What is a Substitute for Vegetable Oil?

Shelf Life of Oils

Whether you ran out of the oil your recipe calls for, your oil has gone bad or you are trying to cut down the fat content of your recipe you need a vegetable oil substitute. A vegetable oil substitute is the most common oil substitution needed, because the majority of oils sold are from vegetables and can usually be interchanged without huge differences. Whereas oils from other products such as nuts, fruits or seeds are not always interchangeable.

Substitutions for Vegetable Oil:

Oil	Amount	Substitute
Vegetable Oil substitute in Baking	1 Cup	1 Cup Applesauce
		OR 1 Cup Fruit Puree (like blended apricots)
Vegetable Oil substitute for Frying	1 Cup	1 Cup Lard
		OR 1 Cup Shortening
		OR You can also use an equivalent amount of Canola Oil, Peanut Oil, Sunflower Oil or Blended Oil for frying. Olive Oil is not recommended because it does not heat to the proper frying temperature without burning.
Vegetable Oil substitute for Salads	Any	Equal amount of Canola Oil OR Blended Oil OR Sunflower Oil
		OR Equal amount of Olive Oil for a heart healthy alternative

Remember that different types of oils may give a different flavor to your finished recipe. For instance peanut oil does great for frying (provided you are not allergic to peanuts of course) but will give a nutty flavor to your salad that may not be desirable.
Read our page on how long does oil last to find out more about different oils, including their shelf life and storage information.
To find out proper substitutions for other ingredients, please visit the Substitutions section of Eat By Date or search below using the ingredient you want to substitute for and the word “substitute”!