01
Coconut Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 cup : 1 cup
Adds slight coconut flavor, good for sauteing
10.0
olive oil substitute
in biscuits.
Olive Oil coats flour proteins in Biscuits dough, creating tender, flaky layers. The substitute needs a similar fat profile to keep them from going tough.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Coconut oil stays semi-solid below 76°F, so chill it to 65°F before stirring into the flour — this gets you closer to the flaky layers olive oil cannot deliver. Swap 1:1 by cup, but add 1 tbsp buttermilk since coconut oil is 100% fat with no polyphenols to loosen dough.
02
Hazelnut Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Less nutty but works as finisher
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Hazelnut oil carries a toasted nut flavor that dominates after a 450°F bake, so use 1 tbsp 1:1 only as a partial swap of the total oil. Fold into cold buttermilk first so the aromatics distribute evenly across the tender, short crumb rather than pooling in one layer.
03
Walnut Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Good for dressings, less nutty
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Walnut oil has a smoke point of 320°F, well below the 450°F biscuit bake, so expect some flavor bitterness at the crust. Swap 1 tbsp 1:1 into the cold buttermilk mixture, then chill shaped rounds 15 minutes to firm the oil before the oven hits the tender interior.
show 16 more substitutes
04
Sesame Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Use light sesame for cooking, toasted to finish
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Sesame oil brings a toasted savory note that clashes with buttermilk biscuits unless you use refined (not toasted) at 1:1 by cup. Its smoke point of 410°F handles the bake, but the flavor profile suits savory stack biscuits only — keep away from sweet strawberry shortcake variants.
05
Almond Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Delicate nutty flavor, best for low-heat use
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Almond oil is nearly flavor-neutral when refined, making a clean 1:1 cup swap for olive oil in biscuits. Its 420°F smoke point survives the bake without bitterness, and the lighter viscosity keeps the cold buttermilk mix fluid for a tender short crumb that pulls apart cleanly.
06
Rice Bran Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Clean neutral taste, popular in Asian cooking
10.0
07
Pesto
10.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Mix with garlic and parmesan
10.0
08
Avocado Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Higher smoke point, great for high-heat cooking
10.0
09
Flaxseed Oil
10.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Good for dressings and drizzling
10.0
10
Peanut Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral for frying, higher smoke point
10.0
11
Margarine
6.71 cup : 3/4 cup
Use less, best for savory baking and cooking
6.7
12
Whipped Butter
6.71 cup : 1/2 cup
Use half volume; works for spreading and cooking
6.7
13
Vegetable Oil
5.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral flavor, best for baking and frying
5.0
14
Sunflower Oil
5.01 cup : 1 cup
Adds flavor, best for dressings and low-heat use
5.0
15
Safflower Oil
5.01 cup : 1 cup
Very neutral flavor, good all-purpose oil
5.0
16
Corn Oil
5.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral and affordable, good for frying
5.0
17
Butter
4.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Use about 7/8 cup butter per cup oil; adds richness and dairy flavor, solidifies when cool so best in baking
4.0
18
Grapeseed Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Use light/refined for neutral high-heat use
6.7
19
Canola Oil
5.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral flavor, works in any recipe
5.0
technique for biscuits
technique
Biscuits built with olive oil skip the classic cut in step entirely because oil disperses into flour instantly rather than staying in pea-sized pieces, so you lose the steam pockets that give flaky layers their lift. To compensate, drop the hydration by 10% and use cold buttermilk straight from the fridge (around 38°F), then fold the shaggy dough onto itself 3-4 times to build a laminated stack that can still pull apart cleanly.
Bake at 450°F for 12-14 minutes so the exterior sets before the oil can leak out. Unlike bread dough which welcomes olive oil for long-term softness, biscuit dough treats oil as a tenderizer that will dissolve structure if overworked.
5 oz each and chill the shaped rounds for 15 minutes before the oven to firm up the fat. The crumb will read tender and short rather than truly flaky, so bias the shape taller and narrower to trap steam.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Avoid over-folding the dough past 4 stacks — olive oil cannot create true flaky layers and extra folds only toughen the short crumb.
watch out
Don't skip chilling the scooped rounds — warm oil leaks during bake and the biscuits spread flat instead of standing tall.
watch out
Cut in nothing; stirring is enough — trying to cut in liquid oil just tears the buttermilk hydration and makes the dough tough.
watch out
Measure flour by weight (120 g per cup) — volumetric scoops pack 15% more flour and the tender crumb dries out.
watch out
Skip re-rolling scraps — rerolled dough goes tough because the extra handling overworks the gluten past tender.