Can I substitute coconut oil for butter?

The short answer: You can replace the coconut oil in almost any recipe that calls for butter.

In some cases, especially during cooking, the results are not exactly the same. But as long as you know what to expect, no surprises.

Cooking with coconut oil

Cookies with coconut oil instead of butter turn usually good, but they will be a little crisper. That's because the butter 16 to 17 percent water, while the oil is pure coconut oil. Less moisture produces vegetables cookies.

Recipes that call for butter, such as bread, quick breads, muffins and cakes will be fine. Just make sure that the coconut oil is liquid, if used. That's not too difficult. If you have held a glass of coconut oil at home, you know you have a lower melting temperature than butter: 77 ° C, to be exact. This means that on a hot day, no fluid will be in the shell. (Butter melts at 98.6 ° C, ideally, the temperature inside of the mouth.)

Coconut oil in pie crusts

When coconut oil is not good to replace, it is in puff pastry and cakes. A flaky crust has separated the fat layers that create the mass. But because its melting point is 77 ° C, a hot cooking some coconut oil is sufficient to liquefy.

And a liquid does not form lumps. Instead, the layer can be mainly absorbed and flour from her is a paste instead of a friable granular consistency can give.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Dough is made in this way as mealy pie dough, and is very soft and brittle. It is good for the bottom crust with cream and fruit cake, because they are less likely to be wet. It will simply not be flaky.

The other thing about this dough is that it is difficult to work. Implement and fit into your cake pan can be a real pain. That's because fat molecules reduced gluten (which is why it is called "shortening"), so that the despicable and inelastic.

Cooking with coconut oil

For normal cooking, you can use coconut oil wherever you use butter - like cooking eggs, buns with grilled cheese to spread on toast, etc.

Coconut oil and butter both have a relatively low smoke point of about 350 ° F, if you are used to heat a little butter in a pan and fry some vegetables, you can use coconut oil in the same manner. If the pan is too hot, it will begin to smoke, like butter.

Note that no coconut oil foaming in the mold so that the term of butter, because, as I mentioned earlier, butter contains water, but coconut oil is not water in the foam and butter, as it evaporates.

Coconut know

Finally (and culinary point of view, perhaps decisive), all the taste of coconut instead of butter. If it's okay with you, you're okay. For dessert a hint of coconut flavor could be very nice. Scrambled eggs coconut taste may not be for everyone. On the other hand, who knows? Maybe it will be at home.