20 Ways To Use Ghee In Recipes (2024)

Ghee has quickly become one of our favourite ingredients for all kinds of cooking and baking. It’s stable, full of nutritious fats and absolutely packed with flavour! If you haven’t hopped aboard the ghee train because it’s unfamiliar or you don’t know what to do with it, these 20 ways to use ghee in recipes will give you a ton of inspiration.

What Is Ghee?

Ghee is clarified butter. When butter is boiled, the milk proteins and milk solids are removed. It’s a staple in traditional Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine, plus ghee is rich in beneficial fats that can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, support digestion and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Ghee is very simple to make at home (we recommend choosing the organic, grass-fed variety), and it’s much more affordable than store-bought. We have a full tutorial to help you make your own ghee here! It’s also amazing when infused with herbs and spiceslike ginger, garlic, parsley, chives, turmeric or curry powder.

Once you’ve got your ghee ready to go, it’s time to start cooking with it!

Is Ghee Dairy-Free?

During the cooking process the milk proteins and milk solids are strained off, so it’s an option for those with dairy intolerances or lactose intolerances. As the origin of ghee is butter (a dairy product), it’s not suitable for vegans or those with severe dairy allergies. If you have any concerns or whether this is an ingredient to add to your diet, it’s best to speak to your health practitioner.

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Ways to Use Ghee in Recipes

Dairy-Free Elixirs

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It’s no secret that we are obsessed with dairy-free elixirs. These delicious drinks are mighty beverages that include nut/seed milk, protein, herbs and spices, natural sweeteners, and healthy fats. Drop a tablespoon of ghee into your next elixir and marvel at the creaminess!

Recipe to Try: 20 Best Dairy-Free Elixir Recipes

As a Cooking Oil for High-Heat Cooking

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There are a lot of cooking oils we can choose and one of our favourite ways to use ghee is for high-heat cooking methods like stir-frying, sautéing or roasting. Start off by melting a tablespoon in you pan and add more as needed.

Recipe to Try: Herb and Ghee Roasted Sweet Potatoes by Parsnips and Pastries

Melted Over Steamed Or Roasted Vegetables

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Butter on veggies can go a long way, particularly when it comes to getting kids to eat more of them.Try drizzling melted ghee over them instead.

Spread On Baked Goods

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Spread ghee all over your gluten-free bread, gluten-free crackers, muffins or other baked goods. It works well for either sweet or savory recipes!

In Gluten-Free Baking

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Aside from spreading ghee on gluten-free baked goods, it’s also fantastic when used in recipes. Anywhere you’d normally use butter or coconut oil — like cookies, cakes, breads, pie crusts, crackers, buns, bagels, etc. — you could try swapping for ghee.

Recipe to Try: Mini Gluten-Free Apple Galettes by Macy Diulus (*Honorary Culinary Nutrition Expert)

Popcorn Topping

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Grab a bowl of popcorn drizzled with melted ghee and hunker down on the couch with a selection of great food movies. You can melt ghee with herbs and spices for a flavourful topping, and pop your popcorn in it too!

Recipe to Try: Crazy Addictive ‘Gheesy’ Popcorn by Cashew Kitchen

Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Root Vegetables

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Add flavour and creaminess to your mashed potatoes with ghee. If you’re following a Paleo-style diet or are skipping potatoes, use it to mash up your root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, celery root, turnips, cauliflower, and more!

Recipe to Try: Carrots and Rutabaga Mash by Paleo Leap

Chocolate Spreads

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Make your own healthy chocolate spreads using your chocolate of choice, nuts or seeds (or nut and seed butters), and natural sweeteners. If the flavour in combination with chocolate is too strong for you, try half ghee and half coconut oil.

Recipe to Try: Hemp Chocolate Spread by Meghan Telpner (*Academy of Culinary Nutrition Founder + Director)

Oatmeal/Porridge

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Your favourite oatmeal or porridge is a fantastic way to use ghee in your regular cooking, and amp up your morning with some healthy fats. Make sweet or savory porridge with ghee – and it also happens to work well in many other popular breakfast recipes too like hashes, omelettes, congee and pancakes.

Recipe to Try: Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal by Jaclyn Beatty (*Culinary Nutrition Expert) – swap the coconut oil for ghee

Cooked Gluten-Free Grains

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Boost the flavour of gluten-free grains by cooking them with some ghee. Rice, millet, sorghum, quinoa, teff, buckwheat – dealer’s choice!

Recipe to Try: Ghee Rice by Food For Joy

Gluten-Free or Grain-Free Granola

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Grab these must-haves for gluten-free granola and make your own! If you’re looking to mix up the traditional flavours that coconut oil, olive oil or avocado oil lend to granola, incorporate ghee into the liquid mix. You can use all ghee, or combine it with other oils to mute the flavour.

Recipe to Try: 20 Best Grain-Free Granola Recipes

Dairy-Free Butter Chicken

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Yes, you can make butter chicken without butter or cream! Ghee and coconut milk will do the trick quite nicely.

Recipe to Try: Simple Dairy-Free Butter Chicken by Meghan Telpner

Whole Food Frostings

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Get ready to drool – one of the unique ways to use ghee is in frosting! Many typical frosting recipes involve butter to make them creamy and fluffy, but you can certainly try ghee instead.

Recipe to Try: 20 Best Real Food Healthy Frosting Recipes

Fudge

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Turn this decadent dessert into a healthier marvel with ghee. If you’re dubious, you have to check out the recipe below to see what we mean.

Recipe to Try: Paleo Toasted Coconut Fudge by The Healthy Foodie

Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce

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Swap ghee for butter in a variety of dairy-free cheese sauces, from mac and cheese to queso to nacho cheese. And if you’re looking for more dairy-free cheese inspiration, check out these 22 Best Dairy-Free Cheese Recipes.

