Olive Oil vs Butter (2024)

FAQs

What's healthier, olive oil or butter? ›

Because olive oil comes from a plant, it has unique health benefits from nutrients like polyphenols — which aren't found in butter. These polyphenols help make olive oil a more nutritious choice. Using butter every so often — or even a small amount each day — isn't likely to harm your health.

The best statement that explains why olive oil is a healthier fat choice than butter is: 'Olive oil contains lots of unsaturated fatty acids. ' This is because olive oil is high in unsaturated fats, also known as 'good fats.

In addition to an elevated taste, Olivio spreads have less fat, fewer calories, and zero cholesterol compared to regular butter and margarine.

Olive oil also contains heart-healthy monounsaturated good fats and antioxidants. Butter's high saturated fat content, on the other hand, is shown in studies to lead to heart disease and other health issues. So, if you're looking to make a healthier choice for your heart, olive oil is the clear way to go.

"When they are fried, it gives them a little toasted brown butter flavor, which only adds to the eggs," she says. "Butter also makes everything better!" Butter certainly works for fried eggs, but oil is the fat of choice for cooks who want a runny yolk with a satisfying crispy white.

Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.

Due to its liquid nature, using oil in cookies typically results in a denser texture. Also, because oil is 100% fat, it doesn't react with flour the way butter does (butter contains water). Because of that, your cookies won't be as fluffy. If you're a fan of flat cookies, then using oil is an excellent option.

Butter can't withstand higher temperatures the way oil can, due to the milk solids in the spread. If you still want a buttery taste but need to cook something on a high heat, Fiona recommends using oil to fry on a high temperature and adding butter later, at a lower temperature.

Bertolli is a lighter option as it has 70% less saturated fat than butter.

What is the healthiest butter in the world? ›

Is Country Crock^® better for me than dairy butter? Country Crock® products are all made of plant-based oils – a source of good fats. Because we use plant-based oils, all our Country Crock® products contain less saturated fat than dairy butter, as well as zero cholesterol.

Oil has less saturated fat than butter does which makes it a healthier choice if you are looking for something lower in calories and fat content. Additionally, oils such as olive oil contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that help reduce inflammation in your body.

Swapping olive oil for butter cuts saturated fat. Plus, good olive oil adds a wonderful, nuanced flavor to baked goods and keeps them moist. Olive oil also contributes to a special, textured "crumb." To help you with your holiday baking, we've assembled a Q&A on baking with olive oil.

Best all-around award goes to olive oil. You can use it for almost any kind of cooking without breaking it down. The healthiest type is extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). It can help lower your blood pressure and fight inflammation.

Both of these fats have health risks. Some guidelines for healthier cooking: Use olive or canola oil instead of butter or margarine. Choose soft margarine (tub or liquid) over harder stick forms.