Out of Butter, one case
Butter substitute for pancakes
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Vegetable oil
1 ½ tbsp for every 2 tbsp of butter
In pancake batter, replace melted butter with ¾ as much neutral oil: 1 ½ tablespoons of oil for 2 tablespoons of butter. Pancakes come out just as tender, with a little less flavor. For cooking them, a thin film of oil on the griddle works better than butter, which burns after the first batch.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Whisk the oil into the milk and egg, then stir the wet into the dry until just combined. Leave the milk as written.
- Best for —
- any pancake or waffle batter
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full butter card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 2 tbsp butter | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetable oilany pancake or waffle batter | 1 ½ tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Stick margarinekeeping the recipe as written | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Coconut oil (melted)dairy-free pancakes | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Gheekeeping a buttery flavor | 1 ½ tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Unsweetened applesaucecutting the fat in the batter | 1 tbsp applesauce + 2 tsp oilYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Vegetable oil
plainer; the butter flavor is gone from the batter
Pancake batter uses melted butter, the case where oil is a sound swap. Oil is all fat, so three quarters of the butter amount is enough. Many pancake recipes are written with oil.
- Best for
- any pancake or waffle batter, greasing the griddle, dairy-free pancakes
- Prep
- Whisk the oil into the milk and egg, then stir the wet into the dry until just combined. Leave the milk as written.
- Suits
- vegan, dairy-free
- Where it fails
- It cannot give the browned-butter taste of a pancake fried in butter. Add a pat on top at the table if you have any.
Stick margarine
close to butter, slightly saltier
Melted stick margarine has the same fat and water as melted butter, so the batter does not change.
- Best for
- keeping the recipe as written, greasing the griddle
- Prep
- Melt it and let it cool for a minute before whisking it into the milk and egg.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Where it fails
- Light tub spreads thin the batter.
Coconut oil (melted)
neutral if refined, coconut if virgin
Melted coconut oil measures the same as the melted butter. For the few tablespoons in a pancake batter no added liquid is needed. Refined is neutral; virgin tastes of coconut.
- Best for
- dairy-free pancakes, pancakes with banana or coconut
- Prep
- Have the milk and eggs at room temperature. Cold milk makes the oil harden into small beads in the batter.
- Suits
- vegan, dairy-free
- Contains
- coconut
- Where it fails
- Milk straight from the fridge. Warm it for 20 seconds first, or use a neutral liquid oil.
Ghee
buttery and slightly nutty
Clarified butter keeps the butter flavor and has no milk solids to burn, so it is also the better fat for the griddle.
- Best for
- keeping a buttery flavor, cooking the pancakes without scorching
- Prep
- Melt it and use three quarters of the butter amount in the batter.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It is dairy, so it does not help with a milk allergy.
Unsweetened applesauce
faintly fruity and less rich
Applesauce has no fat. It can replace half the butter in the batter, measure for measure, with oil covering the rest. The pancakes are softer and a little denser.
- Best for
- cutting the fat in the batter, apple, cinnamon or oat pancakes
- Prep
- Use 1 tbsp applesauce and about 2 tsp oil for each 2 tbsp of butter. Grease the griddle well.
- Suits
- vegan, dairy-free
- Where it fails
- Replacing all the fat: the pancakes are tougher and gummier, stick to the pan and brown unevenly.
How it behaves in this recipe
Butter shows up twice with pancakes: melted in the batter, where it keeps them tender, and on the griddle, where it adds flavor but burns. Each job has its own substitute.
Tips for substituting butter
5 tips- Butter to oil in the batter: 2 tbsp butter is 1 ½ tbsp oil, 3 tbsp is 2 ¼ tbsp, 4 tbsp is 3 tbsp.
- For the griddle, wipe on a thin film of neutral oil with a folded paper towel. Butter's milk solids scorch at about 300°F, which is below the heat pancakes cook at.
- Heat the pan over medium until a drop of water skitters, then cook the first side until bubbles break on the surface and the edges look set, about 2 minutes.
- Stir until the dry flour has only just disappeared. A lumpy batter makes a tender pancake whatever fat is in it.
- A box pancake mix that asks for melted butter takes the same swap: three quarters as much oil.
Questions
5 questionsCan I substitute vegetable oil for butter in pancakes?
Yes. Use ¾ as much oil as melted butter: 1 ½ tablespoons for 2 tablespoons, 3 tablespoons for 4. The texture is the same and the flavor is slightly plainer.
Can I use applesauce instead of butter in pancakes?
For half of it. Use 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce and about 2 teaspoons of oil in place of 2 tablespoons of butter. With applesauce alone the pancakes are denser and stick more, so grease the pan well.
Can I make pancakes with no butter and no oil?
You can leave the fat out of the batter if you have to. The pancakes are a little tougher and drier, and they still need something on the pan: any oil, cooking spray, ghee or a well-seasoned nonstick surface. Replacing half the missing fat with applesauce or plain yogurt helps keep them soft.
What should I cook pancakes in if I have no butter?
A neutral oil, wiped thin. It is the better choice even when butter is on hand, because butter burns between batches and leaves dark specks. Ghee and refined coconut oil also work.
What can I put on pancakes instead of butter?
Maple syrup alone is enough for most people. Other toppings that add richness are nut butter, yogurt, whipped cream or a spoonful of cream cheese. Stick margarine melts on a hot pancake the way butter does.