Can I use melted butter or margarine instead of vegetable oil in the brownie batter?
A. You sure can. Using butter or margarine will make your brownies slightly richer with a bit of “dairy” taste. If you use margarine, you’ll need to bake the brownies 2 minutes longer. Brownies made with a vegetable oil spread that has less than 65% fat will be slightly more dry and cakelike. The only “no-no” is using melted vegetable shortening in place of the oil. Q. Can I use less vegetable oil than called for in the directions or substitute for all the oil? A. Yes, but your brownies will be tougher and more cakelike. If you’re looking to reduce fat, try Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards® low-fat and reduced-fat brownie mixes. These mixes work better than trying to adapt our regular mixes to lower-fat versions. You can substitute yogurt or applesauce for the oil, but the brownies will turn out sticky and be hard to cut. Products such as fruit-based butter and oil replacements found in the baking aisle will give you brownies that are drier with chewier edges, a less shiny top and slightly
