First up, butter. This is the substitute everyone thinks of, and for good reason. It’s the hero that lives right next to the empty oil bottle in your fridge.
Just melt it and use the same amount. I did this once on a rainy Tuesday, and the brownies came out with these gloriously crispy, crackly tops. They were richer and more decadent, like a brownie that had been to finishing school.
The only catch is that butter has a lower smoke point and contains water. This means your brownies might be slightly less fudgy and a bit more cake-like. But honestly, that’s a trade-off I’ll make for that buttery flavor every single time.
When You Want to Feel a Little Fancy
If you’re out of butter too, don’t sweat it. Grab your yogurt. Yes, plain yogurt—the unsung hero of the dairy aisle.
Use about ¾ cup of yogurt for every 1 cup of oil. It sounds weird, like putting salad dressing on a brownie.
But the magic is real. The acidity in the yogurt reacts with the baking soda to create a beautifully tender crumb. You get brownies that are almost velvety, and they stay moist for days—if they last that long.
