Out of Butter, one case
Butter substitute for grilled cheese
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Mayonnaise
1 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of butter
Spread mayonnaise on the outside of the bread in place of the butter, in the same thin layer: about 1 tablespoon per sandwich. It browns evenly and is slower to burn than butter, with a faint tang. With no mayonnaise, use 2 ¼ teaspoons of olive oil or neutral oil for each tablespoon of butter, or use stick margarine exactly as you would butter.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Spread it edge to edge on the outside of each slice and cook over medium-low heat.
- Best for —
- a classic skillet grilled cheese
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full butter card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tbsp butter | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayonnaisea classic skillet grilled cheese | 1 tbspWorks | Works |
| 2 | Stick margarine or vegan butter blocka dairy-free grilled cheese, with a vegan block | 1 tbspWorks | Works |
| 3 | Olive oil or neutral oilwhen there is nothing spreadable in the fridge | 2 ¼ tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Ghee or clarified butterwhen you want the butter taste | 2 ¼ tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Bacon drippingsa grilled cheese with cheddar or with bacon in it | 2 ¼ tspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Tub spread or light margarine | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Mayonnaise
a faint tang and less butter flavor
Oil and egg in a spreadable form. It goes onto soft bread straight from the fridge without tearing it, and it browns to an even golden crust.
- Best for
- a classic skillet grilled cheese, soft bread that tears under cold butter, a griddle full of sandwiches
- Prep
- Spread it edge to edge on the outside of each slice and cook over medium-low heat.
- Contains
- egg
- Where it fails
- It does not taste of butter, and regular mayonnaise is no use to anyone avoiding egg.
Use full-fat mayonnaise. Light and fat-free versions have more water and brown poorly. Vegan mayonnaise browns the same way.
Stick margarine or vegan butter block
close to butter, a little less rich
A firm block with about the same fat as butter, so it spreads, melts and browns the same way.
- Best for
- a dairy-free grilled cheese, with a vegan block, when you want the swap to go unnoticed
- Prep
- Soften it first so it spreads without tearing the bread.
- Where it fails
- Nothing specific to grilled cheese. The soft spreads sold in tubs are a different product; see the last row.
Many margarines contain milk. If the sandwich has to be dairy-free, check the label or use a block sold as vegan.
Olive oil or neutral oil
olive oil tastes of olive oil; canola or vegetable oil tastes of nothing
Oil is all fat where butter is about 80%, so it takes a little less. It crisps the bread well and goes in the pan, not on the bread.
- Best for
- when there is nothing spreadable in the fridge, sourdough and other sturdy bread, a dairy-free and egg-free sandwich
- Prep
- Use about 1 tsp in the pan for each side of the sandwich: heat the first teaspoon, lay the sandwich in, and add the second when you flip it.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Too much oil and the bread fries greasy instead of toasting. Oil has no salt, so add a pinch to the outside of the bread.
Ghee or clarified butter
buttery and slightly nutty
Butter with the water and milk solids taken out. It keeps the butter flavor and does not scorch the way whole butter does.
- Best for
- when you want the butter taste, cooking several sandwiches in a row without the fat burning
- Prep
- Melt it in the pan or brush it on the bread; it is too firm to spread cold.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It is still dairy, so it does not help anyone avoiding butter for that reason.
Bacon drippings
smoky, salty and porky
Rendered bacon fat crisps bread as well as butter does and brings smoke and salt with it.
- Best for
- a grilled cheese with cheddar or with bacon in it, when there is a jar of drippings in the fridge
- Prep
- Strain out any dark bits and melt the fat in the pan over medium-low heat.
- Where it fails
- It takes over a mild cheese, and it is not for anyone avoiding pork.
Tub spread or light margarine
Soft tub spreads and light margarines hold much more water than butter does.
- Best for
- spreading on toast after it is cooked
- Where it fails
- The water turns to steam in the pan, so the bread goes soft and pale before it browns, and the spread can spatter.
How it behaves in this recipe
On a grilled cheese the butter does one job: it is the fat between the bread and the pan that turns the outside crisp and golden. Any spreadable or pourable fat can do that. What changes is the flavor and how quickly the fat burns.
Tips for substituting butter
4 tips- Cook over medium-low heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The bread should brown at the same pace the cheese melts, whatever fat you use.
- If the cheese is slow to melt, cover the pan for the first 2 minutes.
- Butter on a grilled cheese is usually salted. With oil or ghee, a pinch of salt on the outside of the bread makes up for it.
- In an oven or air fryer there is no pan to hold the fat, so spread or brush it on the bread itself. Mayonnaise is the easiest choice there.
Questions
5 questionsIs mayonnaise better than butter for grilled cheese?
It is different. Mayonnaise spreads cold, browns more evenly and is less likely to burn. Butter tastes of butter. If you are out of butter, mayonnaise is the swap that needs no other change.
Can I make grilled cheese with olive oil?
Yes. Use about 1 teaspoon in the pan for each side of the sandwich. If the recipe gives the butter by the spoon, that is 2 ¼ teaspoons of oil for each tablespoon of butter. The bread comes out crisp and tastes of the oil, so use one you like.
Can I make grilled cheese with no fat at all?
Yes, in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. The bread dries and toasts instead of frying, so it comes out paler and more like toast. Cover the pan so the cheese melts before the bread gets too dark.
Can I use cooking spray?
Yes. Spray the outside of the bread, not only the pan. The coat is thin, so the bread browns lighter and stays drier than it would with butter or mayonnaise.
What can I use if I avoid both dairy and egg?
Oil in the pan, a vegan butter block or vegan mayonnaise. All three brown the bread. Check that the cheese or cheese alternative fits too.