substituting avocado for butter in baking.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is a high protein substitute for butter. Therefore, opt for greek yogurt if are aiming for an increased protein intake. Greek yogurt, due to its velvety texture, works particularly great in cakes.

However, it can be a substitute for butter in most recipes without any significant difference in the quality of the finished product.

As opposed to normal yogurt , Greek yogurt is known for having a thicker consistency and being more concentrated regarding the fat content. The process of producing Greek yogurt is done by straining normal yogurt, which pulls the moisture out of the yogurt making the milk fat content higher. One of the main health benefits of Greek yogurt is that it is higher in its protein content than other yogurts. Proteins are used to help with many processes in the body such as being enzymes and transporters, while promoting satiety within the individual (6).

How much: Replace every cup of butter with ½ cup of greek yogurt.

Pumpkin puree

As a substitute for butter in baking, you can use any squash puree such as butternut squash, hubbard squash, etc. Pumpkin puree works great as a butter substitute in most recipes.

Different researchers have been working on drying pumpkin fruit and using it in the food systems. In some recent research, powder of pumpkin flesh was incorporated into cake formulations as an additive or wheat flour substitute. These changes in formulations gave rise to the cake batter viscosity and made changes in some physical attributes of resultant cake, such as increasing in the volume of the cake (7).

How much: If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 3/4 cup pumpkin puree.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil works great in cakes, cookies, and muffins. It does not perform great in savory bread or recipes that require a large amount of butter. This is because coconut oil adds sweetness to the finished product along with a mild coconut flavor.

Despite its saturated nature, the use of CO as a cooking oil should not be encouraged, once it exhibits a low smoking point (171°C) and its use in continuous deep-frying leads to the production of carcinogenic substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic amines. Oils with higher smoking points are preferred for deep frying, such as canola oil (238°C), corn oil (232°C), and soybean oil (238°C) (8).

How much: If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 1 cup coconut oil.

No butter chocolate chip cookies recipe

Ingredients

¾ Cup Vegetable Oil (neutral-flavored oil)
2 Eggs (large)
¾ Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
¾ Cup Granulated White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 ¼ Cups Flour (all-purpose flour)
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt (optional – use only 1/2 teaspoon if you are trying to reduce the sodium in your diet)
1 ½ Cups Chocolate Chips (semi sweet morsels)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉.
Beat the eggs until homogeneous. Then whisk in the vegetable oil, granulated white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Stir in the dry ingredients including baking soda, flour, and salt.
Use an electric mixer to mix everything until a soft cookie dough forms.
When the dough is ready, stir in the chocolate chips using a spoon or spatula.
Scoop out the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Maintain a distance of 2-3 inches between the dough balls. Because the cookie dough will spread during baking.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown.
Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the cookies sit for about 2-3 minutes before pulling them out of the tray.
Use a spatula to remove the cookies from the tray and transfer them to a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before you devour them.