Oil to Butter Converter

How to use the Oil to Butter Converter#

1. Pick the direction. Choose butter to oil, or oil to butter.
2. Enter the amount. Type the amount from the recipe.
3. Choose the unit. Cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres or grams.
4. Read the result. The main figure uses the three quarters rule. A second figure shows the amount that matches the fat content only.

The three quarters rule#

When you replace butter with oil in baking, use about three quarters as much oil by volume. A stick of butter, 8 tablespoons, becomes 6 tablespoons of oil, and a cup of butter becomes three quarters of a cup of oil. Going the other way, divide by 0.75, which means butter is 4 to 3 against oil. A recipe with half a cup of oil would use about two thirds of a cup of butter.

The rule is a rule of thumb and not an exact law. Bakers and food brands that publish it describe it as typical, and say you may need to adjust to suit the batter.

Why not one to one?#

Butter is not pure fat. In the United States butter is at least 80 percent milk fat, and most of the rest is water, with a little milk protein. Oil is 100 percent fat. So a cup of oil contains more fat than a cup of butter, and replacing it spoon for spoon makes baked goods greasy. If you match only the fat, three quarters of a cup of oil is a little too little, since the real fat match is about 0.83 cup, and the calculator shows this as a separate figure. The three quarters rule sits between the two, and leaves some room for the water that butter would have added.

What changes when you swap#

Oil does the work of the fat but not the rest. Creaming butter with sugar traps air, and that air helps cakes and cookies rise. Oil cannot be creamed, so oil cakes are denser and moist. Butter adds flavour and browns well, while neutral oil has little taste. Cookies made with oil spread more and stay softer, so chilling the dough helps. Oil suits quick breads, muffins, brownies and many cakes, and it is a poor swap for pie crust, biscuits and laminated dough, which depend on solid fat.

Cooking on the stove#

For sautéing and roasting the swap is easier. Use about the same volume, as the fat is only there to stop food from sticking and to carry heat. Butter browns and burns at a lower temperature than most oils, since the milk solids scorch, so oil is the better choice for high heat. Add a knob of butter at the end if you want the flavour.

Which oil to choose#

Choose a neutral oil, such as canola, sunflower or vegetable oil, when you want the recipe to taste as it did with butter. Olive oil adds a fruity flavour that suits chocolate, citrus and spice cakes. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it behaves more like butter, but it adds its own flavour unless it is refined. Melted butter works in recipes that call for oil, though you need slightly more melted butter than oil.

Measuring fats accurately#

Oil is easy to measure in a clear jug, but butter and other solid fats can trap air gaps in a cup. Weigh butter if you can, using 227 grams for a cup, and use the wrapper marks on a stick if not. Melted butter and oil are both liquid, so a jug works for either. Melt butter before measuring it only if the recipe says to, as melting changes the volume. If you replace a firm fat such as shortening or coconut oil with a liquid oil, expect a softer texture, and chill the dough or batter before baking if it feels too loose.

Sources and further reading#

• Bob’s Red Mill: Can I Substitute Oil for Butter?. The three quarters guideline for baking.
• California Olive Ranch: How to Substitute Olive Oil for Butter in Baking. Melted and creamed butter swaps.
• USDA FoodData Central. Food composition and household measure weights.
• King Arthur Baking: Ingredient Weight Chart. Weights per cup for flour, sugar, butter, honey and more.

Last reviewed October 2026 by the Calclulo team.