Paleo diet has been described as an approach to nutrition that focuses on consuming foods based on our ancestors’ eating habits from the Paleolithic period.
Followers of the paleo diet avoid processed foods, including white bread, sugary cereals, butter, and cheese.
Butter is the key ingredient in baking and cooking dishes. For paleo diet followers who avoid butter, there are many butter substitutes available that are compatible with them.
In this article, we will discuss different ingredients that work as butter substitutes for the paleo diet.
9 Best Paleo Butter Substitutes
This subsection will discuss various butter substitutes that will be suitable for the paleo diet.
There may not always be 1:1 conversion with these substitutes. Also, some of these substitutes may have a distinct flavor, and experimentation will help decide the one.
Ghee
Ghee is clarified butter that is prepared by heating butter or cream. It has beneficial properties, including improving absorption, enhancing memory, strengthening the brain, and lubricating the connective tissues.
It is used as a butter replacement on a paleo diet as it may contain a very low level of lactose or casein that may not be a concern for paleo dieters.
It may be used for cooking, roasting, and frying eggs, vegetables as it offers a rich buttery flavor.
Summary
Ghee is recommended as a nutritious and delicious choice as a butter substitute for paleo dieters.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil made by pressing coconut meat is rich in MCT that has been shown to increase metabolism. It has demonstrated anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects.
It has a unique flavor and is best used as an alternative to butter.
It may be incorporated into any paleo dish, including sautéing and baking that calls for butter. It is recommended to use 25% less coconut oil than butter due to its higher percentage of fat solids.
Summary
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oil that works as a butter substitute in baking and cooking paleo dishes.
Applesauce
Applesauce is rich in phytochemicals which help with the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Unsweetened applesauce is a great butter substitute if you want to cut the calories and fat.
It comes in handy in paleo cooking. It is best used in sweet and baking recipes due to its fruity flavor. It may create a moist end product.
Also, it is better to use homemade applesauce to avoid unwanted preservatives.
Summary
Homemade or organic applesauce is versatile in baking and may be used as a butter substitute to make paleo baking goods providing a whole host of nutrients.
Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin is a nutritionally dense vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, iron, manganese, and potassium. It may help with providing better immunity, younger-looking skin, and lowering the risk of diseases.
Pumpkin puree may work as a butter substitute due to its creamy texture and adds nutrients, fiber, and beta-carotene to the recipes. It may work for both creamy desserts and savory paleo dishes.
It is recommended to use homemade or 100% canned pumpkin without any added ingredients.
Summary
Pumpkin puree may work as a butter replacement in baking and savory paleo dishes. It is low in calories and may nutrients to the paleo diet.
Avocado
Avocados are significantly higher in nutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins K and E, potassium, and magnesium that have potential health benefits.
It may work as a butter replacement in paleo dishes due to its abundance of nutrients and healthy fats. It may lower saturated fats and increase monosaturated fats.
It may work at a 1:1 substitution ratio for butter. It has a creamy and smooth texture that may blend well in dessert dishes, including muffins, brownies, and cookies.
It also adds moisture and mild buttery flavor to the dips and spreads.
Summary
Avocados are a great addition as butter replacer in the paleo diet as they are nutrient and fiber-rich.
Mashed Bananas
Bananas are the popular fruit that contains fiber, potassium, folate, and antioxidants that support heart health.
Mashed bananas are sweet with a creamy texture and add moisture, making them an ideal butter substitute for paleo dishes.
It is recommended to eat in moderation due to its high starch content if you are following a paleo diet.
It may work well in muffins, smoothies, brownies, and quick bread due to its starch content. The dishes do not need additional sweetening because of the natural sweetness from bananas.
Summary
Mashed bananas may be a good butter substitute in a paleo diet if you want to increase the nutritional value and decrease the calories and fat.
Nut Butter
Nut butter obtained from nuts is packed with nutrients, fiber, high protein, and healthy fats.
Many nut butter ingredients that are paleo-approved include cashews, almonds, pistachios, and pecans. However, peanut butter is not paleo as they belong to the legume family.
It may be used as a butter substitute on toast as a spread and baking goods. It lends a nutty flavor and dense texture to the dishes.
If the nut butter is store-bought, it is preferable to check if it does not contain any processed ingredients.
Summary
Nut butter is a tasty way of getting healthy fat and proteins in paleo meals and snacks. Therefore, it may be used as a butter substitute for its nutty flavor.
Lard
Lard is obtained from the adipose tissue of the swine and was used traditionally as a shortening in making baked goods, including biscuits, cakes. It is now making a comeback in the culinary world and is paleo-friendly.
It has a high smoke point due to high saturated fat and may be ideal for frying and sautéing vegetables. It has a neutral flavor and may be used as a butter substitute in baking paleo desserts.
It is recommended to reduce the quantity of lard as a butter substitute as butter contains water.
Summary
Lard may be used as a paleo butter substitute as it has a high melting point and neutral flavor.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a vegetable oil rich in healthy monounsaturated fat linked with improving heart health, high antioxidant levels, and lowering inflammation.
It may be used as a healthy paleo butter substitute for medium heat cooking and as a dressing. It may also be used in baking. It is recommended to use about three-quarters of a cup of olive oil for every cup of butter.
However, it is preferable to use extra-virgin olive as they are more naturally produced.
Summary
Olive oil may be used for low to medium temperature cooking paleo dishes as a substitute for butter.
FAQs
Grass-fed butter produced from the milk of grass-fed cows is a good source of vitamin A, beta-carotene, unsaturated fats, and CLA than regular butter.Therefore, grass-fed butter is acceptable in the paleo diet if the individual can tolerate it.
Coconut oil is the best choice. Olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, is also paleo-friendly. Avocado oil is rich in monosaturated fats that are great for sautéing, and macadamia oil may also be used in salad dressings and garnish.
Bottom Line
Paleo diet followers opt to remove dairy, including butter from their diet, and include butter substitutes to flavor the food.
These butter substitutes in the paleo diet replicate the functional and sensory properties, including color, taste, texture of butter in food. You may experiment with different choices and pick a suitable one for your paleo dishes.