Out of Butter, one case

Butter substitute for stuffing

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Olive oil

3 tbsp for every ¼ cup of butter

In stuffing, replace butter with olive oil at three-quarters of the amount: 3 tablespoons of oil for each ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of butter, or 6 tablespoons for a stick. Stick margarine or a vegan butter block swaps tablespoon for tablespoon, and boxed stuffing mix already names margarine as an option. The stuffing is as moist and holds together the same way; what changes is the butter flavor.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Cook the onion and celery in the oil as the recipe does in butter. For a boxed mix, stir 3 tbsp oil into the water in place of 4 tbsp butter.
Best for —: homemade bread or cornbread stuffing
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full butter card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Butter substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of ¼ cup butter	Verdict
1	Olive oilhomemade bread or cornbread stuffing	3 tbspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Stick margarine or vegan butter blockboxed stuffing mix, which lists margarine on the package	1 tbsp per 1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
3	Chicken or turkey fatstuffing served with roast chicken or turkey	3 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
4	Bacon or sausage drippingssausage stuffing	3 tbspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Extra broth, no fatboxed stuffing mix made with broth in place of the water	¼ cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Olive oil

savory and a little fruity; the dairy note is gone

Butter in stuffing is melted fat: it softens the onion and celery and coats the bread. Oil does both. It is all fat, so three-quarters of the butter amount carries the same richness.

Best for: homemade bread or cornbread stuffing, boxed stuffing mix, dairy-free and vegan stuffing
Prep: Cook the onion and celery in the oil as the recipe does in butter. For a boxed mix, stir 3 tbsp oil into the water in place of 4 tbsp butter.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: The top of a baked stuffing browns slightly less evenly, because oil has no milk solids. Drizzle 1 tbsp over the surface before it goes in the oven.

A neutral oil such as canola works in the same amount if you do not want any olive flavor.

Stick margarine or vegan butter block

cleaner and a little saltier than butter

Made to about the same 80% fat as butter, so it melts into the pan and the liquid with no arithmetic. This is the swap closest to the recipe as written.

Best for: boxed stuffing mix, which lists margarine on the package, recipes that dot butter over the top before baking, dairy-free stuffing, with a vegan block
Prep: Most are salted. Stuffing mix, broth and sausage are salty already, so hold back any added salt and taste first.
Where it fails: Many margarines contain whey or milk solids, so read the label when the stuffing has to be dairy-free.

Chicken or turkey fat

richer and more savory than butter

Rendered poultry fat, either schmaltz from a jar or the fat skimmed off the roasting pan. It makes the stuffing taste as if it cooked inside the bird.

Best for: stuffing served with roast chicken or turkey, dairy-free stuffing with a rich, meaty taste, cornbread dressing
Prep: Skim the clear fat from the top of the pan drippings and measure it. Use three-quarters of the butter amount.
Suits: dairy-free
Where it fails: A vegetarian table. Pan drippings are also salty, so cut the added salt and taste.

Bacon or sausage drippings

smoky, porky and saltier

If the stuffing has sausage or bacon in it, the fat left in the pan can cook the vegetables. It brings smoke and salt along with the richness.

Best for: sausage stuffing, cornbread dressing, stuffing with apple or sage
Prep: Brown the meat first, leave about 3 tbsp of fat in the pan per ¼ cup of butter replaced, and cook the onion and celery in it.
Suits: dairy-free
Where it fails: A plain herb stuffing meant to sit quietly next to the turkey: the bacon flavor takes over.

Extra broth, no fat

leaner and flatter, with more of the broth and herbs

Leaves the fat out and replaces it with the same amount of broth. The bread still softens and the stuffing still holds, but it is leaner and tastes less rich.

Best for: boxed stuffing mix made with broth in place of the water, a lower-fat stuffing, when there is no fat of any kind in the kitchen
Prep: Simmer the onion and celery in a few tablespoons of the broth until soft, since there is no fat to cook them in.
Where it fails: The top does not crisp or brown, and the stuffing dries out faster when reheated. Cover it for most of the baking time.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeButter

Stuffing uses butter as melted fat, never creamed or kept cold. It cooks the onion and celery, coats the bread so the cubes stay separate instead of turning to paste, and browns the top. Any fat that melts does the first two jobs, which makes stuffing one of the easier places to replace butter.

Tips for substituting butter

5 tips

Boxed stuffing mix: a 6 oz box usually calls for 4 tbsp (¼ cup) of butter or margarine. Use 3 tbsp of olive oil, or 4 tbsp of stick margarine, and keep the water as the box says.
Homemade stuffing: a recipe with 1 stick (½ cup) of butter takes 6 tbsp of oil or poultry fat. Do not cut the broth to make up for it.
For a browned top without butter, drizzle 1 tbsp of oil over the surface and bake uncovered for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
Salt at the end. Margarine, drippings, broth and boxed mix are all salted, so mix everything, taste a spoonful, and then decide.
Whatever the fat, stuffing with egg or cooked inside a bird has to reach 165°F in the center. Check it with a thermometer.

Questions

4 questions

Can I use oil in place of butter in boxed stuffing mix?

Yes. Use 3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil in place of the 4 tablespoons of butter a 6 oz box calls for, and keep the water the same. Bring the water and oil to a boil, stir in the mix, cover and let it stand as the box directs. The stuffing is as moist; it tastes less of butter.

Can I make stuffing with no butter or oil at all?

Yes, though it is leaner and less rich. Replace the butter with the same amount of extra broth, soften the vegetables in a little broth, and bake the stuffing covered so it does not dry out. The top will not crisp.

What is the best dairy-free substitute for butter in stuffing?

Olive oil at three-quarters of the butter amount, or a vegan butter block tablespoon for tablespoon. Chicken or turkey fat works at three-quarters too if the stuffing does not have to be vegetarian. Check stick margarine before you count on it: many contain whey.

Does the stuffing get greasy with oil?

Only if you use the full butter amount. Butter is about 80% fat and oil is 100%, so a tablespoon-for-tablespoon swap adds a quarter more fat than the recipe expected. At 3 tablespoons of oil per ¼ cup of butter the richness is the same.