What are some good butter substitutes?

A number of items can serve as a substitute for butter, such as margarine, vegetables oil, shortening and coconut oil. Depending on the usage, other potential substitutes include applesauce, avocado, Greek yogurt or pureed prunes.

For baking purposes, butter and margarine are directly interchangeable. For example, 1 cup of margarine will substitute for the same amount of butter. The same measurement also works for shortening, including butter-flavored shortening. A small amount of water needs to be added with the shortening because it is slightly denser than either butter or margarine. Oils such as vegetable or coconut work best in baked goods recipes that call for softened butter.