Replacing Butter with Olive Oil
Many of our customers at Olive This! have asked us about using our extra virgin olive oils in place of butter for cooking and baking. Those seeking a diet lower in cholesterol, having less saturated fat or using only vegetarian ingredients will find substituting olive oil for butter is an easy and healthy alternative.
For frying and sautéing, our extra virgin olive oils can replace butter at a 1 to 1 ratio. In fact, with our fused and infused extra virgin olive oils, you will discover many new ways to introduce new flavors in your dishes. For example, have you ever tried Organic Garlic Olive Oil or Roasted Cilantro & Onion Olive Oil in a stir fry or scrambled eggs? The next time you tear into a loaf of fresh bread try replacing the butter dish with a selection of extra virgin olive oils for a delicious dipping experience.
Baking with olive oil in place of butter has been around for centuries, especially in Mediterranean cooking. Given that measurements for baking are a bit more critical, we have provided you with this conversion chart to help with your substitutions.
BAKING CONVERSION GUIDE:
| Butter/Margarine | Olive Oil |
| 1 teaspoon | 3/4 teaspoon |
| 1 tablespoon | 2 1/4 teaspoons |
| 1/4 cup | 3 tablespoons |
| 1/3 cup | 1/4 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons |
| 2/3 cup | 1/2 cup |
| 3/4 cup | 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon |
| 1 cup | 3/4 cup |
Keep in mind, substituting olive oil for butter may not work for recipes that require the consistency of butter or shortening – like cake frosting that needs to hold up at room temperature. A brushing of olive oil can also be used instead of butter to prepare baking pans and cookie sheets before adding the batter or dough. When baking items with more delicate flavors, choose from our smoother, mellower olive oils (like our Vegan Butter Olive Oil) over the more peppery, pungent selections. However if you intentionally want to add some essence to your baking, the possibilities are endless. We recently kicked up the heat in a batch of cornbread by substituting the butter with our Chipotle Infused Olive Oil. Our Whole Fruit Blood Orange Olive Oil gave a lovely fruity essence to a recent batch of brownies we brought into the store over the weekend. Customers loved the subtle but noticeable hint of orange and took home a few bottles to try on their own.