Can You Substitute Olive Oil For Butter?

Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. However, all fats are not created equal. Olive oil and butter differ on several levels, including taste, fat content and cooking usage. You will also find that they also vary in their health values. While taste may be the deciding factor, other traits may influence your choice of whether you use olive oil or butter in a recipe.

Calorie Count

Both olive oil and butter are fats, meaning that both ingredients contain high concentrations of calories. Though comparable in calories, butter has slightly less calories at 102 calories per tablespoon versus olive oil's 119 calories. Butter contains a mixture of fats, moisture and milk solids. Olive oil is derived from crushed oils separated from solids through pressing. Both olive oil and butter are available in different concentrations, from whole butter or extra-virgin olive oil to light butters or olive oils.

Fat Type

Olive oil and butter differ on a fundamental level in their fat type. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat while butter is a saturated fat. The American Heart Association encourages Americans to limit consumption of saturated fats due to their role in raising cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, can help lower cholesterol, which makes them the healthier fat choice. However, you should still stay within the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010" and keep your fat intake to within 20 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake.

Taste

You will find many similar uses between olive oil and butter. For example, either one is delicious on bread as a spread. You can also use either fat for pan-frying and as a baste for meats. However, while there is a small range of taste variation with butter, you will find that olive oils vary widely in taste depending upon their source and type. Olive oil is sold in various grades: extra-virgin, virgin or ordinary virgin. The difference between the grades lies in their acidity; for example, extra-virgin olive oils have a stronger flavor due to a higher acid content. Due to geographical and climate differences, you will also find variations in taste based on the oil's source. Several countries export olive oil, including Italy and Greece. The savory taste of olive oil may conflict with sweet baked goods, making butter a better choice.

Cooking

From a cooking perspective, you will find subtle differences in olive oil and butter. Virgin olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, making it more useful for frying foods in. The smoke point is the temperature at which a fat source begins to smoke; exceeding this temperature can affect the flavor of the food. Extra-virgin olive oil has a lower smoking point than butter, making it inappropriate for pan-frying. Butter, on the other hand, lends a creamy texture and taste to foods cooked at a lower temperature, making it ideal for baking. Substituting olive oil for butter is a matter of taste. However, if you have cardiovascular risk factors, you may want to consider using olive oil as your primary fat source for cooking.