You’re about to make your favorite breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich, and realize you are out of butter. Now you’re at crossroads, but you don’t have to be. You should find out how to make grilled cheese without butter.
To make grilled cheese without butter, preheat a skillet on low heat. Sprinkle oil into the skillet. Cut the cheese and place it on one side of the sliced bread. If you have other topping ingredients, you can add them as well. Then use the other slice of bread to cover the one with the fillings.
Most ingredients have alternatives, and butter has more than one. So if you ever run out while cooking, there is a way out, and this article will educate you on how to make grilled cheese without butter.
What Can I Use Instead Of Butter For Grilled Cheese?
There are many butter substitutes for a grilled cheese sandwich. You are not just only limited to butter. Mayo, olive oil, and coconut oil are substitutes for grilled cheese. If you make grilled cheese with butter substitutes, your sandwich will still be fine.
Here are some of the things you can use instead of butter.
1. Olive oil
You can use olive oil in place of butter for your cheese. Although olive oil does not have so much sweetness, it is rich and will give way to other ingredient tastes in the sandwich. Unlike butter, olive oil will not cause your bread to burn.
Enough of combing your fridge for butter. Pick your bottle of oil and sprinkle it into the non-stick frying. When the oil sizzles, place your bread with cheese and fillings until it becomes brown and crispy.
2. Mayonnaise
Using mayonnaise for your grilled cheese will give you a thrilling sandwich experience. Mayonnaise combines bread and egg; using it for sandwiches gives an amazing result. Many people know about this mayo substitute for butter already. You can get on board.
Using mayo is similar to using butter. Spread mayo on one side of the bread. Add the fillings to the bread and spread mayo on the other slice. The sides of the bread covered in mayo are the sides that will sit in the pan.
3. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is another butter substitute. No butter or mayo at home? Grab your bottle of avocado oil, pour it right into the pan, and place your bread inside. When the down part of the bread has cooked for three to four minutes, you can flip it to the other side. Cook on medium heat until it is golden brown.
4. Aioli
Aioli is made from oil and garlic. You can’t go wrong with using aioli as a butter substitute for your grilled cheese. The creamy and flavorful sauce can be used for many things, like dip and flavor for food. Using the aioli for your grilled cheese will improve the taste of your grilled cheese.
The buttery sauce can be added before or after cooking the grilled cheese. Adding the aioli after cooking the grilled cheese preserves the aioli flavors and moistens the bread.
5. Coconut Oil
If there is no butter in your fridge, you can use coconut oil for your grilled cheese. Coconut oil is still a good butter substitute. However, your grilled cheese is going to have a coconut flavor. Like olive oil, pour the oil into the pan and sit the bread once the oil sizzles. Toss the bread until both sides become golden brown.
6. Bacon Grease
Bacon grease can still cook your sliced bread with cheese to a grilled cheese. This option is great, particularly if you have bacon at home. How do you get the grease for your grilled cheese? Fry the bacon you have at home.
Then use that same pan to fry your sandwich. Your taste bud will not remain the same after using the bacon grease.
7. Egg White
You don’t need to go far for your grilled cheese. Do you have eggs at home? Bring them on. You can also use the egg white to fry your grilled cheese. This will be interesting because eggs are rich, and you can use the whole egg for your grilled cheese. If you are on a diet, egg whites will be great because it is low in calories.
Break a little part of the egg and pour it into a bowl to use the egg white. Use a silicon brush to coat the bread. Fry in a skillet until it turns brown.
How To Make Grilled Cheese Without Butter: Step By Step
Making grilled cheese is simple and does not require much time. The good thing about homemade grilled cheese is that you can use ingredients brand of your choice and include ingredients that suit you, especially if you are on a diet. Below are the ingredients you need to make grilled cheese.
- Slices of bread.
- Any cheese you love: you should consider the melting ability and stretchability of the cheese.
- Butter substitute.
- Any topping you want to add.
Here are the steps to make grilled cheese.
