This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Whether you don’t have oil on hand or you want to lighten things up, sometimes you need a substitute for oil in cake mix. These easy oil substitutes produce a moist, tender cake every time, and you probably have most of them in your kitchen already. Use the conversion chart below to swap any amount of oil, then try one in a cake mix pumpkin roll or cake mix brownies.
Quick answer: The best substitute for oil in cake mix is the same amount of melted unsalted butter. For a lighter cake, use ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup sour cream or full-fat mayonnaise, or 1¼ cups plain Greek yogurt for every 1 cup of oil. Never leave the oil out without replacing it, or the cake will bake up dry and crumbly.
These easy oil substitutes won’t let you down!
Almost every boxed cake mix I have ever made calls for oil as one of the additional ingredients. But I don’t always have oil on hand, and replacing the oil is one of my favorite ways to make boxed cake mix taste homemade, so sometimes even when I do have it, I want to use something else!
Luckily, there are quite a few things you can use in place of oil that will still help you bake a perfect cake. Whether you need a Betty Crocker cake mix oil substitute, a Duncan Hines swap, or an oil substitute for Pillsbury cake mix, all of these ideas work the same way.
Out of eggs too? See my egg substitutes for cake mix. And for measuring help, check out How Many Cups In A Quart, Pint or Gallon?
Table of Contents
Oil Substitute Conversion Chart
Most cake mixes call for ⅓ cup or ½ cup of vegetable oil. Find your box’s amount in the first column and read across. Melt butter and coconut oil before measuring.
| Oil in recipe | Melted butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, olive, coconut or avocado oil | Greek yogurt | Applesauce | Mashed banana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | ¼ cup | ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon | 3 tablespoons | 2 tablespoons |
| ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup | scant ½ cup (7 tablespoons) | ¼ cup | 3 tablespoons |
| ½ cup | ½ cup | ⅔ cup | ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon | ¼ cup |
| ⅔ cup | ⅔ cup | ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon | ½ cup | ⅓ cup |
| 1 cup | 1 cup | 1¼ cups | ¾ cup | ½ cup |
Best Oil Substitutes for Cake Mix
Here are my go-to, tried-and-true vegetable oil substitutes for cake mix, starting with the one I reach for most.
1. Melted Unsalted Butter
Butter is always the best substitute for oil in cake mix. It’s high in fat and will make your cake mix rich and decadent, with a slightly denser, bakery-style crumb. You may even like cake mix made with butter better than when it’s made with oil!
Ratio: Replace the oil with the same amount of melted butter (½ cup oil = ½ cup melted butter, which is 1 stick). The butter should be completely melted and slightly cooled when you add it so it blends evenly into the batter. Salted butter works too; just skip any added salt in the recipe.
2. Applesauce + Fruit Purees
Applesauce is a very healthy substitute for oil in cake mix, especially unsweetened applesauce. You are adding fruit and cutting back on the overall fat content of the cake. Peach or pear puree work the same way.
Ratio: Use ¾ the amount of applesauce. If the box calls for 1 cup of oil, use ¾ cup of applesauce; for ⅓ cup of oil, use ¼ cup. Applesauce adds a subtle sweetness and makes the cake a little denser, so mix it in just as you would the oil and do not overbeat.
3. Sour Cream
Sour cream is one of the most popular swaps right now, and for good reason: the fat keeps the cake moist and the acidity gives it a soft, tender crumb with a slight tang that disappears under frosting.
Ratio: Use the same amount of full-fat sour cream as oil. Out of sour cream too? Here are my best sour cream substitutes.
4. Greek Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is nice and thick, so it works well in any cake mix. Yogurt will make your cake a little more dense but still delicious, with a slightly tangy taste. It is also much lower in fat than oil, which makes it a healthy oil substitute for cake mix.
Ratio: Use 1¼ cups of plain Greek yogurt for every 1 cup of oil (for ½ cup of oil, use ⅔ cup). Greek yogurt is thicker than oil, so the little extra keeps the batter loose enough to spread. Regular yogurt is thinner, so swap it 1:1.
5. Mayonnaise
Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but using mayonnaise to replace the oil in cake mix is actually a genius idea! (In fact, it’s the secret ingredient in my Copycat Portillo’s Chocolate Cake!) Mayonnaise is mostly oil and egg, so it works well as an oil substitute and gives the cake a creamy texture. It really is great in chocolate cake, but it works for yellow and white cake mixes too.
Ratio: Use the same amount of full-fat mayonnaise as oil (1 cup of oil = 1 cup of mayo; ⅓ cup of oil = ⅓ cup of mayo). Do not use reduced-fat mayonnaise. You want those fats!
6. Olive Oil
Most boxed cake mixes call for vegetable oil or canola oil, which have a neutral taste. Olive oil has a stronger, nuttier flavor, but it is actually quite good in cake, especially lemon, vanilla and chocolate.
Ratio: Use the same amount of olive oil as vegetable oil. Light or regular olive oil has a milder taste than extra virgin.
7. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is the closest match to vegetable oil: neutral flavor, same texture, no change in rise. If you keep it on hand for cooking, it is the simplest swap on this list.
Ratio: Use the same amount of avocado oil as vegetable oil.
8. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil gives boxed cake mixes a light, tropical taste. It goes well with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or even lemon cakes.
Ratio: Use the same amount of melted coconut oil as vegetable oil. Mix it into the batter quickly so it blends evenly before it firms back up.
