01
Corn Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Good for frying, slight nutty taste
10.0
peanut oil substitute
in biscuits.
Peanut 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
Corn oil swaps 1:1 by tablespoon and shares peanut oil's neutral profile, but its slightly lower viscosity at 38°F means droplets can merge faster during mixing. Freeze it 25 minutes (instead of 20) to get the same cold cut-in behavior; bake biscuits at 450°F for flaky pull-apart layers identical to the peanut oil version.
02
Rice Bran Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Great for stir-fry and deep frying
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Rice bran oil swaps 1:1 by tablespoon with a naturally higher plant wax content than peanut oil, which actually helps it firm up below 40°F for better discrete droplets in the cold cut-in. Use it chilled and the biscuits will form layers that stack slightly taller on the tray.
03
Grapeseed Oil
10.0best for biscuits1 cup : 1 cup
Neutral high smoke point, good for frying
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Grapeseed oil swaps 1:1 by cup but stays more liquid at fridge temp than peanut oil because of its high polyunsaturated fraction. Chill to 32°F in the freezer before mixing to force droplet formation so flaky layered biscuits still rise; otherwise you get short, tender crumb instead of stacks.
show 9 more substitutes
04
Olive Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral for frying, higher smoke point
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Olive oil swaps 1:1 by cup but brings a grassy peppery note where peanut oil is neutral, so the buttermilk tang in your biscuits will compete rather than harmonize. Use extra-light refined olive oil only, and chill to 38°F — tender layers survive but flavor shifts noticeably toward savory.
05
Avocado Oil
10.01 cup : 1 cup
High smoke point, excellent for stir-frying
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Avocado oil swaps 1:1 by cup and its high oleic content means it thickens slightly below 40°F (closer to solid-fat behavior than peanut oil). Freeze 20 minutes; the dough folds into slightly more defined pea-sized droplets and the biscuit layers pull apart cleanly with a subtle buttery note.
06
Safflower Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Light neutral flavor, high heat tolerant
6.7
07
Sunflower Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Neutral flavor, good for frying
6.7
08
Canola Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Neutral flavor, widely available
6.7
09
Vegetable Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Most accessible swap, works for all cooking
6.7
10
Sesame Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Strong flavor, best for Asian dishes in small amounts
6.7
11
Soybean Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Similar smoke point, widely available
6.7
12
Coconut Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Use refined for neutral taste at high heat
6.7
technique for biscuits
technique
Liquid peanut oil in biscuit dough cannot be cut in as pea-sized pieces the way solid fat can, so you lose the discrete fat pockets that steam into flaky layers during bake. Compensate by chilling the oil to 35-40°F in the freezer for 20 minutes before mixing, then stream it into cold buttermilk so it seizes into small droplets before it ever contacts flour.
5-inch biscuit cutter straight down without twisting. Bake at 450°F for 12-14 minutes so steam blasts them upward before the structure sets.
Unlike bread, where peanut oil disperses evenly through a kneaded gluten network to give a tender, long-shelf-life crumb, biscuits need the oil to stay in discrete droplets so layers can pull apart. Unlike scones, which tolerate a short, sandy crumb, biscuits need stacked layers that lift visibly on the tray.
If the dough warms above 60°F before it hits the oven, the oil weeps out and you get short, dense pucks instead of tender stacks.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Chill peanut oil to 35-40°F in the freezer 20 minutes before mixing; warm oil coats flour too fully and you lose the discrete fat pockets needed for flaky pull-apart layers.
watch out
Avoid kneading — fold the shaggy dough over itself only 3-4 times; more develops gluten and the biscuits bake into tough, dense pucks instead of tender layered stacks.
watch out
Don't twist the biscuit cutter when scooping; a clean downward press keeps the edges unsealed so steam can lift layers during bake.
watch out
Skip room-temperature buttermilk — use it straight from the fridge below 40°F so the cold oil doesn't re-liquefy during mixing, which would kill the layered rise.
watch out
Pre-heat the oven to 450°F before the dough goes in; a cold oven start lets the oil weep out before the structure sets, producing short greasy biscuits.