Recipe to Try: Paleo Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce by Against All Grain

Sweet Sauces

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Upgrade the sweet sauces you drizzle over fruit, oatmeal, dairy-free ice cream or cake by adding some ghee.

Recipe to Try: Warm Coconut Milk and Ghee Sauce by Sweet Lizzy (*Culinary Nutrition Expert)

Savory Non-Cheese Sauces

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We are always delighted by the robust flavour ghee adds to homemade sauces.

Recipe to Try: 3 Minute Hollandaise Sauce by Savory Lotus

Hot Chocolate

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Make your hot chocolate recipes extra creamy by adding in a hunk of ghee!

Recipe To Try: Our 5 Favourite Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Combinations

Natural Beauty Care

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As ghee is rich in nutrients that nourish the skin and hair, it’s especially useful in natural beauty care recipes you make at home.

Recipe to Try: 20 Best Natural Beauty Care Recipes by Meghan Telpner

Eat It Off The Spoon!

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A classic method you will relish.

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FAQs

Should ghee be refrigerated? ›

As the milk solids have been removed, ghee doesn't go rancid as rapidly as ordinary butter does, so refrigeration is not so essential. However, it will extend its life, so it's worth keeping opened shop-bought ghee or homemade ghee in the fridge.

What is the best thing to do with ghee? ›

Ghee can be used as a replacement for butter or oil in any of your favorite dishes. It cooks without burning, so ghee makes an excellent choice for frying eggs, making grilled cheese, and sauteing proteins or veggies. You can truly use ghee just like you would butter.

Is ghee healthier than olive oil? ›

Healthfulness. When wondering about ghee vs olive oil, we're going to guess that you're mostly concerned with the nutrient profile of each. And this is where we tell you, neither is better or worse for you! They're just different and both are great additions to a healthy diet.

Can I spread ghee on toast? ›

Ghee on toast is one of the favorite toast toppings for keto dieters and some health freaks. Nothing beats slathering a dollop of rich-tasting ghee on toast, which is soft and spreadable at room temperature. Ghee is not only tasty, but it is also nutritious.

How do you know if ghee is rancid? ›

Off smell: If your ghee has a rancid or sour smell, it's a clear indication that it has spoiled. Mold or discoloration: If you notice any mold or unusual discoloration in your ghee, it's best to discard it as it may be contaminated. Strange texture: Ghee should have a smooth and creamy texture.

Can I freeze ghee? ›

It is entirely possible to freeze ghee for at least a year, and perhaps longer. We recommend divvying up a large quantity into smaller portions (perhaps a month's worth) and double wrapping it to prevent freezer burn. And don't forget to label and date each container!

What should not be eaten with ghee? ›

Like we avoiding ghee nd fish its lead to appear white spot on body. Fish with Milk products Milk with onions Milk products with citrus food items such as lemon, oranges, etc. Only these all should be avoided.

What does ghee do on empty stomach? ›

Ghee has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine as a detoxifying agent. Consuming it on an empty stomach can help in the removal of toxins from the body. Ghee binds to fat-soluble toxins in the digestive tract, making it easier for the body to eliminate them.

Is ghee healthier then butter? ›

If you're only looking at calories and fat intake, it doesn't matter whether you choose ghee or butter. Their nutritional profiles are almost identical. But removing the milk from ghee does offer additional benefits, namely the absence of lactose and the higher smoke point.

Can you bake with ghee? ›

How to use ghee to replace butter in holiday baking. When baking with ghee, since the water content is also removed, use about 25% less ghee than your recipe calls for, and if your batter seems drier than usual, just add some water until the consistency seems like what you are used to.

Is coffee with ghee good? ›

The MCTs in ghee can help increase metabolism, leading to more efficient calorie burning and weight loss. Adding ghee to coffee can help boost metabolism and support overall health.

Is ghee bad for cholesterol? ›

If you take 1 tablespoon of clarified butter(ghee) it has 7.5-8.0 grams of saturated fats and around 32-33 mg of cholesterol. It is recommended by experts that if you have high cholesterol levels you should limit your daily ghee intake to less than 1-2 tsp each day.

When to not use ghee? ›

If you are someone with chronic indigestion and stomach issues like IBS-D etc do not have ghee. - Ghee is kapha increasing: Avoid ghee during fevers, especially the seasonal ones. - Pregnant women should take double the care when having ghee. If you are overweight/obese during pregnancy, reduce consumption of ghee.

Is coconut oil better than ghee? ›

Coconut oil has about 40 per cent more saturated fat than ghee (clarified butter), but it also has much more lauric acid – a saturated fat that may raise 'good' cholesterol. There is evidence that coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, but more research is needed for a clear winner.

Do you refrigerate ghee butter after opening? ›

Ghee can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for one year. However, if you live in a hot climate or wish to extend its shelf life, ghee can also be refrigerated. When stored in the fridge, ghee will solidify and should be brought to room temperature before use.

Is ghee healthier than butter? ›

If you're only looking at calories and fat intake, it doesn't matter whether you choose ghee or butter. Their nutritional profiles are almost identical. But removing the milk from ghee does offer additional benefits, namely the absence of lactose and the higher smoke point.

How do you store ghee for 100 years? ›

Best way to store Ghee for a longer period is to store it in air tight glass jar . It can be stored in the kitchen in a cabinet at a spot that is dark and cool. You may not required to refrigerate it.

What is the difference between ghee and clarified butter? ›

Liquid Gold (a.k.a. Clarified Butter and Ghee)

Clarified butter also makes a mean hollandaise. Ghee is clarified butter cooked further to nutty golden perfection. It's basically an extreme version of clarified butter with a shelf life like uranium. This recipe first appeared on altonbrown.com.

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