9. Mashed Banana
Do you have any ripe bananas on hand? If you’ve ever made banana bread with cake mix, then you already know: you can mash them up and use them as an oil substitute in cake mix! I have used this oil replacement many times with great success. Mashed bananas add a nice flavor and moistness to boxed cakes.
Ratio: Use half as much mashed banana as oil. If your box asks for 1 cup of oil, you only need ½ cup of mashed banana (about 1 medium banana).
Which Oil Substitute Should You Use?
- Richest, most homemade taste: melted butter
- Lower fat or lower cholesterol: applesauce, Greek yogurt or mashed banana
- Most moist chocolate cake: mayonnaise or sour cream
- No change in taste or texture: avocado oil or light olive oil
- Dairy-free: applesauce, mashed banana, coconut oil or avocado oil
You can also mix and match. Readers have had great results combining two swaps when they are short on one: Mary used about a quarter cup each of butter and mayo in a white cake mix and called the result “spectacular,” and Kimberly went half oil, half butter when she ran out of oil partway through measuring.
Can You Skip the Oil in Cake Mix?
No. Oil is the fat in a boxed cake mix, and fat is what coats the flour, keeps the crumb tender and holds in moisture. Leave it out without replacing it and the cake will be dry, crumbly and flat. If you already mixed the batter and forgot the oil, stir in an equal amount of melted butter or sour cream (or a little more Greek yogurt) before it goes in the pan. If it is already baking, brush the warm cake with simple syrup or milk and lean on the frosting for moisture.
Kasey’s Tips: Measure melted butter and coconut oil after melting, not before. Thick swaps like yogurt, sour cream and applesauce make a heavier batter, so spread it evenly in the pan and check for doneness at the earliest time on the box with a toothpick. Any oil substitute also works in cake mix cookies, bars and poke cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Oil is the only fat in most boxed cake mixes, so leaving it out gives you a dry, crumbly cake. Replace it with the same amount of melted butter, sour cream or full-fat mayonnaise, 1 1/4 times as much Greek yogurt, or 3/4 the amount of applesauce.
Use 1 cup of melted butter, sour cream, full-fat mayonnaise, olive oil, avocado oil or melted coconut oil, or 1 1/4 cups of Greek yogurt. For a lighter cake, use 3/4 cup of applesauce or 1/2 cup of mashed banana.
The cake bakes up dry, dense and crumbly and may not rise as well, because there is no fat to coat the flour and hold in moisture. If you forgot the oil, stir an equal amount of melted butter or sour cream into the batter before baking.
You get a richer, more homemade-tasting cake with a slightly denser, more tender crumb and golden edges. Use the same amount of melted butter as oil and let it cool a little before mixing it in.
I’m guessing you have at least one of these oil substitutes on hand at home. That means it’s time to start baking! Let me know in the comments which swap you used and how your cake turned out. For more ways to upgrade a box, see my 10 tricks to make box cake mix taste better.
👉 Love easy desserts? Join my newsletter and grab my free Top 10 Reader Favorites eBook today! Get it here: Easy Dessert Recipes
Thank so much for the substitute advice! My box recipe calls for 1/2 cups vegetable oil but I only have a 1/4 cup. I do have butter, though, and so I’m going to try half oil; half butter and see how it goes. I only have salted butter, so, I hope that doesn’t mess things up 😬
Please let us know how it turns out!
What are the measurements for yogurt to oil replacement?
Im trying to bake a cake with the Simple Mills Almond Flour Vanilla Cupcake and cake mix, and it calls for 1/3 cup oil. How much yogurt would I use?
Start with a 1:1.25 ratio. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use 1 ¼ cup of yogurt for baking. If your batter seems dry, slowly stir in a bit more yogurt. Hope this helps!
Half oil and half butter works great, Kimberly! Salted butter is fine too. If your box mix has you add any salt, just skip it. Hope the cake turned out delicious!
Can some please help me understand use 3/4 the amount of mayo that it calls for oil, I’m drawing a complete blank at this moment and im trying to make my god son a birthday cake. Like I need 1/3 cup oil so what does exactly mean?
Sorry about the confusion, Heather! You should be able to substitute it in equal amounts.
Thank you very much Kade! I’m up early and was interested in knowing what I could use in my cakes instead of the oils. People cutting back on buying due to cholesterol. So, that’s become my concern also.
You’re so welcome, Teresa! For a lower-fat, lower-cholesterol cake, applesauce (use 3/4 the amount of oil), plain Greek yogurt (1 1/4 times the amount of oil), or mashed banana (half the amount of oil) are the swaps I’d reach for. Happy baking!
This really helped out a lot. I have no eggs but I have Greek yogurt so I’m gonna use that. I’m gonna try right now. Thanks for the tip
Please let us know how it turns out!
Thank you so much! I love playing with cake flavors and recipes!
Thank you, Penny! Mixing and matching swaps is half the fun. Let us know which one becomes your favorite!
Thank you for saving my day. I had a white box cake mix and forgot to purchase vegetable oil. I went with your suggestion of using part mayonnaise and part butter, I used up what I had left in the mayo jar so it was probably a quarter cup of each butter and mayo. I added a touch more of white vanilla, because I am crazy and buy Mexican vanilla by the liter so I have Addit to pretty much everything I’m baking. The combination of the mayo and the butter instead of vegetable oil was spectacular. I am making a cannoli cake, so thank you for the recommendation.
Mary, this made my day! Butter plus mayo is a great combination for a white cake, and I’m not surprised it came out spectacular. I actually added your tip to the post so other readers can try it. Enjoy that cannoli cake!