19 Best Truffle Oil Substitutes (When You’re Out of the Good Stuff)

When it comes to making delicious salad dressings or any mushroom-containing dish, truffle oil is the go-to oil.

But in case you just ran out of it or want to make these recipes without using it, then I have brought you the ultimate list of the best truffle oil substitutes.

So, let’s get started.

19 Best Truffle Oil Substitutes

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a component of truffle oil. It mimics the consistency and flavor of truffle oil up to a large extent. 

So, it fits well into pasta, and mashed potatoes, and can also be used as a bread topping. You can also incorporate it into sauces and salads or combine it with garlic.

See this video to make Fried Potatoes using Extra virgin olive oil: 

2. Truffle Salt

Since truffle salt is made by combining little truffle pieces and sea salt, it acts as a great substitute. You can use it for almost every recipe that requires truffle oil.

These include both vegetables and meat dishes.

It also works amazingly for soups, salads, and baked dishes. 

But don’t forget to adjust the salt content in your recipe while using truffle salt.

Try this recipe of Roasted Chicken using truffle salt: 

3. Truffles

Using actual truffles will give your dish a more intense flavor than the oil with a distinct aroma.

So, while substituting, use only a small quantity of it. You can make soups, sauces, and even pizza toppings with it.

However, truffles won’t provide the oily texture, and they’re a little more expensive. 

Here are four ways you can use truffles in your recipes: 

4. Worcestershire Sauce 

Worcestershire sauce contains a mixture of umami, sweet and savory flavors with an intense aroma. 

You can use it as a dipping sauce, condiment,  for salad dressing, and in many other toppings.

To achieve a more identical taste, you can add some mushroom pieces to it.

How to substitute

Take a 1:1 ratio of Worcestershire sauce and truffle oil.  

Check out this burger recipe made using Worcestershire Sauce:

5. Porcini Mushroom Oil

Porcini mushroom oil is the perfect substitute for white truffle oil because it contains a strong fungus smell with a deep umami flavor.

When used on top of pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and bruschetta, it gives them an excellent mushroom taste with a nutty and earthy aroma.

Avoid using porcini mushroom oil in dishes that need to be cooked on high heat since its burning point is very low.

Watch this video to know how you can make porcini mushroom soup:

6. Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil has a neutral taste with a medium texture. So, it’s an excellent substitute for white truffle oil.

You can use it for dressing salads, making marinades, baking and stir-frying.

However, you should not use it for deep frying because it has a high smoking point. 

See this video to cook fried chicken in grapeseed oil:

7. Mushroom Oil

Mushroom oil contains a mixture of any type of mushrooms, herbs, spices, and vegetable oil. So, it resembles the taste of truffle oil and works great as a finishing oil.

The burning point of mushroom oil is very low. Therefore, you cannot use it for searing or frying. 

Watch this video to make Italian marinated mushrooms:

8. Hemp Oil

Hemp oil has a nutty and earthly flavor with a mild taste. It goes well with both vegetable and meat dishes. It functions best when used as a finishing oil. 

However, it is not that great for cooking because of its low smoke point. 

Here are three ways you can use hemp oil for cooking: 

9. Canola Oil

Canola oil has a neutral flavor. When it is combined with some garlic, it gives a very similar taste to truffle oil. 

The best part is that it wouldn’t cause a great change in the overall taste of your dish, and you can conveniently use it for sauteing as well as deep frying.

Check out this recipe of garlic chicken deep fried in canola oil: 

10. Mushroom Pesto

Oil is a major ingredient in pesto. Thus, mushroom pesto not only gives your dish the right oily texture but also improves its overall flavor.

Hence, it is a perfect substitute for salads, pasta, stews, and stir-fried dishes. 

How to substitute

For every 1 tablespoon of truffle oil, take 1 tablespoon of mushroom pesto.

11. Fish Sauce

The fish sauce contains a sweet, briny, and salty taste along with a pungent fish smell. 

Its oily texture, once mixed with mushrooms, mimics the flavor profile of truffle oil.

You can use it for making marinades, fries, salad dressings, and pasta.

Watch this video to learn about five ways in which you can use fish sauce for everyday cooking: 

12. Avocado Oil

The grassy and nutty mild taste of avocado oil makes it suitable for making smoothies and salad dressings.

Although it has a distinct avocado taste, avocado oil can still be used as a truffle oil alternative for making sauces and toppings. 

However, it is not recommended for frying and baking.

See this video to make a simple avocado oil mayonnaise:

13. Hazelnut Oil

Hazelnut oil has a bit of a tangy taste with an earthy and nutty flavor and a distinct Hazelnut aroma. 

Its mild taste, subtle smell, and high smoke point make it an ideal substitute to use for sauteing, frying, roasting, and grilling.

Check out this Hazelnut Oil Vinaigrette Recipe:

14. Soy Sauce

Having a sweet, umami, salty, and savory taste, soy sauce is another excellent alternative.

It has a dark color because of which it fits well into dips, gravies, and pasta sauces. 

The darker its color, the stronger its flavor. So, it might not give you the exact taste of truffle salt. But you can still drizzle it on grilled meat, seafood, soups, and pasta.

Here’s how you can make fried rice using soy sauce: 

15. Vegetable Oil

Most easily available substitute

If you cannot find any other substitute, then you can always use your regular vegetable oil instead of truffle oil.

However, it won’t add the same intense flavor and aroma to your dish, but its nutty and earthly taste can definitely improve the taste and texture of any recipe.

See this video to make a quick and easy cake using vegetable oil: 

16. Safflower Oil

Safflower oil is a transparent oil with a neutral taste. Its high smoke point of 450F makes it a good alternative for making fried dishes.

Also, since it has polyunsaturated fats in a large quantity, it fits perfectly into salad dressings.

Its consistency is similar to that of vegetable oil, so you can make a variety of Asian dishes with it.

Watch this video to know how you can make Oriental Chicken salad using Safflower Oil:

17. Herbs and Spices

The following herbs and spices act as great truffle oil alternatives:

• Rosemary
• Shallots
• Parsley
• Sage
• Cilantro 
• Garlic 

See this recipe to make Parsley Spaghetti:

18. Sunflower Oil

The neutral taste and high smoke point of sunflower oil make it a good substitute.

It fits well into baked items, salads, and sauces. You can also use it for stir-frying. 

Remember that sunflower oil will not give you the exact flavor as truffle oil. But you can still mix it with other spices and ingredients to enhance the taste of your dish.

Here’s how you can make chocolate cookies using sunflower oil: 

19. Homemade Truffle Oil

A DIY substitute

To make your own truffle oil at home, you can mix any oil with truffle salt. However, using extra virgin olive oil will produce the best quality of results in your recipes.

If you have fresh or dry truffle pieces, then you can add them too. But remember that the truffles will take some time to infuse completely into the oil.

Check out this video to know how you can make your own homemade truffle oil:

FAQs

Bottom Line 

I hope that the above list was able to help you choose the right ingredient for your next recipe.

If you have any more suggestions on other substitution options which can be added to the list, then please let us know. 

And yes, Be sure to share this post with your friends and family so they can get the best truffle oil substitutes, too!