Healthy Alternatives to Butter: What to Use Instead
Butter tastes great. There is no getting around that. But if you are trying to cut calories, lower your saturated fat intake, or simply make a few healthier choices, it is worth knowing what you can swap it for without ruining your cooking or baking.
The good news is that there are plenty of options. Some are better for cooking, some work brilliantly in baking, and a few are great for spreading on toast. You do not have to give up flavour or texture to make a healthier choice.
This guide covers the best healthy alternatives to butter, explains why you might want to cut back, and gives you practical tips you can use straight away. Whether you are trying to lose weight, look after your heart, or just reduce your grocery bill, there is something here for you.
Why Might You Want to Find Healthy Alternatives to Butter?
Butter is high in saturated fat. The NHS advises that women should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat per day, and men no more than 30g. Just one tablespoon of butter contains around 7g of saturated fat, which adds up quickly if you are using it throughout the day.
Eating too much saturated fat can raise your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
A large study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2025 followed over 200,000 adults for up to 33 years. It found that people who swapped just 10 grams of butter a day (less than one tablespoon) for plant-based oils saw a 17% reduction in the risk of dying from all causes and from cancer. The American Heart Association reported these findings, and they are hard to ignore.
That said, fat is not the enemy. Your body needs fat to absorb vitamins A, D and E, and to keep your cells working properly. The goal is to swap the less healthy saturated fats for more unsaturated ones, not to cut fat out entirely.
The Best Healthy Alternatives to Butter
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the most popular healthy alternatives to butter, and for good reason. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which help protect your heart by keeping good cholesterol levels up while reducing bad cholesterol.
For cooking, the British Heart Foundation recommends using refined (not extra virgin) olive oil, as it is more stable at higher temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil is better saved for dressings or drizzling over finished dishes.
You can also use olive oil in baking. As a rough guide, replace every 100g of butter with around 75ml of olive oil, though this can vary depending on the recipe. It works especially well in savoury bakes, bread and some cakes.
Rapeseed Oil
Rapeseed oil (often sold as vegetable oil in UK supermarkets) is another brilliant option. It has a mild flavour and a higher smoke point than olive oil, making it great for frying, roasting and baking.
According to the British Heart Foundation, rapeseed oil and inexpensive olive oil are the best choices for everyday cooking because they contain more monounsaturated fats and are more resistant to heat.
Rapeseed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which most of us do not get enough of. It is affordable, widely available and works in almost any savoury dish.
Low Fat Spread
If you are looking for something as healthy alternatives to butter to spread on toast or use in baking, a low fat spread based on olive or sunflower oil can be a good swap. The NHS specifically suggests trying “reduced-fat spreads, such as spreads based on olive or sunflower oils” as part of a lower saturated fat diet.
On this site, there is a great example of this in action. The healthier carrot cake recipe uses low fat spread instead of butter, which brings the calories and saturated fat down significantly without losing the soft, moist texture you want in a cake.
When choosing a spread, check the label. Look for green or amber traffic light labels for saturated fat. Anything with more than 5g of saturates per 100g is classed as high, so aim for products below that when looking for healthy alternatives to butter.
Avocado
Mashed avocado is a fantastic healthy alternatives to butter on toast. It gives you healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, potassium and a range of vitamins. It tastes great too.
You can also use mashed avocado in some baking recipes, particularly for brownies and dense chocolate cakes. Replace butter with an equal amount of mashed avocado. The end result will be slightly denser and the colour may be a touch darker, but the flavour is genuinely lovely.
This is not going to work in every recipe, but for baking with chocolate it is worth trying.
Natural Yoghurt
Plain natural or Greek yoghurt are surprisingly useful as healthy alternatives to butter in baking. They add moisture, give a slight tang and keep things soft. You can generally use it in a 1:1 swap for butter in recipes like muffins, quick breads and some cakes.
It is much lower in fat than butter (especially if you use a low fat version) and adds a little protein too. The results will be slightly different in texture but often perfectly good.
If you enjoy making lighter bakes, take a look at the dessert recipes on my site for more inspiration.
Unsweetened Applesauce
Applesauce is popular for healthy alternatives to butter in baking, especially for sweet recipes. It adds natural sweetness and keeps bakes moist without adding fat. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio in place of butter.
