No Butter – What Now?

Donna asked me to write a post about what I use instead of butter after reading this post: Halloween… with an Eight Year Old.

First, I love butter. Absolutely love it – on Brussels sprouts, popcorn, almond flour pancakes and in chocolate coconut cookies are just a few examples. But we don’t eat it now. Some of the problems are easily solved because we no longer eat the foods that I love to put butter on, like popcorn. Still, that doesn’t solve all of the adjustments we have to make.

Until yesterday, I hadn’t baked a thing needing butter since being on the Whole 30. Baking has been a non-existent activity because we aren’t using sweetener (until yesterday) and without sweetener or butter, there isn’t much reason to bake. Sure, I could make some savory, non-sweetened almond flour bread, but what good is that without butter? Actually, now that I think about it, it may be good with some olive oil (I purchase from Chaffin Family Orchards).

What fats do I use? As of yesterday, coconut oil replaces butter in baked goods. I also use coconut oil to coat chicken skin before I bake it. I fry sweet potatoes and eggs in pork fat rendered from bacon I make myself. I sauté some veggies in olive oil and sometimes in pork fat, depending on the veggie.

And what about not using honey in baked goods? Really ripe bananas have been an acceptable replacement, but I think Colson would have had a full-on freak out if I would have messed with his chocolate coconut cookies by using banana. With our fully recalibrated taste buds, it takes little honey to make these cookies good enough for him.

Feel free to add other butter replacement suggestions.

Comments

[Maria Droujkova]

I like to bake with pork or chicken fat. It works better than butter in many recipes.

[Donna]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on this! It sounds like you guys are really feeling great and the results are worth giving up butter :) And as a side benefit, this way of eating really seems to have simplified your life also. Less choices can be liberating. Best regards.