If you’re looking around the internet for a muffin or cake recipe, then you’ve probably noticed most recipes rely on canola or vegetable oil. For taste (and health) reasons, I try to avoid using these oils and never have them in my pantry. If you’re like me and looking for substitutions, the great news is there’s plenty! Below are my favorite options that can be used with a 1:1 replacement ratio.
Coconut Oil
This is my favorite alternative for vegetable oil because it can be used in almost every baked good as a replacement: pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies. Make sure the coconut oil is melted and slightly cooled. If using in a cookie recipe, I recommend chilling the dough for an hour before baking. This will prevent the cookies from over-spreading.
Try this recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Plain Yogurt
Depending on the type of baked good, you may see better results using a lower fat yogurt to get a similar texture to oil. In other recipes, having full fat yogurt is helpful because baked goods need fat content. This is a great replacement in pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, and brownies.
Try this recipe: Strawberry Almond Cupcakes
Banana
Blending or mashing banana is a great substitute if you don’t mind the added banana flavor. Using banana works in pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies. Keep in mind that most baked goods still need fat, so replacing all of the oil with banana may not yield the best result.
Pumpkin
This works best in recipes with spices that complement pumpkin (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.), so it’s perfect for holiday baking. Suggested uses: pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies. As with using banana as a replacement, make sure there’s still fat content in your recipe.
Applesauce
This is a great alternative if you’re looking for a neutral taste. Best used in combination with a fat when using as a replacement. Using applesauce works in pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies.
Butter
As with coconut oil, make sure the butter is melted and slightly cooled. This is another substitute that works great in pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies. If using in cookies, I recommend chilling the cookie dough for an hour before baking. This will prevent them from over-spreading.
Try this recipe: Lemon Layer Cake
Avocado
Mashed avocado is an amazing substitute when paired with a strong flavor, like chocolate. There’s enough fat in avocado to see similar results to oil. Best used in pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies.
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