Step 1: Prep Your Butter Substitute
Remember you want to grill cheese without butter, so preparing your butter substitute should be the first step. If you are using bacon grease, first fry your bacon and get the grease ready. Bring the eggs and break them into a bowl if you use them.
Step 2: Preheat The Skillet Or Non-Stick Frying Pan
Once you have prepared your butter replacement, heat your skillet or non-stick fry pan on low heat.
Step 3: Add The Butter Substitute To The Pan
Go ahead and add the butter substitute to the pan, especially if you are using any oil as a substitute.
Step 4: Coat One Side Of The Bread
For a butter substitute like egg white or mayonnaise, spread it on one side of the bread and place it in the pan.
Step 5: Add Cheese And Other Toppings
While the bread in the pan is getting hot, add cheese and toppings of your choice to the bread in the pan. Coat the other slice of bread and place the uncovered part on the bread in the pan.
Step 6: Toss The Sandwich Until Done
Cover the skillet or non-stick frypan so that the heat cannot escape and the cheese can melt faster. After about three to four minutes, flip the other side of the sandwich until it turns golden brown. If you want, you can leave it to cook until it is crispy.
What Happens If You Don’t Put Butter On Grilled Cheese?
It’s hard to resist that warm, gooey melted cheese sandwiched between two slices of crispy, buttery bread. But what happens if you don’t put butter on your grilled cheese?
- The bread may not get as crispy. Butter helps to create a crispy, golden crust on the bread as it cooks. Without butter, the bread may be less crispy and slightly less flavorful.
- The sandwich may stick to the pan. The bread may be more likely to stick to the pan as it cooks without butter. This can make it difficult to flip the sandwich without it falling apart.
- The sandwich may be less rich and flavorful. Butter adds a rich, buttery flavor to the sandwich that may be missed if not included.
What are the Health Benefits of making grilled cheese without butter?
The traditional recipe for grilled cheese sandwiches involves a generous amount of butter, which can be high in calories and unhealthy saturated fats. Fortunately, there are ways to make a delicious grilled cheese sandwich without butter that is healthier and have potential health benefits.
1. Lower Saturated Fat
Butter is a significant source of saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. You can significantly reduce saturated fat by eliminating butter from your grilled cheese sandwich.
For example, one tablespoon of butter contains around 7 grams of saturated fat, which can add up quickly when making a grilled cheese sandwich.
2. Less Caloric
Butter is also high in calories. If you’re watching your calorie intake, using other alternatives or skipping butter can help you reduce calories. One tablespoon of butter contains around 100 calories.
By skipping butter in your grilled cheese sandwich, you could save up to 200 calories or more, depending on the amount of butter you usually use.
3. Increased Nutrient Intake
You can add more nutrient-dense ingredients by eliminating butter from your grilled cheese sandwich. For example, you can use different cheese types high in protein and calcium.
Additionally, you can add other nutrient-rich ingredients like avocado, tomatoes, or leafy greens, which can provide additional vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
4. It may Help with Digestion
Butter is known to slow down digestion due to its high fat content. You can still get the same crispy texture without the added saturated fat by using alternative ingredients in your grilled cheese sandwich, like olive oil or avocado oil.
These oils contain healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help with digestion and keep you feeling full for longer.
5. May Be Better for Your Skin
Butter contains dairy, which can cause inflammation and acne in some people. You may improve your skin’s overall appearance by eliminating butter from your diet.
Additionally, incorporating healthy fats like olive or avocado oil can help nourish your skin from the inside out.

Grilled Cheese Recipe Without Butter
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bread
- 2 slices of cheese (cheddar or any other cheese of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with olive oil.
- Place one slice of bread, olive oil side down, in the pan.
- Add the cheese slices on top of the bread in the pan.
- Place the other slice of bread, olive oil side up, on top of the cheese.
- Cook the sandwich for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove the sandwich from the pan and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Cut the sandwich in half and serve.
Video
Conclusion
You can enjoy grilled cheese without butter because there are many butter alternatives. You need to learn how to use each substitute; this article has done justice to that. Enjoy your grilled cheese.