Vegetable oils or butters, oilseeds or even vegetable purees, as far as butter is concerned, there is some for all preparations. Practical Guide.
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Substitute butter in cakes
Impossible for you to imagine even for a second making a chocolate cake without butter? Wrongly. Many vegetables, fruits and other surprising ingredients can completely replace the fat star in sweet preparations.
the lawyer
For the more cautious, the avocado (which is technically a fruit) is the ideal ingredient to test this new type of pastry. iStock
Whooping cough of social networks, more and more gourmets dare to relegate butter to the stage of secondary ingredient in front of avocado. And for good reason, the texture of the green fruit (which is often placed in the vegetable box) is already similar to melted butter. In addition light. At home, we count 100 grams of avocado to replace 100 grams of butter.
The courgette
Ditto for zucchini, very little referenced as a fat substitute in cookbooks. And yet, it brings both soft and melting to any chocolate recipe, yogurt cake and even lemon cake. The most surprising ? It harmoniously colors the preparations. And in case the question arises: no, we absolutely do not feel its taste. Count about 150 grams of zucchini to replace 100 grams of butter.
Beet
The vegetable continues to be talked about and food lovers healthy adopted it a long time ago. Creamy texture, shimmering color and bikini-compatible preparation, what more could you ask for! And there again: no chance of feeling its taste in our preparations. At home, simply cook the beets until their core is tender before incorporating them into the rest of the recipe. Reduce the amount of sugar and butter in the mixture by half.
The apple compote
Barely detectable in a chocolate pastry, applesauce also saves butter. Nevertheless, since its texture is thicker than the fat star, we will use 50 grams of compote and 50 grams of oil to replace 100 grams of butter.
oil
Rapeseed, soy or corn germ oils can also replace butter in most sweet preparations and have the advantage of providing good fats and good nutrients to the body. Olive, walnut or even coconut oil can also flavor many gourmet recipes.
Almond puree
Where the alternative most popular with vegans. Neutral in taste, it fits easily into almost all sweet preparations, whether cookies, cakes, shortbread or even muffins. We use the same amount of almond puree as indicated for the butter (if it says “melted butter”, we opt for a 50-50 oil and almond puree). Sesame, cashew, peanut or hazelnut purées can also be a good alternative to butter. You just have to take into account that they are strong in taste.
Fromage blanc or natural yoghurt
Always intended for those who are looking for a little lightness in their plates, we say goodbye to butter and hello to white cheeses, small Swiss cheeses and other natural yoghurts to make a cheesecake or a soft cake. How ? Just substitute the amount of butter with the same amount of fromage blanc.
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For cooking
There too, several alternatives to butter exist and support both baking and frying. Among them, oil, margarine and duck fat.
oil
You can totally replace the butter with oil. Note however, during cooking, that the repeated assaults of high temperatures create new chemical substances that can be toxic. It is then imperative to use the right oil and to cook it at the right temperature. The secret to safe cooking? Carefully read the labels of the products purchased and do not exceed the smoke point, which is the temperature from which the oil emits fumes continuously. Sunflower oil is used for gentle cooking, olive oil for sautéing vegetables or cooking a steak in a pan, and coconut and peanut versions for frying.
margarine
Often wrongly decried, margarine is an alternative to butter that adapts very well to cooking. Simply, as for the oil, it is necessary to read the labels well and to check that this one supports the heat well. We opt for a non-hydrogenated vegetable margarine to avoid the formation of toxic compounds. On the other hand, a matter of taste, margarine does not compete with butter.
duck fat
Duck fat and goose fat can replace butter in many preparations. Hash browns, sautéed vegetables, pieces of meat and pieces of fish, they enhance the taste of our finest recipes. To be consumed in moderation all the same.
Spreading
No, breakfast isn’t just about buttery toasted bread slices. Margarine, fruit and maple butter, there are much more gourmet spreads.
margarine
We forget margarines based on palm oil or “hydrogenated fats” to focus on those made from rapeseed or olive oil. Like butter, we simply spread it on our slices of bread for breakfast.
fruit butter
It is an ultra-reduced fruit compote to which fat is added during cooking. Coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, cider vinegar, or even maple syrup, the preparation is less greasy than butter and less sweet than jam. We adopt it.
maple butter
Used as a spread on toast, croissants or pancakes, maple butter is not a dairy product. To obtain it, just boil 30 cl of maple syrup mixed with two tablespoons of corn syrup at a temperature of 110°C for 15 minutes, without stirring. The hot saucepan is then placed in a sink filled with cold water and ice cubes. Leave to cool without stirring until the temperature of the maple butter reaches 20°C. Then beat the preparation with an electric mixer until it becomes creamy. Finally we divide into jars and then reserve in the fridge. For novices in the kitchen, maple butter, also called maple fondant, can be purchased ready-made on many merchant sites. It keeps for 3 weeks in the refrigerator. If nothing will ever replace butter, we now know how to survive without it.
*This article, originally published on October 24, 2017, has been updated.
