Butter vs Vegetable oil
Butter is about 80 percent fat and 20 percent water and turns solid when cold; oil is 100 percent fat and always liquid. The water and structure are why creamed butter makes cakes and cookies rise and hold their shape, while oil gives a denser, moister crumb that stays soft for days. To use oil in place of butter, use about three-quarters as much by volume. Butter also carries flavor that oil does not, so it matters most where you taste it.
At a glance
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Type | Key trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 227 g | Dairy & Fats | One US cup of butter is 2 sticks, or 16 tablespoons — exactly 227 grams. |
| Vegetable oil | 218 g | Dairy & Fats | Oils weigh less than water per cup because they are less dense. |
How to swap butter and vegetable oil
- 1 cup melted butter = 1 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, light olive) (King Arthur Baking)Works only when the recipe calls for melted butter — quick breads, brownies, pancakes, muffins. Won't work for recipes that cream butter and sugar together (layer cakes, classic chocolate chip cookies) since oil can't hold whipped-in air.
- Equal melted butter — adds a slight butter flavor and richness (King Arthur Baking)
Full conversions: Butter converter · Vegetable oil converter. More swaps: Butter substitutes · Vegetable oil substitutes.
More comparisons
* Conversion figures are typical average weights for one US customary cup (236.6 ml), based on the King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart and cross-referenced with the U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central database. Actual weight varies with packing, brand and humidity — see our methodology.