Substitute coconut oil for butter?

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 5:55 pm

The chocolate chip cookies that I make twice a month are made with a cup of butter. While I was taking budesinide, the cookies caused no reaction. I'm keeping a food journal, eating very carefully and have concluded the cookies are causing truly awful gas in the evening. I've read that coconut oil can be substituted on an equal basis with butter. Has anyone else tried coconut oil in place of butter?

I would kill to keep these cookies in my diet. Not really, but I would feel like it if I have to give them up. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

Sheila W [/i]

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:42 pm

HI Sheila. Yes, you can use coconut oil instead. I use it in pie crust, Krispie treats, shortbread, and brownies . Just know that your cookies will have a slightly coconut flavor. I hope this works for you and it's not just that it's a lot of sugar. Let us know how it goes.
Leah

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:14 pm

Hi, Sheila.

I find that when I substitute coconut oil for butter or other shortening, I need to reduce the amount, otherwise it is too oily. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter or shortening, I use 1/3 cup of coconut oil.

Love,
Martha

Thumbs · Post by **Thumbs** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:23 pm

against all grain cookbook has a cookie recipe, she uses shortening. The cookies are good. They are made with almond flour and a bit of coconut flour.

http://againstallgrain.com/2012/08/29/r ... p-cookies/

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:59 pm

I use Earth Balance (SF, DF, GF) margarine in my chocolate chip cookies and they come out great. When using shortening I use Spectrum. I have one cookie every night after dinner. Just enough.

Nancy

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:17 pm

Thanks, everyone. I made a batch of cookies a little while ago using coconut oil in place of butter. The dough was a little too soft and the cookies browned more quickly, took 8 minutes instead of 9-10 minutes. The cookies are more delicate and break more easily. I always freeze the cookies and will test a frozen one after dinner tonight. I added almond extract as well as vanilla extract to try to mute the coconut flavor and that worked well. After the first batch, I put the mixing bowl into the refrigerator to stiffen up the dough. I think you are correct, Martha. Although the cookies aren't oily, there is too much shortening and the cookies are flatter than they should be.
Thanks Nancy. I will try the Earth Balance for the next batch. I use the Earth Balance soft spread and the taste is okay.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I tasted that first warm cookie. I'm hoping the gas situation will improve and the culprit was butter, not sugar. I appreciate the input. Knowing I can have two of these cookies a day makes me very happy.

By the way, I have tried "Imagine-Natural Creations" boxed butternut squash soup and have had no reaction. I will still make my homemade version but it is nice to know I can have soup without hours of work and a big mess in the kitchen.

Sheila W

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 5:26 pm

If the coconut oil flavour is a bit strong, then I would do half coconut oil/half rice bran oil.

I have used a DF/gf/sf spread as replacement for butter in my cakes, biscuits, pastry etc etc for 10 years..
Even my mums recipes - the trick to adjusting normal recipes to gf/DF is to increase the liquid/oil by 10%-15%

The other option, use some clarified butter, with the oils.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:39 pm

I can attest that both Nancy's and Gabes baking skills with these ingredients are not only beyond incredible, but settle so well....Just my unbiased scientific observation (driven by a very fine tuned sweet tooth of course)

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:23 pm

OK guys - post recipes please.

I have been making apple crumble using a mixture of oat flour, oatmeal, coconut sugar, cinnamon and coconut oil for the topping.
Big problem is - I can't stop eating it!

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:16 pm

Sheila,
Coconut oil comes in refined and unrefined versions. If you don't want the slight coconut flavor, use the refined. I use the unrefined because it doesn't go through the refining process, and is a little healthier. I do use a little less, too, in my cooking, because it does make baked goods a little oily with equal substitutions.

Post by **tex** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:24 pm

I use the refined version (mostly for frying) because it has a higher smoke point than the unrefined version. I've never noticed a coconut odor in anything fried in it.

Tex

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:03 am

Thanks, guys for the input. I will order a tub of refined coconut oil right away. I used coconut oil last night to make scallops, added a little lemon juice, wine and a tiny tot of butter. Cooked the sauce down and it was perfect, no coconut flavor.

I had horrible gas problems after the first full day of eating the cookies made with coconut oil. However, I had eaten a large chunk of GF French bread with a hamburger for lunch. There is a new GF bakery locally and their French bread smelled so good, had such a beautiful crust, I had to buy a loaf. It tasted great with perfect texture. Yesterday a.m. I went online and found the ingredients posted for this particular bread and it contained dried milk. Bummer. Yesterday I was very careful with my food selections and ate the coconut oil cookies with very little gas at the end of the day. Halleluja!! So dairy is now completely off the table except for a tiny tot of butter in a reduction sauce. I will make the next batch of cookies with Enjoy Life margarine and hope the texture will be chewy and more like the cookies made with butter.

The cookie recipe is from Elizabeth Hasselbeck's cookbook, Lesley. I'd be happy to post the recipe for you. Let me know.

Thanks for all of the tips.

Sheila W