8 Best Cooking Spray Substitutes You Can Try!

Running out of cooking spray amidst the cooking is indeed a nightmare. But if you are hurrying to run to a nearby store, wait! I have some suggestions to give! If you do not have cooking spray, use a cooking spray substitute!

Lard, butter, regular oil, and flour are some of the best cooking spray substitutes you can try. Cooking spray is a must-have pantry product in all our houses. It promotes hassle-free cooking.

The cooking spray has been here for a very long time. On the positive side, it helps reduce oil use while cooking. However, most cooking spray contains so many active ingredients. 

So if you want to avoid the intake of all these ingredients, switching to a much healthier cooking spray substitute will be better. So without wasting much time, let’s get into the article. 

8 Best Cooking Spray Substitutes

Given below are some of the best cooking spray substitutes. Most of them work just as well as cooking spray and are quickly and widely available.

1. Butter 

Butter is an excellent cooking spray substitute as it will prevent your food from sticking to the pan. It also has a very spreadable consistency. Thus you can easily spread it across using a spatula or just your hands.

However, when compared to cooking spray, butter has a very strong taste and may affect the overall taste of the food. In most cases, butter just makes your food taste better. So if you don’t have cooking spray, just use some butter.

2. Cooking Oil

Cooking spray is nothing but some water and oil. So if you do not have cooking spray, use your favorite cooking oil. Most cooking oil works perfectly well as a  cooking spray substitute.

However, we recommend using high-temperature cooking oil instead of regular oils. Sunflower, olive, and avocado oil work well as a cooking spray substitute.

3. Flour 

You might have already used this hack if you are a regular baker! If you do not have any of these cooking spray substitutes, simply use flour as a cooking spray substitute. Dusting is undoubtedly a great way to substitute cooking spray.

All-purpose flour works well as a dusting ingredient. However, just mix some all-purpose flour with oil and vegetable shortening for a better result. You can either store it as it is or just make it instantly!

4. Lard 

Lard is another ingredient commonly used for greasing purposes. It is derived from pig fat and works well as a cooking spray substitute.

Lard is a commonly used ingredient for baking as it provides a flaky texture and buttery flavor to the recipes. It works just fine the way oil and butter work. So if you have some extra lard, pour it into your pan and continue cooking!

5. Vegetable Shortening

If you are looking for a vegan option to replace lard, use vegetable shortening as a cooking spray substitute. It has an even lighter texture than butter and is highly suitable for cooking dishes like pies and pastries. 

While using vegetable shortening as a cooking spray substitute, make sure to melt it properly! Then spread it across the cooking utensil and wait for it to cool down. Once it is settled, it works just well as a cooking spray.

6. Parchment Paper 

If you are looking for a way to avoid any kind of oil added to your food and yet want to make a decent dish without the hassle of stickiness, use parchment paper. They are convenient, easy to use, and very affordable cooking spray substitutes.

Unlike many substitutes we discussed above, Parchment paper does not contribute to the dish’s flavor. So next time you are out shopping, pick some parchment paper and cooking spray!

7. Margarine 

Margarine is a blend of oil and works just like butter and oil. Margarine is widely used for flavoring and cooking. Hence if you have some margarine left from a previous baking experiment, you can use it as a cooking spray substitute. 

Margarine could be a great option if you are looking for something similar to butter but without a diary. It forms a thin film and adds a slight flavor to the dish. It also makes the dish soft and crispier. 

8. Bacon Fat 

If you are someone like me who absolutely adores the taste of bacon in food, then bacon fat is something you must try as a cooking spray substitute. Just as the name suggests, it is the fat derived from cooking bacon slices and works similarly as a cooking spray.

While cooking, make sure to combine it with dishes that go well with the taste of bacon. So if you are cooking some vegetarian dishes, avoiding cooking with cooking spray would be best.

A Short Recap For The Best Cooking Spray Substitutes

That was an extensive read on cooking spray and its substitutes. The following points will make things easy for you to remember about cooking spray and its substitutes:

Best Cooking Spray Substitutes That Are Mostly Suitable–

1. Parchment Paper 
2. Flour 

Best Cooking Spray Substitutes That Are Easily Available–

1. Cooking Oil
2. Butter / Lard

Cooking Spray Substitutes Should Be Least Considered-

1. Bacon Fat

How To Use Cooking Spray Substitutes In A Recipe

8 Best Cooking Spray Substitutes You Can Try!

The cooking spray has been here for a very long time. So if you want to avoid the intake of all these ingredients, switching to a much healthier cooking spray substitute will be better. Here are some cooking spray substitutes for you to try!

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Ingredients

  

• Bacon Fat
• Margarine
• Parchment Paper
• Vegetable Shortening
• Lard
• Flour
• Cooking Oil
• Butter

Instructions

 

• Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
• Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
• Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Conclusion

Now that we are at the end of the article, I hope you had a very fruitful read! Cooking spray is one of the most convenient ingredients to use while cooking in a non-stick pan or even in baking; however, if you are totally out of it and do give it a try to cooking spray substitute.

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