Butter gives bakes a glossy finish and adds softness and rich flavour. It is made from cow's milk and is very high in saturated fat. Not everyone can eat butter: some people are intolerant to the lactose in cow's milk, which can cause bloating, diarrhoea and nausea.
In the baking world, there is an artificial butter used in place of real butter, called margarine. Although it is a plant-based fat, it is high in trans fats and can turn into excess body fat that leads to weight gain. So neither butter nor margarine is ideal for health-conscious bakers or vegetarians. Today we recommend three great alternatives that can replace butter in baking or as a spread, mimicking its flavour and properties.
1. Refined Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an increasingly popular cooking oil and is also used to give bakes an appealing aroma. It has been dubbed a low-calorie fat that satisfies hunger better than other fats, making it a good choice for people on the low-carb Atkins diet. Coconut oil also gives excellent results in some recipes: cookies baked with coconut oil, for example, come out crisper than those baked with butter.
2. Avocado
Avocado's creamy flesh has a butter-like consistency that is perfect for spreading on bread or sandwiches, and it can also be used in baking. Besides being delicious, avocado helps lower cholesterol and is low in calories. For the same 100 g, avocado contains only 23% fat, compared with as much as 75% in butter, and its fat is a "good" fat that is kind to the body. That is why health-conscious people often use it to help with weight loss.
3. Nut Butters
Nutritionists say nut butters are like vegetables: whatever the type, they are all good for you. Their texture works well as a stand-in for butter, and they are packed with protein, healthy fats and fibre. There are also many types to choose from, each with a different nutritional profile, for example:
- Almond butter: rich in heart-healthy fats
- Peanut butter: high in protein
- Pistachio butter: high in B vitamins
- Walnut butter: healthy fats, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids
So, how about it? Now that you know three alternatives to butter, are health lovers and dessert lovers who worry about their waistline won over? If you want to eat for better health, remember that a few small ingredient swaps can go a long way.
