Butter Substitute Mac and Cheese

Top 11 Butter Substitutes for Mac and Cheese in 2024

There are tons of folks who love mac and cheese as comfort food. I love it because it’s creamy, cheesy, and tastes good. But, how do you make it if you need to whip up some mac and cheese but you are right out of butter?  

Butter is normally a base ingredient for Mac and Cheese.

Can You Make Mac and Cheese without Butter

Mac and cheese can be made without butter, actually quite easily and you will not notice much of a difference in overall taste and texture. You can easily make mac and cheese without butter by using some sour cream, olive oil, or one of the other top 11 butter substitutes listed below for mac and cheese sans butter

Butter isn’t a must for mac and cheese. However, it makes it more tasty and creamy. But,  You don’t have to use real butter to get the same texture. You can use margarine, plain or greek yogurt, olive oil,  cream cheese, and even mayonnaise to get the same taste.

Using any of these will make mac and cheese that tastes as good or better than the one made with butter. If you use these substitutions, you’ll have a dish of mac and cheese that is creamy, cheesy, and piping hot.

1. Margarine: (Can You Use Margarine as a Butter Substitute for Mac and Cheese)

Because it has a very similar taste and texture to butter, margarine is the most apparent butter alternative for mac & cheese. Margarine can be a suitable alternative for vegans who crave the buttery taste of mac & cheese ( You will need to use vegan cheese also). It’s a plant-based alternative to milk that’s comprised of water and oil.

While it is a vegan-friendly alternative, it is not limited to them. Margarine is a good option if you want to reduce your fat intake, hence it is so popular.

Margarine is perhaps the greatest butter alternative in mac and cheese since it not only has a comparable taste but also a similar texture.

Heavy Cream Is A Replacement For Butter in Mac and Cheese
Heavy Cream Is A Replacement For Butter in Mac and Cheese

2. Heavy Cream

Because butter is created from heavy cream, it’s no surprise that it’s a wonderful alternative in mac and cheese. This is a wonderful choice for making a thick and luscious sauce.

Another reason heavy cream is an excellent replacement is that it may be used to produce your own butter! It’s a great way to discover with tastes and gives any mac and cheese a lovely “homemade” feel.

You can also make mac and cheese with no milk, but do not leave mac and cheese out too long

3. Olive Oil

Olive oil,  (use virgin so that the flavor is not too strong) can be used and also adds its own smooth characteristic to mac and cheese. Many people actually like this version better than the original.

4. Cream Cheese

If you really want your mac and cheese to just be smooth, gooey, and thick, use cream cheese instead. When using cream cheese, you may also omit the milk. This adds a wonderful texture to the mac and cheese. 

You can largely use this as a one-to-one replacement.

5. Ghee

Ghee is a sort of special clarified butter, which has been cooked at a low temperature and filtered to eliminate any particulate matter and water.

Even if you enjoy butter, experimenting with ghee in a mac and cheese is really worthwhile and the results can give you a very intense tasting recipe.

Ghee is a 1-to-1 Replacement For Butter
Ghee is a 1-to-1 Replacement For Butter

This clarified butter does have a rich, nutty flavor that many say enhances the overall taste of mac and cheese.

The other reason is Ghee has lots of uses in the kitchen and is also an item that will last a long time. Ghee is shelf-stable, so you won’t have to fear it spoiling quickly. Ghee, whether homemade or purchased, is an excellent alternative to butter for making mac & cheese.

6. Sour Cream

In addition to butter, sour cream is an excellent substitute for it in mac and cheese. It wins on two fronts. That is s our cream may be used in place of milk and butter. It adds a lot more depth and complexity to the meal. If you enjoy tanginess in your food, sour cream is a great substitute for butter.

I’d recommend using less sour cream. It contains a lot of fat and calories, so don’t use too much of it. Also, adding sour creams in big quantities may result in an overly acidic mac and cheese.

7. Plain Yoghurt

Yogurt is a very good substitute instead of butter. When you use plain yogurt, you can also leave out the milk as it also replaced that as well in macaroni and cheese. 

8. Ricotta Cheese Can Replace Butter in Mac & Cheese

Ricotta works well in the butter substitution into mac and cheese. It tends to have a thick texture, but once it is all cooked in then the result is a thick mac and cheese. You can use a one-to-one ratio in replacing butter with Ricotta.

Ricotta Cheese Can be Used Instead Of Butter
Ricotta Cheese Can Be Used Instead Of Butter

9. Can You Use Cottage Cheese to Replace Butter in Making Mac and Cheese

Cottage Cheese works nicely as a butter substitute in macaroni and cheese. It has a thick texture, but after it’s all cooked in, it becomes a thick mac and cheese. You may replace butter with Cottage Cheese in a one-to-one ratio.

10. Mayonnaise

 Mayonnaise is an often-overlooked alternative to butter when you are. making Mac & cheese. It adds a little bit of tang to the taste, but the overall result is good. Furthermore, it is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many dishes and is readily available in the pantry. You can use it in a one to one replacement ratio.

11. Dairy Free Coconut Oil 

For those people who are making a dairy-free mac and cheese then coconut oil is a very good alternative to butter. Coconut oil if handled correctly can be made to act like butter. You can also mix it with flour to. make a “roux” thus giving a thickening property to the who dish. Just do not forget to cook out the flour in the roux else you will get. floury taste in the mac and cheese.

What Cooking Function Does Butter Provide in Mac N Cheese?

In the case of handmade mac and cheese, however, you must add butter or another fat source to make the base sauce for your mac and cheese.

Furthermore, butter aids in the thickening of the sauce.

Another function of butter is to keep the mac & cheese from becoming too dry. 

It helps to keep the macaroni wet and mushy.

What Can I Use Instead of Butter for Kraft Mac and Cheese

The best butter substitute in Kraft Mac and Cheese is Ghee or Heavy Cream.