What could be better than butter? Turns out, these smart substitutes can come close. By Sam Sontag. Published September 1, 2021 10:59AM (EDT) (Rocky Luten / Food52)--Shares. Facebook. Twitter.

This substitute for butter works best with cakes, bread, muffins, and cookies. You’ll want to use a 1:1 swap and keep an eye on that baking time, as mashed bananas can reduce cooking time by 25%.

Many butter substitutes have unique flavors that may or may not work depending on what flavor you’re looking for. In general, the following foods work best as butter replacements in cakes, ...

Butter substitutes can include olive oil, ghee, Greek yogurt, and more. The process of churning milk or cream separates the milk fat from the liquid. The remaining fat becomes the butter.