It works particularly well in muffins, loaf cakes and cookies. The texture will be a bit softer and the flavour slightly fruitier, but that can be a nice thing.
Look for unsweetened applesauce to keep the sugar content down.
Nut Butters
Almond butter, peanut butter and cashew butter are all good options when you want something to spread on toast or add to baking. They are rich in healthy unsaturated fats, protein and fibre, which helps keep you fuller for longer.
They are still quite calorie-dense, so portion size matters. A thin layer on whole-grain toast is a solid, filling choice that is much more nutritious and great when looking for healthy alternatives to butter.
If you are looking to get more iron into your diet, spreading almond or cashew butter on toast is one easy way to do it. You can read more about iron-rich foods here.
Cottage Cheese or Quark
For savoury uses, plain cottage cheese or quark can replace butter in some recipes. They are both very low in fat and high in protein. Quark in particular is great for baking and for making lower calorie icings and frostings.
If you want to learn more about cooking with quark, there is a helpful quark recipe list on this site with loads of ideas.
Tips for Swapping Butter in Everyday Cooking
Looking for healthy alternatives to butter does not have to be complicated. Here are a few practical things to try:
- Roast potatoes: Use a small amount of sunflower or olive oil instead of butter. Cut them into larger chunks to reduce the surface area that absorbs oil.
- Mashed potato: Try a reduced fat spread and skimmed milk instead of butter and full fat milk. The result is still creamy and satisfying.
- Pasta sauces: A tomato-based sauce is much lower in saturated fat than a creamy or buttery one.
- Scrambled eggs and omelettes: Try making eggs without any fat at all by using a non-stick pan. Or add a tiny splash of olive oil instead of a knob of butter.
- Baking: Experiment with olive oil, rapeseed oil, yoghurt or applesauce depending on the recipe. It often takes a bit of trial and error, but the results can be just as good.
What About Low Calorie Cooking Generally?
If you are trying to reduce calories overall, avoiding butter and oil altogether in some dishes is worth considering. Cooking methods like steaming, grilling, boiling and poaching use no fat at all. This low calorie savoury rice recipe is a good example of how satisfying a dish can be even without butter or oil.
FAQ
Is butter actually bad for you?
Butter is not “bad” in small amounts, but it is high in saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat is linked to higher LDL cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. The NHS recommends keeping saturated fat intake to no more than 20g per day for women and 30g for men. Butter can still be enjoyed occasionally as part of a balanced diet.
What is the healthiest butter substitute for baking?
It depends on the recipe. Rapeseed oil and olive oil work well in most baking. Natural yoghurt and applesauce are good for moist, sweet bakes like muffins and loaf cakes. Low fat spread is probably the most straightforward swap as it behaves most like butter.
Can I replace butter with olive oil in all recipes?
Not all recipes, no. Olive oil works well in savoury dishes, breads and some cakes, but it is not ideal for pastry or recipes where butter needs to be solid (like shortbread). For those, a cold low fat spread or a combination of approaches tends to work better.
What can I use instead of butter on toast?
There are several healthy alternatives to butter that work well on toast. A low-fat spread, mashed avocado, almond butter, peanut butter or a thin layer of cottage cheese all make decent alternatives. Mashed avocado is particularly popular because it tastes great and gives you healthy fats and fibre.
Are plant-based spreads healthier than butter?
Many plant-based spreads are lower in saturated fat than butter and higher in unsaturated fats, which is better for heart health. Check the label, though, as some spreads still contain palm oil (which is high in saturated fat) and others may be high in salt. Look for spreads based on olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil.
Is coconut oil a healthy alternative to butter?
This one is worth being cautious about. Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat (more so than butter), so it is not a straightforward “healthier” swap when it comes to heart health. The NHS lists coconut oil as a source of saturated fat. It can be used in small amounts for flavour, but it is not the heart-healthy oil it is sometimes made out to be. So, watch out for claims that coconut oil is one of the healthy alternatives to butter; it isn’t!
Making the Switch
You do not need to overhaul everything at once. Start with one or two simple swaps, like using rapeseed oil instead of butter when roasting vegetables, or reaching for a reduced fat spread on your toast. Small changes made consistently really do add up over time.
The research is clear that shifting towards unsaturated plant-based fats and away from butter is a positive step for long-term health. And with so many tasty healthy alternatives to butter available, it is easier than ever to do.
