Substitutes for Butter in Mac and Cheese

Top 20 Delicious Substitutes for Butter in Mac and Cheese in 2024 

What can you use as a substitute for butter in mac and cheese?

Nothing says comfort food like a bowl of mac and cheese! The delicious combination of cheese, butter, macaroni, and seasoning makes you want to shout hallelujah! 

Although each ingredient in this delectable dish serves a purpose, some are replaceable. Butter is not an indispensable ingredient in mac and cheese. Its sole purpose is to give the dish more texture and richness, preventing your sauce from being watery and less flavorful.  

Did you know you can get that same texture and taste without including butter? 

Should you try sour cream or almond milk as a substitute for butter in healthier Mac and Cheese – will you miss the cheese sauce depth of flavor – read on.

Also when baking cookies, there are butter alternatives.

In this article, we’ve put together five delicious dairy and dairy-free substitutes for butter in mac and cheese.

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Dairy Substitutes for Butter

Being a milk product, substituting butter with other milk alternatives to maintain creaminess and texture is the way to go. Here are three three dairy alternatives to butter:

Heavy Cream 

Heavy cream is an excellent substitute for butter because, in fact,  butter is made from heavy cream! 

Heavy cream adds richness and texture to your dish. Since it’s a dairy product with high-fat content, you can actually skip the milk. However, if it gets too thick for your liking, add a bit of salted pasta water to thin it out. 

Did you know you can actually use heavy cream to make your own butter? Simply put your heavy cream in a closed container, shake it for a minute or two until it becomes lumpy and hard, add your seasoning of choice, and voilà! You have our very own homemade butter. 

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Cream Cheese

Substituting butter with a milk product like cream cheese will make your mac and cheese extra creamy and thick. It’s also a great replacement that provides extra savoriness and flavoring. 

Make sure you add a small amount of oil, ghee, or margarine to avoid a sticky roux or noodles. It’s also important to soften or melt the cream cheese before adding it to avoid any lumpiness. 

Clarified Butter/ Ghee 

Ghee is a type of clarified butter that has been filtered to remove any water after being simmered at low heat. This clarified butter has a rich, nutty flavor that complements other ingredients. It’s high fat, yet it’s richer and less oily than butter, making it an excellent butter substitute. 

Unlike butter, ghee is free of lactose and casein, two milk proteins that are the main cause of the majority of dairy allergies and intolerances.

Dairy-Free Substitutes for Butter  

Believe it or not, there are dairy-free alternatives for butter in mac and cheese!

In fact, the majority of health-conscious people and vegans replace butter with non-dairy alternatives to make mac & cheese healthier. 

Margarine 

Margarine is actually known as “vegan butter.” It’s extremely similar to butter in terms of appearance and texture. However, it’s a plant-based fat source.

By far, margarine is the best and most popular dairy-free butter substitute.

Tahini and Peanut Butter

Yes, we know it sounds strange, but it works! 

Because tahini and peanut butter are high in fats and protein, they add creaminess to the mac and cheese and enhance the nutty flavor in the cheese!

Almond Milk and Almond Butter is a healthy replacement for butter in Mac and Cheese

Almond Milk and Almond Butter is a healthy replacement for butter in Mac and Cheese It’s also a good alternative for those who want to cut down on the fat content – but remember there is still a lot of fat in the cheese – but every little thing helps.

Can I Use Pumpkin seed Oil as a Replacement for Butter in Mac and Cheese?

Pumpkin Seed Oil This oil is extracted from pumpkin seeds and is packed full of essential fatty acids. Pumpkin seed oil is a great option for anyone looking for a dairy-free butter substitute in their mac and cheese. It also gives the baked macaroni a fantastic nutty taste – this is great vegetable oil.

Is Soy milk A Good Substitute for Butter in Mac and Cheese?

Soy milk is another dairy-free butter alternative that works well in mac and cheese. Soymilk comes in both regular and unsweetened varieties and also gives a rice pasta taste. It is not nut milk like almond milk – so the flavor is not as strong. Cashew milk is another consideration.

Other Butter replacement in mac and cheese Ideas

• yogurt- plain yogurt or greek yogurt
• lite whipped cream
• lite shredded cheese
• lite unsalted butter is better than salted butter
• coconut cream – coconut cream gives mac and cheese a silky texture.
• coconut milk or even coconut oil
• oat milk
• nut butter
• rice milk
• cottage cheese
• condensed milk
• olive oil
• evaporated milk

What can you use in place of butter for mac and cheese? You can use cottage cheese for alow fat alternative or almond butter for a dairy-free substitute.

What is a good substitute for milk in mac and cheese? – Coconut products like cream, coconut oil are good substitutes for milk.

Wrapping Up

Finding out that there’s no butter in your kitchen when you’re preparing mac and cheese shouldn’t stop you anymore. You can achieve richness and texture in mac and cheese without butter. 

Sometimes, other options like margarine, for example, give you the same effect as butter whilst being healthier!