Vegetable Oil vs Butter: Which Is Better?

Vegetable oil and butter have one big thing in common: their versatility! But picture this specific situation: you’re whipping up a batch of pancakes on a Sunday morning and can’t decide between vegetable oil (which will give a uniform golden-brown finish) or butter (to give that rich and melty quality). If you keep finding yourself in this situation, read on and find out how you can make an informed decision the next time you’re in this dilemma.

Comparing vegetable oil vs butter

	Vegetable oil	Butter
Solid or Liquid?	Liquid	Solid
Smoke Point (Fahrenheit)	400 degrees	300 – 350 degrees
Primary Fat	Polyunsaturated	Saturated
Taste	Neutral	Buttery
Good for Cooking…	Raw, low heat, medium heat	Raw, low heat
Common allergens	Depends on ingredients	Lactose, casein
Gluten-free?	Yes	Yes
Keto?	Yes	Yes
Paleo?	No	No
Vegan?	Yes	No

Differences between vegetable oil and butter

The biggest difference between vegetable oil and butter is in their ingredients. Vegetable oil comes from plant sources – it’s typically made with a mix of different refined oils such as corn, soy, or canola. Meanwhile, butter is a dairy product made from churning cream or animal milk.

When it comes to allergies, vegetable oil has the advantage of being dairy-free and suitable for vegan diets. Both butter and vegetable oil are gluten-free and keto-friendly. And as someone who’s experienced some mishaps by frying with the wrong oil, I appreciate vegetable oil’s higher smoke point, which makes it a great choice for sautéing or recipes that require a little more heat (up to medium heat). Butter has a slightly lower smoke point, so I prefer using it for more gentle cooking.

Baking and cooking with vegetable oil vs butter

Vegetable oil is a popular frying oil for its moderate smoke point but also because it’s fairly cheap to buy. It also has a neutral flavor that makes it easy to use in various recipes. That being said, I use it a lot for sautés and stir-fries but not for high-heat cooking. My favorite quality of vegetable oil is that it gives a nice caramelization on veggies and protein for more depth of flavor.

And not to forget my other favorite quality – its ability to distribute evenly throughout the batter for a consistent texture in baking. While butter is more commonly used, vegetable oil can give baked goods a tender crumb and keep things moist.

Butter is best known for its creamy and indulgent texture that adds a ton of richness and flavor to crusts, shortbread, and velvety pan sauces. If you’re looking for more of a traditional aroma and quality to your bake, butter is the way to go. And when cooking, things like soups and stews will fare better with butter.

Keep in mind that butter can come in salted and unsalted varieties. Salted butter can be good for enhancing the taste of dishes, while the unsalted variety gives a lot more control over the salt content. Depending on the source of the butter, it will also have different flavor profiles.

Can vegetable oil and butter be substituted for each other?

Vegetable oil and butter can be good substitutes for each other in certain recipes.

In baking, vegetable oil can typically replace butter in equal amounts, especially in bakes where moisture and tenderness are most important. But, of course, you won’t get that unique flavor or texture that you’d get with butter, so you might get a slightly different outcome. In cooking, substitution is a little less complicated – you’ll often just get a less neutral base or more richness if you use butter, and vice versa for vegetable oil. 

If you’re looking for an overall alternative to vegetable oil, canola oil is your #1 sub, with different varieties of olive oil as a close second. For butter, ghee will be closest in flavor, and avocado oil will be most suited as a sub for high-heat cooking.

Nutrition: Vegetable oil vs butter

Vegetable oil has an overall lower fat content (13.6g per tablespoon) than butter (14.2g), and its primary fat is different too. While butter is highest in saturated fat (7.3g), vegetable oil is highest in polyunsaturated fat (7.8g), making it a more heart-healthy option when consumed in moderation. Polyunsaturated fat can help lower your LDL cholesterol.

Butter, on the other hand, is lower in calories (102 vs 120), ever-so-slightly higher in trans fats (0.5g vs 0.1g), and has 30.5mg of cholesterol (whereas vegetable oil has 0). It’s also high in saturated fat, which can potentially raise LDL cholesterol if eaten in high quantities.

As with all cooking oils or fats, be sure to use both sparingly.

Per tablespoon (15mL)	Vegetable oil	Butter
Calories	120	102
Polyunsaturated	7.8 g	0.4 g
Monounsaturated	3.1 g	3.0 g
Saturated	2.1 g	7.3 g
Trans	0.1 g	0.5 g
Total Fat	13.6 g	14.2 g
Cholesterol	0	30.5 mg

The primary fat source is bolded.

How to store vegetable oil and butter

Always store vegetable oil away from heat and light in your pantry. When sealed, vegetable oil should last up to two years and up to one when opened. Butter should be taken out of its packaging and placed into an airtight container. Avoid storing butter near strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs odors quite easily – it can help to store it in a separate space in the fridge. 

Vegetable oil vs butter: Which is better?

Vegetable oil and butter are both staples in my kitchen for both baking and cooking. I love vegetable oil for its moisture-locking abilities and neutral flavor and butter’s rich and indulgent taste and how they work wonders in both cooking and baking. Every cooking fat and oil has its time to shine, so I recommend checking out other options in our breakdown of these 42 different types of cooking oils!

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